The NAHB Research Center’s Annual Consumer Practices Survey (CPS), conducted in early 2009, sheds light on many changes underway in kitchen remodeling. A brief comparison of consumer remodeling activities from 2005 to 2008 from the survey data reveals the following:

Flooring. Consumer preference for wood flooring is finding its way into the kitchen more and more. Hardwood shares have increased from 12 percent to 16 percent. Laminate flooring market share has remained stable at about 21 percent.

Ceramic tile has grown from 26 percent to 28 percent. However, both sheet and tile vinyl flooring declined in market share, from 14 percent to 12 percent and from 19 percent to 14 percent, respectively. DIY installations of flooring grew from 46 percent to 50 percent.

Sinks and Faucets. Following the rapid growth in popularity of granite countertop materials, undermount sinks grew in remodeling installation share from 19 percent to 27 percent. Drop-in sink shares, on the other hand, fell from 76 percent to 71 percent.

Very little change was observed in sink materials, only a slight decline in solid surface sinks (8 percent to 6 percent) and slight increase in the granite/stone category (5 percent to 6 percent). On the other hand, there was a significant change in faucet finish types. Nickel continued gaining market share—from 8 percent to 15 percent—and hand-rubbed bronze grew from 2 percent to 4 percent. Chrome and solid color faucets, however, lost substantial market share in remodeling purchases: Chrome fell from 49 percent to 42 percent, and solid colors fell from 7 percent to 4 percent. Stainless steel’s long-term market slide halted at 27 percent in 2007 and rebounded to 32 percent in 2008.

Single-control faucets continued their mild growth pattern, increasing from 60 percent to 62 percent at the expense of dual-control faucets. Kitchen faucets have traditionally been a popular DIY installation—with DIY accounting for about 65 percent of faucet purchases in 2008. The recession and housing market downturn did little to change this.

Data on 2009 remodeling purchases is now available. Visit www.nahbrc.com/manufacturer/development/remodeling.aspx.