On Wed, 12 Nov 2003 07:05:55 -0800, "A.Pismo Clam"
wrote:
In California, the "code" is 18" from the top of your countertop surface
to the underside of your upper cabinet...
Alain
18" is indeed the typical distance between countertop and bottom edge
of the upper cabinets. It's 18" because the countertop is at a 36"
height. Wall cabinets are typically installed with their tops at 84",
and the 'standard' wall cabinet height is 30"... so 84-36-30=18.
There's nothing that says you HAVE to maintain that distance, and
shortening it slightly (2") won't have an enormous impact on
usability. There's also nothing that says you can't mount your wall
cabinets higher (say 90") and have a nice 24" vertical clear space...
or stick with 18" and build 36" tall wall cabinets instead of 30"...
or go to 20" clear and... well, you get the idea. These are all
considerations and options which become available to you when you
choose to build your own cabinetry.
The 36" countertop height is a defacto standard, however, and
shouldn't be messed with in general, or you may end up not being able
to install things like dishwashers, trash compactors, garbage
disposers, etc. In the other hand, there's no reason you can't have
*some portion* of your countertop and base cabinetry somewhat higher
or lower than 36". A section of slightly lower countertop can create a
much more pleasant and comfortable work surface for short people, and
likewise a taller countertop for tall people.
With the tops mounted at 84", wall cabinets above ranges and
refrigerators are typically 15" or 12" tall. 15" above a range works
perfectly for range hoods, and pretty well even for large built-in
over-the-range microwaves. 12" is a bit nicer. 15" wall cabinets will
be fine for the vast majority of refrigerators, but there are a few
that will require a little extra clearance. It's wise when laying out
out your new cabinets to shop around for refrigerators and check the
dimensions of your next likely model. But with 12" uppers, you'll be
covered. Again, there is nothing to say you can't have 14" cabinets
above your range or refrigerator. Just be sure you have considered the
present and all likely future ramifications. Also be sure to leave
exactly 30" or 36" of clear width for a slide-in range, and at least
36" for a refrigerator. There are quite a number of refrigerators
measuring 35-1/2"+/- w, which is a pretty darned tight fit. You can do
it, but it's not easy to slide the fridge in and out.
As a side note, modern refrigerators need very little clear space. In
fact if you look at the bottom front of your fridge, you'll see that
the air louver typically only provides about 40-50% free (open) area.
Almost all modern refrigerators include fans to drive the air through
the mechanical compartment, so leaving a couple inches clear along the
top is generally plenty. Do check with the fridge manufacturer to see
if they have a recommendation. Many no longer do, since they assume
you can't possibly have a fit tight enough to starve their compressor
of ventilation. At least that's what the manufacturer's reps say.
John
Ray Kinzler wrote:
Juergen,
I am just planning on the 'normal' distance between the countertop and
the bottom of the upper cabinets to place my microwave. Is that not
enough space?
Also, I never really thunk aboutit but how much space DOES there need
to be between the bottom of the cabinets and the top of the fridge?
John Paquay
"Building Your Own Kitchen Cabinets"
http://home.insightbb.com/~jpaquay/shop.html
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