Basement Kitchen Ideas

Adding a kitchen to a finished basement renovation should be seen as a major decision construction decision. It is certainly convenient to have an additional kitchen in the home for additional cooking facilities when entertaining or hosting large dinner parties. For overnight guests, having their own kitchen in the basement makes for a very comfortable stay. And of course for an in-law suite or rental basement apartment a kitchen in the basement is a must-have.

What a lot of client do not consider however is all of the additional building code requirements that come into play when a kitchen is added to a home. In addition to the visible finishes such as kitchen cabinets, countertops, sinks, faucets and backsplash there are Ontario Building Code (OBC) fire protection provisions that need to be added to the scope of the project.

In order to meet OBC requirements, once a kitchen with cooking appliances is added we must treat the basement as a separate ‘building envelope’. This means that the basement becomes its own apartment in the home and requires fire separation from the levels above. The ceilings, staircases and furnace room must be finished with a fire-rated drywall. In addition, all doors between the basement and the rest of the house must also be fire rated with a self-closing mechanism.

In addition to the requirements above there are minimum egress window requirements as well electrical, parking, walkways, set backs and other provincial and municipal rules that need to be followed.

All of these additional items will have a significant impact on project cost. Therefore when budgeting for a basement kitchen it is important to factor in everything needed from a utilities and construction perspective in order to make it legal. Even if the basement is not meant to be a rental unit, the same fire separation rules apply.

If a kitchen is part of your finished basement renovation plans, our experienced team at Bedrock Basement has all the building code and kitchen design knowledge in order to make that basement kitchen a reality. We will work with you to design a basement layout that works best for your space and kitchen requirements. Give us a call at 905-518-9095 or fill out the form below to meet with one of our basement design specialists. At Bedrock Basements we are a team of design, construction and renovation professionals with decades of combined experience working together to provide basement bar, basement kitchen, basement gym, basement bathroom &  basement theater finishing solutions.