KITCHEN
Do the aromas here whip up your appetite? Does the lady of your house feel like spending an
additional hour here to conjure up that extra special meal? Does your kitchen complement your
good culinary taste with the benchmarks of hygiene and cleanliness that ensure good health at
home? What makes or unmakes a kitchen is planning. Good planning calls for a layout that
facilitates smooth, unhindered movement between all points of activity in the kitchen.
THE LONG & SHORT OF IT
Flooring
The most commonly used flooring is terrazzo (cast in-situ).
Marble and ceramic tiles are also used, but often in combination with terrazzo.
The floor of the kitchen is at a gradient ranging form 1 : 90 to 1 : 120 towards the drain.
Terrazzo Flooring
This is a popular floor finish, wherein various designs and colour options can be created
using glass, plastic or metal dividing strips and different coloured mortar mixes.
Lintel & Sill Levels
The bottom of the lintel level varies between six feet six inches and seven feet and
generally the lintel is of four inch thick reinforced cement concrete.
The sill level varies between six inches and two feet three inches in height with the top
finished in terrazzo or stone/tile (of two or three feet).
The width of the door opening (masonry) in the kitchen area varies betwen two and a half
feet to three feet.
Partitions
Between three and five inches thick, generally of bricks and plastered on both sides with
half inch thick cement : sand mix (1 : 6).
In special cases, partitions are also made of glass mounted on aluminium frames or PVC
sheets.
Standard Fixtures & Furniture
The wall-concealed fixtures in a kitchen comprise supply and distribution pipes and
electrical wiring.
Whether functional or well-appointed, your kitchen needs:
1. Sink.
2. Pre-cooking, cooking and post-cooking worktops (invariably contiguous).
3. Crockery and, often, cutlery storage racks.
4. Utensil storage racks and/or cabinets.
5. Storage cabinets for food grains, pulses, oil, spices, condiments, etc.
6. Accessories like soap case/tray, hand-towel rod/ring, duster hooks, etc.
Plumbing
Apart from the bathroom-toilet, the kitchen calls for the next most elaborate - if not intricate
- plumbing work. The gamut of plumbing covers:
Water supply and distribution lines reaching the sink taps, aquaguard and at least one
other general-purpose tap.
Waste water discharge lines that drain the kitchen from two main points - general floor and
sink.
Water Supply & Distribution Pipes
Copper Pipes
Highly recommended for their:
1. Durability and non-contaminative properties.
2. Anti-corrosion properties.
3. Resistance to thermal expansion and algae formation.
4. High level of malleability and ductility which facilitate easy bending, curving and
jointing of pipes.
Extremely costly and, therefore:
1. Used extensively in affluent countries like Germany and USA.
2. Used only in very affluent homes in India.
Galvanise Steel/ Iron Pipes
Highly popular in India because of their:
1. Rigidity.
2. Strength.
3. Thermal performance.
4. Economy.
But they suffer from the twin problems of corrosion and leakage, especially in areas where water
supplied from local municipal bodies or available local water is hard and/or contains iron and
salts.
PVC Pipes
Now available as UV-stabilised, they are much sought after because of their:
1. Economy.
2. Ability to maintain smooth axial flow.
3. Resistance to salt/alkali/acid.
4. Resistance to algae action.
But their thermal performance is inferior to copper and galvanised iron pipes. Installation of PVC
pipes must be avoided where boiling or hot water flow is necessary, e.g. hot water geyser
system.
Taps
There are basically two types of taps:
Bib cocks, which deliver water to the open end, further classified as:
1. Pillar taps - generally fitted to fixtures where water rises vertically from below,
e.g. sinks and basins.
2. Bib taps or side-entry taps - used where water is delivered at right angle to the
direction of water flow in the distribution pipe, e.g. general area floor-level taps.
Stop cocks, which control or restrict water within supply or distribution pipes, further
classified as:
1. Stop valve - installed before a water outlet of a kitchen fixture or fitted alongside
a pipe run.
2. Drain cock - similar to a pillar cock except that it has a serrated mouth to fasten
hose pipes.
Solid & Waste Discharge System
The overall solid and waste discharge system comprises the sink and floor drain outlet and,
there-beyond, an elaborate network, viz.
Disposal pipeline system which includes:
1. Waste pipes - to carry waste water from the kitchen floor and sink.
2. Vent pipes or anti-siphonage pipes (traps) - to carry away air or gases trapped
inside the waste pipe.
HVAC
Due to restrictions in planning, it may not always be possible to have an airy and naturally
well-lit kitchen.
For fresh air to flow and adequate sunlight to enter this area - both of which would go a
long way in keeping the kitchen dampfree and hygienic - it is recommended that the
opening of the window be at least 25% of the floor area.
Due to inadequate ventilation, installation of a 1400 rpm, 250W, 9/10-inch dia exhaust fan
may be a compulsion rather than a luxury in this room.
Electricals
The commonly provided electrical points are:
1. 1 No. exhaust fan point.
2. 2 Nos. light points.
3. 1 No. 5 amp. power point for geyser (optional).
4. 1 No. 5 amp power point for refrigerator (if this is not located in the dining room).
5. Power points for aquaguard, grinder, mixie, toaster, electric stove/oven, kitchen-
hood, etc.
Types of luminaires used:
1. Fluorescent.
2. Incandescent.
3. Dichroics.
4. Compact Integrated Fluorescent Lamps.
5. Non-integrated Fluorescent Lamps.
The recommended illumination level is about 200 to 300 lux.