MICROWAVE OVENS

16 August 2010

CONCERNS OF A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN DESIGNER

AND CONSUMER ADVOCATE

Our new internet radio program, "Today's Home" began yesterday with a discussion about microwave ovens.  During the first segment, I expressed professional concerns about  microwave-hood combinations and drawer microwaves.  Both appliances are potentially dangerous.  You need to have someone on your side to help you make informed decisions about products that can affect your safety.

According to National Kitchen and Bath Association design guidelines, the best (and safest)  location for a microwave oven is achieved when the bottom of the unit is 3" below the main user's shoulder, or a maximum of 54" above the floor (whichever is lower).  If a microwave is  placed below a 36" high countertop, the bottom of the unit must be a minimum of 15" above the floor.  There should be a 15” wide by 16" deep landing area above, below, and/or adjacent to the handle side of a microwave oven, from the front edge of the adjacent countertop.

It has become increasingly popular for homeowners to install two microwave ovens during their kitchen remodeling project. Two units, installed at different heights, makes it easier and safer for users whose height varies more than six inches.  A second microwave should not be installed for children under 16 years.   Several clients have elected to install two microwave ovens for dedicated purposes in different parts of the kitchen, for their convenience.  In 25 years of practice, I've helped hundreds of homeowners select and place microwave ovens, with the best safety and function being our #1 goal.  Below is a synopsis of concerns I have about microwave-hood combinations, and drawer microwaves.

MICROWAVE-HOOD COMBINATIONS:

  • They're too high to be safe…
    • …unless the bottom of the unit is at the height recommended by NKBA, which reduces the area for tall pots to 18" and limits access to rear burners.
    • It's difficult to see what's going on inside the oven.  If the food is bubbling and boiling, it could lead to a serious burn, or an accidental spill, if the user isn't wearing oven mitts.
    • It's hard to read the controls.
  • They  provide poor ventilation.
    • Most microwave-hoods are recirculating, with no outside exhaust, unless you're hooking it up to an existing duct, or paying a contractor to vent to the outside.  Recirculating pulls some (not all) of the moisture and grease from the air, but if the charcoal filters are "tired," cooking odors will recirculate back into your kitchen.
    • The highest cubic feet per minute (cfm) rating for microwave-hoods is earned by Panasonic, which has four models with 420 cfm standard.  Most of the other manufacturers make microwave-hoods with 300 cfm, except  Whirlpool and Amana, which have units rated for only 220 cfm.  Two combination units manufactured by Dacor can be converted to accommodate a 600 cfm exterior motor.
    • Unlike exhaust hoods that are an average of 19" deep, most microwave-hood combinations are 12" to 14" deep, which allows steam and grease to escape from front burners.
  • They're not wide enough.
    • Most microwave-hoods are only 30" wide, installed over a 30" wide range or cooktop, which can result in adjacent wall cabinets being damaged by steam, grease, and heat.  A couple of manufacturers make a 36" wide unit, but there is no difference in the interior dimensions.  There are extension kits to make the 30" microwave-hood 36"-42" wide, but they're visually unappealing.
  • There may be insufficient landing space adjacent to the unit.
    • Landing space does not include your cooktop or rangetop!

MICROWAVE DRAWERS:

Although they're safer in some ways, they still present  safety and function problems.  At least four major appliance manufacturers have gotten on board to offer these units since Sharp first introduced microwave drawers in 2005.  Looking at technical specifications and dimensions leads one to think that Sharp is the original equipment manufacturer of all microwave drawers.   Although the overall exterior dimensions are 24" or 30" wide by 15" high by 23" deep, the drawers are limited to a MAXIMUM OF 17-3/8" wide by 8" high (+/-) by 15" deep, or 1 cubic foot.

Owners' manuals contain the following warnings:

  • Do not overheat liquid.
  • Stir liquid before and halfway through heating it.
  • Use extreme care when inserting a metal utensil into hot food or liquid.
  • Do not use straight-sided containers with narrow necks.
  • After heating, allow containers to stand in the appliance at least for 20 seconds before removing them.
  • Cover foods while cooking with paper towels, wax paper, microwave plastic wrap, or a lid.  Covers prevent spattering, limit condensation inside the microwave, and help foods to cook evenly. (NOTE:  None of the owners' manuals mention anything about how hard it might be to clean these appliances.)
  • Turn chicken, hamburgers and roasts at least once during microwaving to speed cooking.  Rearrange foods such as meatballs halfway through cooking, both from top to bottom and from right to left.
  • Keep the waveguide cover clean.  Food residue can cause arcing and/or fires.  The waveguide cover is located on the inside top of the microwave drawer area.  Carefully wipe any food spatters with a soft damp cloth  immediately after they occur.  Do not remove the waveguide cover.
  • ALWAYS use potholders to prevent burns when handling utensils that are in contact with hot food.  ("Utensils" also means containers. Why do they offer this advice?  To protect you, and to protect themselves. )

