How to Bump out a Kitchen Wall

To get the kitchen of your dreams without adding a new addition, you can simply create a bump out.

Kitchen remodeling is one way to create the kitchen of your dreams. However, physical boundaries, such as a kitchen wall, are hindrances to your cause. Luckily, the common solution to such a problem is a bump out. A bump out is when you extend the room wall by a few inches. On the outside, it looks like a new addition has been added to the house. On the inside, you will have more space to put your kitchen supplies and accessories.

Things You'll Need

• Plot plan of house
• Tape measure
• Laminated header
• Ladder
• Hammer
• Nails
• Screws
• Screwdriver
• Floorboards

Instructions

1. See how much you can add to your kitchen from your plot plan. Your plot plan will tell you how far your house can encroach onto the next property. For most homes, the maximum bump out is usually around 24 inches.

2. Clear the wall area where you will perform the bump out. You will need as much room as possible in the interior of the kitchen to make a bump out. Make sure you do not hinder the normal use of your kitchen, however.

3. Use tape measure to mark the dimensions of the kitchen bump out. Besides the actual dimensions of the bump out, make sure you measure the bump out in relation to other aspects of your kitchen, such as the nearest window.

4. Go outside and remove the exterior wall. Use the measurements and dimensions you recorded to remove the exact bump out dimension. How you remove the wall depends on what type of exterior wall you have.

5. Step onto a ladder while outside and attach a laminated header. What you are basically doing this moment is adding what will become the head ceiling of your bump out. By removing the exterior wall of the kitchen, you can support the bump out with a header you purchase for this extension.

6. Connect the laminated header to your exterior house wall. Depending on what kind of header you bought or how you are putting it on, you may need a screwdriver and screws or a hammer and some nails.

7. Remove the interior wall of the kitchen. You will now be exposed to the outside with the header hanging over your head.

8. Begin to cantilever the floor on the interior side of the kitchen. Cantilevering involves extending the floor to the outside exterior. Since you have a header attached to your house, you can safely under shelter add floor boards to extend the bump out.

9. Create side walls as you are cantilevering. The side walls need to connect to the new flooring and to the header.

10. Finish cantilevering and adding side walls until the bump out is extended to around 24 inches.

11. Add attributes you wish to have for this bump on. You can have a window to look outside or a pantry to add kitchen accessories.

References

• Star Craft Custom Builders: Finding Some More Kitchen Space
• Remodeling Guy: Bump-Out Additions --- Small Spaces, Big Impact
• Home Improvement and Financing: Kitchen Bump Out