Question about kitchen appliance rough-in
Hi guys,
I’m getting ready to drywall my kitchen remodel. The floor plan was re-configured, so the plumbing and electrical rough-in has been upgraded and routed to new areas of the room. My problem concerns the connections for the large appliances (i.e. wall oven, cooktop, range hood and dishwasher).
I don’t currently have the money to purchase my cabinets, but I know what sizes I’ll be using and where they’ll be placed. Before I install the drywall, I want to properly locate the connections for the large appliances. It’s my understanding that surface mounted junction boxes are typically placed in adjacent cabinets to allow for connection of the appliances after installation. Is that correct? If so, does that mean I should offset the cable, drywall over it, and retrieve it from the stud bays later when I purchase the cabinets?
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Michael
Replies
Michael
but I know what sizes I'll be using and where they'll be placed.
If youi know the layout, and have the specs for your appliances...............you can place the electric/gas/whatever, exactly where it goes according to the install directions.
Wall oven, yes, junction box sometimes in the space in the cab where the oven goes, sometimes in the area below (drawer area or just below the platform.)
Cooktop, located in a certain location just below the cooktop-side specified in the instructions.
Hood. direct connecton in the hood itself, line brought in from back/or in area behind duct cover.
DW, water and electric from sink cab. Surface mtd box or in the wall recept for plug in/or direct wire from space below DW bottom. Stub out wire from wall.
Refrig-wall outlet. Water from below-again check install directions for recommended location.
The boxes or stub outs should be located and run-if you leave them in the wall, you'll have to open up the wall to deal with it. A remodel can install-no problem-you're cutting a decent hole for the device-easily retrieve the wire through it. Single gang box in the wall-a little more difficult to retrieve, but not impossible. Big cable for wall ovens/cooktop? not so easy-should be stubbed out. Dischwasher-plenty of room for these-do in advance.
Really, if you've got the layout fixed-know the appliances (some are semi universal re. hook ups (sort of ), run the supplies now-cap off or protect as necessary.
This is good advice from Calvin
If it's going to be awhile before you install cabinets, you have to 'know' where all those wires, supply pipes and drains are going to be located. The best is to stub them out so there's no confusion whatsoever for the drywall crew who will likely be hard enough to understand unless you know spanish. Anchor the wires and pipes inside the stud bay and leave a large enough loop of extra wire or stub out outside the wall to make any connections to your appliances. If you have to, write notes on your subfloor in front of each appliance's location with special information and protect it until the paint is done. Invariably, you will find yourself tweaking dimensions a tad here, a smidge there so try to center everything the best you can based on what you know now.
On my current job, the owner changed cabinet layout 3 times after the sheetrock was in. By having field notes along with everything layed out on the floor, I was able to guide him through what his layout changes would do to the mechanicals it affected. I even had blocking dimensions written down so I could refer to it when the time came to hang towel bars, grab bars, etc. One other tip I might offer is to cut out a 1 1'2" x 3" piece of masonite, mount it on the end of a stick, and use it as a template to use marking paint to mark the floors for every stud in the place. Again, cover this until paint is done so you'll be able to reference it for later processes. Don't forget to have the rockers give you a 1/2" clearance from the floor when they're hanging the sheetrock. You'll be able to use the painted stud references when you're running trim. A little planning now can save you a world of headaches later... Good luck.
Certainly it's done to leave the cable behind the wall during construction, and fish it out when you know the precise location of the attached fixture/appliance. You do of course need to keep an accurate account of where it is, and realize that you may have to make a substantial hole (at least 2x4") to pull the cable through (maybe more, for heavy cable). And of course it's iffy at best from a code standpoint to just leave it there once construction's finished (if you were planning to do that) -- usually the cable is pulled out and terminated before final electrical.
Be sure to leave plenty of extra cable length.
Take lots of pictures before it's covered!