Here are some tips, to help you be an informed consumer:

  • Do not buy major appliances online without seeing them in person. (There are many more reasons for this recommendation, but that's another topic.)
  • Remember the NKBA guidelines cited above when shopping for a new microwave oven.
  • Do not let anyone talk you into buying a microwave-hood combination because it's the only thing that will fit into the available space.   You probably have more (and safer) alternatives!
  • Keep wall cabinets at least 3" away from the edge of your range or cooktop on both sides, if possible, a total of 6" difference, to prevent them from being ruined by steam, grease, and heat.
  • Bring your largest baking container with you when you shop for a new microwave, to verify that you can continue using it.
  • Bring a measuring tape and a small spiral binder when you shop, to take and write down important measurements which may impact your ultimate decision.

Join me every Saturday at 9 AM or 3PM for "Today's Home," and remember to tell everyone about our program.  Please join the ongoing discussion I just started, about microwave ovens.  Your comments and feedback are very important!  My goal is to provide Inspired Ideas for Your Home and Lifestyle, because I care about you!

DO IT RIGHT, OR NOT AT ALL

18 June 2010

Picture of Mike Holmes, Host of Holmes on HomesHave you ever watched "Holmes on Homes"?  The Sunday night show  on HGTV is about a great contractor, Mike Holmes, and his crew, who finish projects that have been botched by other contractors.  I'm very happily married, but I love Mike!  He really cares about homeowners, and cares about what he does.  I applaud him for getting a great message to a large audience.  It's similar to the information I've been sharing with homeowners for over 15 years, on a much smaller scale.

Every time I meet homeowners who share their story about a bad building or remodeling project, I feel sick.  Most of the time, problems that homeowners had could have been easily avoided, if they had asked lots of questions, gotten reliable (honest) information, thoroughly checked references and credentials, and trusted their gut feelings.  Homeowners, consumers, are not stupid.  Many are very well-educated, but they lack the experience and knowledge to protect their investment.  They also tend to be trusting, which makes them easy prey for charlatans.

DREAM PROJECT TURNS INTO A NIGHTMARE

If Mike Holmes could read this, I can picture him shaking his head and saying, "Why?"  Indeed, why did a dream master bathroom become a nightmare?  Why, after six months, are the homeowners having to use the guest bathroom?  Why are all of the plumbing fixtures and fittings — including a 36" by 72" whirlpool/air tub –  taking up an entire corner of  the master bedroom?  Because the homeowners trusted the designer that they hired.

The former designer didn't provide plans, and acted as the general contractor. He/she hired un-licensed people to do the rough plumbing and electrical.  Of course, there weren't permits, which will affect the homeowners' ability to sell the home.  Here's what I've discovered so far about this project.

  • Two non-tempered existing windows are four inches above the tub deck.
  • There's an outlet for the whirlpool tub, but the new contractor must check to verify that the wires "home run" to a dedicated 15-amp circuit.
  • There's a 24-inch square extension of the tub platform that will cover code-required access to the pump and the deck-mounted personal shower.  It was built over the only heat register in the bathroom.
  • Pipes for all of the shower fittings are installed:  A rainhead showerhead, an adjustable personal shower, and three body sprays, all controlled by three separate valves.  The only place for the shower door is opposite the body sprays, which means that there will be a puddle of water for the homeowners to contend with every time they use the body sprays.  I doubt if the designer considered the ergonomic placement of the body sprays, because they seem to be very far apart, aimed at the head, the waist, and the groin (ouch!).
  • The shower floor does slope to the drain, and the shower curb is sloped to the inside, but there's no way to tell if the membrane under the mortar bed was installed properly.   The drain is flush with the mortar, instead of being above it. Without permits (and inspections), there is no way to tell if everything meets code for water-tightness.
  • The new contractor verified that the existing 50-gallon water heater is close to the end of its life.  I'll bet $100 that the former designer didn't do any calculations about water-flow requirements for the 10" rainhead showerhead, the body sprays, and the tub filler.  Another $100 bet that he/she didn't calculate the number of gallons it will take to fill the tub, and how long it takes hot water to reach the master bathroom from the water heater.
  • Rough plumbing for the lavatories has been installed, but the right-hand lavatory is only 13 inches from the wall, which means that the homeowner will be bumping his/her elbow.  He/she will be standing in the doorway, and will have no storage on the right-hand side.  Fortunately, the contractor has confirmed that it will be easy to move the drain and supply lines, so the lavatory will be more functional and safe.
  • It's obvious that the former designer didn't have a clue about lighting and electrical.  He/she left old recessed fixtures with black baffles above the lavatory area.  No provision for sidelights, which is the best kind of lighting for shaving and applying makeup.  The designer was actually planning to leave the existing exhaust fan — old, noisy technology, plastic case yellowed with age.  $350 or less will get a great, quiet fan that looks much better.

