Durability is an unsung hero of home remodeling. By Matt Lee

 

It’s no secret that kitchen remodels are among the most popular types of renovations for homeowners looking to update and/or switch things up around the home. As far as return on investment is considered, the kitchen is one of the highest-value areas of the home for renovations, bringing in an average ROI of 53.5%. 

But while choosing high-quality materials, top-tier brands and innovative new products can be crucial to maximizing ROI, durability is often just as valued in a kitchen renovation project, because it will last a long time without needing to be replaced — which, naturally, can have a big impact on overall value.

So, for clients looking to upgrade, here are three areas that will look great, boost the home’s value and are most likely to benefit by prioritizing durability.

New Flooring


Kitchen floors notoriously take a ton of abuse. So much so, in fact, that kitchen flooring can consume a huge chunk of the overall value of a kitchen renovation. The type of kitchen floors you choose to install is crucial, with materials like natural hardwood not lasting nearly as long as vinyl flooring. 

Not only is vinyl impervious to water damage and insects, it doesn’t need to be resealed like wood and tile floors do. Vinyl is also one of the least expensive flooring materials and can be easily replaced if it gets severely scratched, burned or damaged in any way. New vinyl floors should last about 25 years before needing replacement. And the aesthetics of vinyl flooring have improved greatly over the past decade, so they fit in well with any design scheme.

Kitchen Cabinet Molding

Cabinets are another area of the kitchen that benefit from a facelift, if total replacement isn’t in the cards. The molding doesn’t take a ton of abuse, but it does see some, especially molding on the bottom of the cabinets. This wear and tear often gets overlooked, eventually requiring replacement.

If the cabinets are in otherwise good shape, suggest natural hardwood trim to your client. They can shell out the extra money for real hardwood here because they don’t have to buy much of it when adding molding to kitchen cabinets.

Hardwood is also known to be incredibly durable when sealed with the right varnish and clients won’t have to worry all that much about chipping, cracking or scratching, either, because cabinet molding doesn’t see too much direct contact. High-quality hardwood molding will last up to 50 years. 

Updated Windows

Kitchen windows tend to be used a lot. Whether the homeowner wants some fresh air while washing the dishes, or needs to clear the air of some cooking smoke, chances are those kitchen windows are opening and closing often. 

All this opening and closing, however, can lead to the panes of glass inside the window becoming loose and shaky. Even if they don’t become noticeably loose, the slightest amount of wiggle room in the windows can cause air leaks that lower the home’s energy efficiency. 

Some homeowners might think they should replace the whole window down to the studs if this happens, but it’s not necessary. Window replacement inserts are replacement panes of glass that will fit snugly right into the window frame. 

This allows clients to reap all the benefits of a full window replacement like improved durability and energy efficiency for a mere fraction of what it would normally cost. These inserts will last at least 30 years if cared for properly.

 

Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.