This has saved me grief a few times. In fact I marched around every room on every floor and took dozens of pics before the drywall crew arrived.
Turned out the drywall crew boarded right over my range hood vent stub (idiots), but because of the pics I was able to count studs, measure, and cut a perfect hole.
I like to have a tape measure across what I'm photographing, so i can match the location to exact measurements.
I'll be doing the drywall myself. In addition to not having the cabinets yet, I also can't afford to buy the appliances right now. Unfortunately, I have no cut sheets to go by, so I'm trying to prepare as best I can under the circumstances. I think I might create some access panels that I can remove later during the cabinet install. The drywall behind the cabs doesn't need to be finished, so I should be able to screw off a piece about the width of a stud bay or two at each appliance location and then retrieve the cable as I get to it.
mw, I didn't notice it's you.
How the heck is it going with this seemingly endless remodel?
How have you been doing?
Back to the project-
take a look at whatever cut sheets you can for various appliances you might be interested in. This will give you the background that might help you now as far as the usual location for these rough ins.
Your idea of providing access to these areas so you can situate the lines etc where they belong is good and should work with minimal intrusion into finished drywall. All DW hookups/drains/elec can be done within the sink base cabinet. The hood will need a direct connect with romex coming out of the wall into a jnct box in the hood.
Wall ovens have a greenfield protected whip that connects to a surface mtd junction box-4 square .
Cook top-the same as the wall oven set up.
Range, if gas, you'll need a 120 outlet to run the lights and clock etc besides the gas with shutoff.
Best of continued luck in your project.
Calvin,
It seems like I've been working on this remodel forever. I started on this back in November of 2006. I completely gutted the house. Even removed a fireplace and installed new brick veneer. I made some changes to the floor plan too. It used to be a basic ranch house with 4 BR's and a full bath and a three quarter bath. Now it's a 3 BR with a full bath and a master bath suite.
I've upgraded the entire electrical and plumbing and installed a heat pump and duct work. Also installed new exterior doors and windows. Other than the masonry, My wife and I have been the total crew.
I got sick a few months after starting this project and had to take some time off. We're both middle-aged, work full time jobs and have no formal experience with construction. We enjoy doing our own work, but it's mostly our lack of money that motivates us.
I can't tell you how many times this forum has been a help to me. You and Dan and several others have taught me a lot of tricks and helped me overcome a lot of problems. I'll aways be grateful for your willingness to respond to my endless questions.
Heck, only four years for a whole-house remodel is pretty effin' good. I've got a closet door still awaiting the final coat of paint after 10-15 years. (And I'm sure The Boss could list another dozen of my unfinished projects around the house.)
mw
Man, your story is something else. I would love to see this place in person. Anyone that has thrown this much labor into a project deserves alot of credit.
You about ready for some picture taking? I'd love to see a bit of a pictorial of the place. You know, start out by the mailbox and give us a good look of the whole shebang.
thanks.
Calvin,
I'd be ashamed for you guys to see my work. I'm fairly proud of my plumbing, electric and HVAC, but my carpentry skills leave much to be desired. There's still nothing plumb or square in the whole dang house. I use the right tools, but apparently I don't use the tools right.
I hate to admit it, but the quality of this job bears no resemblance to the amount of time, effort or money that's been invested in it. There's no mortgage on the place, so it sort of reminds me of a bumper sticker frequently seen on clunkers around here -- "Don't laugh. It's paid for." I guess that's my greatest satisfaction at this point.
Remodeling drives me nuts, cost's me every nickel I have and takes up just about all of my free time. But for some sick reason I just keep doing it. Go figure.
Remodeling drives me nuts too...........
takes up all of my non free time (and a little bit of the free too)................adjusted for the down economy, and there is no sick reason.
It's what I do. After 38 years, I guess I'll stick with it. Besides, I could be in medicine and then all I'd have to do is complain about the insurance rates, the long hours, the poor pay and all the rest that goes with it.