WE WILL "MAKE IT RIGHT" TO HELP THEM FORGET THE NIGHTMARE

I don't know what the homeowners thought they would be getting for their investment.  It's sad that they've invested even five dollars in this mess.  If the former designer told them that their investment would be less than $30,000, he/she was totally out of touch with reality.  I want to give benefit of the doubt, but I can't.  I'm as angry with the former designer as Mike Holmes is  when he sees unprofessional work by contractors   Anyone who takes on such a project "should know what they're doing," as Mr. Holmes says in virtually every program.    The new contractor and I have already begun to salvage this project.  Yesterday, I sent the detailed as-built plans and elevations to the contractor and homeowners, with a thorough to-do list for all of us, addressing each problem and possible solutions.  I've already begun work on the proposed plans and elevations, to obtain permits and finish the job right.  It will be beautiful, functional, and safe!

Mike Homes' program is viewed by millions of people, but do they get the message?  Unfortunately, most of us  believe that we'll never have problems like that — it's always someone else.  Somehow, we have to get our message to more homeowners: Follow our advice, because we care.  We can't protect everyone, but if we can help one in 100 to avoid costly problems, it will be worth our effort.  Very soon, I will be broadcasting my own internet radio program, "Today's Home".  We're going to talk about how to protect your investment, how to reduce your carbon footprint with easy-to-follow tips, how to plan for your future using Universal Design, and many more topics to help you enjoy your home.  Stay tuned, there's much more to follow.  If I'm lucky, I'll get to interview Mike Holmes. 

In the meantime, check out Mike Holmes' website: http://makeitright.ca

CREATIVITY+POSITIVE ATTITUDE=SUCCESS!

8 June 2010

Bride's Bouquet

Have you ever known anyone who's really creative, who also has a negative attitude?  Probably not.  But many creative people are plagued with doubt and fear, which limits their ability to visualize possibilities and achieve the best results.

My dear friend, Katya, was planning her June wedding, and asked me to help with the flowers.  Okay, no problem.  I've been arranging flowers most of my life, since my godmother introduced me to this wonderful hobby around the age of seven.  Proud to say that I've won many blue ribbons for my floral creations over the years, including several  "Best of Show" ribbons. So making arrangements for the reception tables wouldn't be a problem.  I agreed, before I learned of several challenges:

  • Katya's favorite flower is hydrangea.  For an early June wedding, the selection of these flowers was limited, especially for the blue and purple colors that she wanted to use.
  • The reception hall has a 14-foot ceiling.  Low arrangements of hydrangeas would be out of proportion.
  • The wedding budget was very tight.  The allowance for all the flowers was around $300. Tall glass vases were available at my wholesale price for an average of $25 each, which would leave  only $125 for all of the flowers and other supplies.
  • Katya wanted me to do ALL of the flowers, including bouquets and cake toppers.  Geez, I've never made bridal bouquets or cake toppers before!

Two weeks before the wedding, I took Katya shopping at the Portland Flower Mart.  Immediately, she went into sticker shock, and admitted that she now understands how our clients feel when we tell them how much their remodeling project is going to total.  Fortunately, we found two wholesale growers who could supply hydrangeas and irises for a very reasonable price.  The 9" tall hurricane containers that Katya bought at the Dollar Store wouldn't  hold arrangements  exceeding four feet, but  Katya didn't let it stop her.  After we parted, she went to Home Depot, and called me, all excited. "I've found the perfect solution!  Plumbing pipe!  My vases fit inside, and we can cut the pipe to any length!"

The "can do" attitude kicked in for all of us, and we worked together as a well-oiled machine.   Katya and her fiancee, Robert, attached the pipes to square MDF bases with construction adhesive. At that point, we called them rocket launchers.  My husband, Jay, filled the bases with sand, so the top of  each  vase was level with the top of the pipe.  Katya and I found beautiful "champagne" satin fabric at the Mill End store (less than $3 a yard), then Jay and I wrapped  the tubes and covered the bases with the satin, using a full roll of Gorilla Tape.  The transformation was astounding!  Together, we created seven beautiful containers for about $40 total.

Finished flower arrangement

Online searches yielded great information to help me create the bouquets and cake topers.  What would we do without the Internet?  One of the sites warned about not using toxic flowers in or near food.  Of course, hydrangeas are on that list.  I used a small plastic bouquet holder, and made a ring of curly lettuce (Jay's suggestion) to assure that none of the hydrangeas touched the cake or the frosting.  

All of the flowers and paraphernalia to make the arrangements and bouquets came in a little over budget — about $310.  It was a great experience, but Jay made me promise not to do any more wedding flowers. He also made me promise to unsubscribe from all of the wedding sites that think I'm a bride-to-be; they're clogging my e-mail with information and "special" offers!

I approached this project as I approach every project: Creativity plus a positive attitude does achieve successful results!

 

Head Table ArrangementWedding Cakes with Real Flowers

          

          

          

          

          

          

          

          

          

          

DO DESIGNERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

31 May 2010

Do you know where to find the right products that  reflect your personal taste, that are compatible with your home, and with each other?   Where does each product fit into your budget priorities?  How many mistakes can you afford to make?  Here are two examples that may fit you like a glove:

For the past six months, "Shirley" and "Michael" have been shopping, to furnish their new home.  They purchased furniture and accessories that appealed to them.  After everything was delivered and positioned, they didn't like the result.s  The sofa and coffee table were too large, and didn't coordinate with the chairs or the area rug.  Their new bed dominated the master bedroom.  They returned what could be returned, and sold the rest at consignment stores for considerably less than they had paid.

At the same time, "Becky" and "Robert" went shopping  every Saturday for all of the products to create their new kitchen.  They visited dozens of tile, countertop and cabinet showrooms within 50 miles of their home, getting more confused every week until they decided to put their project on hold.

Both examples are not uncommon, because most homeowners don't understand that hiring a  professional designer can save them frustration, time, and money.  Here is what I believe a professional designer should do to help you:

  • Establish a reasonable budget, with allowances for each item
  • Design a space plan that's safe and functional
  • Recommend products, suppliers, and contractors
  • Guide final product choices that fit the home, budget, and lifestyle
  • Prepare detailed floor plans and elevations to:
    • Get accurate product and labor estimates
    • Define the scope of the work
    • Guard against change orders
    • Ensure that you get what you expect
  • Work with you, your contractors and suppliers, to achieve the best results for your budget

The most important benefit that a professional designer brings to your project is creative visualization — the ability to see the finished room (or home) down to the smallest details.  Real creativity is not the same thing as copying ideas from a magazine or book, but being inspired by others' work, and nature, to solve specific challenges unique to your project.  

If "Shirley" and "Michael" had hired a designer, they would be inviting friends over to see their new home, completely furnished and accessorized.  If "Becky" and "Robert" had hired a professional kitchen designer,  all of their product decisions would be behind them, and their remodeling  project would be underway.  Professional designers can and do make a positive difference.

The best way to find a designer is referrals from family, business associates, friends, and neighbors.  The next best way is through professional organizations in your area that provide names, qualifications, and contact information.  In your first telephone conversation, or e-mail, provide information about what you want to achieve, how much you want to invest, and when you want your project completed.  Here's an example:

"We live in a '70's ranch-style and we want to update the living room and dining room, which has the original carpet and draperies that need to be replaced.  We are thinking about buying new furniture, but don't know how much it will cost.  We also want to change the color scheme, and maybe add some crown moulding.  We want everything done by the holidays, so we can entertain."

In the first contact, whether an e-mail or telephone conversation, ask the following questions:

  • How long have you been in business?
  • Do you have a specialty?
  • Have you worked on homes similar to ours?
  • How do you communicate your ideas (i.e., floor plans and sketches, samples and pictures of products, and/or verbal descriptions)?
  • How do you get compensated?

There is no industry standard for designers to get paid for their experience, talent, and ability to visualize creative solutions. Here are most of the ways that designers get compensated:

  • Flat percentage of the project value
  • Smaller percentage of the project value, plus a design fee (hourly rate or flat fee)
  • Markup on all products they provide for your project
  • Smaller markup on all products they provide, plus a design fee (hourly rate or flat fee)
  • Only a design fee (hourly rate or flat fee), with no markup on products they provide

The designer should ask some questions, to get valuable information, and show genuine interest in helping you achieve your goals. Be wary of any designer who is too "full of themself," i.e., boasting about what they've accomplished, or  someone who's overly eager to schedule an appointment.  Remember, it's your home, your project, your goals, and your money.