Do s & Don ts A designer checklist for avoiding installation problems in the field.

Do s & Don ts A designer checklist for avoiding installation problems in the field.

Verify Refrigerator Dimensions Measure the Refrigerator s width, depth, and height. Make sure to measure to the top of the hinge as it may extend beyond the top of the refrigerator case.

Provide Sufficient Clearance Verify refrigerator doors have enough clearance to open beyond 90 degrees so interior pullouts can be utilized. When installing a refrigerator next to an end wall, provide an additional 3 to allow for sufficient clearance of doors and drawers.

Verify Type of Range Determine if the range is Free Standing or a Slide-In as this will affect the countertop cut-out. The top of a slide-in stove lies on top of the countertop material and covers it about 1-1/4 inches on each side and the back. There is no gap between the stove top and countertop sides. A slide-in stove does not have "finished" metal sides. Cabinets are required on either side for countertop support.

Verify Type of Range A free-standing stove has finished metal sides and can stand against a wall without any neighboring cabinets to support it. A gap will exist between the countertop and the sides of the stove.

Dishwasher Placement Do not place dishwashers immediately next to a diagonal front base cabinet. In this example, at least 21 of standing space must be provided from the center of the diagonal cabinet to edge of dishwasher door.

Dishwasher Placement, cont. In addition, do not install a dishwasher next to a range due to lack of countertop support. If a dishwasher is placed at the end of a run or next to a reduced height cabinet, include a panel for countertop support.

Dishwasher Placement, cont. Don t install a dishwasher adjacent to a corner run of cabinets without a 3 filler between them, or the dishwasher door will hit drawer and door hardware. The NKBA recommends you provide at least 21 of standing space between the edge of the dishwasher and countertop frontage, appliances and/or cabinets, which are placed at a right angle to the dishwasher.

Cooktops and Built-in Ovens Cooktops are 30 or 36 wide. Verify your customer s selection. Ovens can be Single or Double or may include a microwave/single oven combination. Make sure to have cutout dimensions for built-in ovens, microwaves or warming drawers.

Check Ventilation Needs If placing a cooktop in a base cabinet, make sure the pathway for ventilation is taken into consideration. For example, the cooktop shown at right must have overhead ventilation and cannot be downdraft, due to the presence of the drawers.

Ensuring Proper Clearance Don t forget to specify a utility filler between an oven cabinet and a wall.

Ensuring Proper Clearance Ensure the height between the cooktop and the range hood is a minimum of 24 to meet NKBA guidelines.

Heat Shield Requirements Be sure to confirm a heat shield is built into your appliance by the manufacturer or install the heat shield included with your appliance. This is especially important for Thermofoil and PureStyle doors.

Appliance Considerations If you are specifying a separate oven and cooktop, don t position the cook surface directly against the oven. The NKBA recommends you provide a minimum of 12 landing area on one side of the cook surface and 15 on other side.

Microwave Placement If using a separate microwave, determine its ideal placement in kitchen. Consider how frequently it is used and the age of the family members using it.

Microwave Placement, cont. Discuss the following advantages and disadvantages with your customer: Providing a minimum of 18 from cooktop to upper cabinet/above the range microwave allows for easy access to either, but less room over back burner. Providing a minimum of 21 from cooktop to upper cabinet/microwave allows for access to large pots on back burner of cooktop, but longer reach to microwave.

Sinks Always verify the size of the sink(s). Single bowls, double bowls and triple bowls all come in different widths. Also determine if the sink is Undermount or Top Mount as this will affect the countertop cut out.

Clearances Verify width of trim around doors and windows. Ask your builder what type of trim will be used where and what are the exact dimensions? Allow space between window trim and end cabinets for top moulding overhang.

Clearances, cont. Also allow space between door trim and end cabinets for countertop overhang.

Clearances, cont. Verify ceiling height and existence of any soffits for placement of tall cabinets, wall cabinets, and top mouldings. Soffits may not be deep enough for projecting crown moulding. Ceiling heights need to be tall enough to allow for pantry or tall cabinet to be installed if desired. Verify if any lighting installed in ceiling or soffit will impede door opening.

Clearances, cont. Determine the thickness of the casing around doorways and make sure drawers and doors with internal pullouts will open properly. Always add fillers between end cabinets and walls on full overlay door styles.

Fillers If a filler is required, place it toward the end of the run where it will be least conspicuous. Attach overlay fillers to top of base, wall or tall fillers when using full overlay door styles to maintain a consistent reveal.

Staggering Heights of Corner Cabinets If a corner wall cabinet is taller than neighboring cabinets, it must be deeper as well. This allows the top moulding on the shorter neighboring cabinets to run or die into the side of the taller corner cabinet. If the corner cabinet is not deeper, the top moulding could prevent the door on the corner cabinet from opening properly.

Varying Cabinet Depths When varying the depths of neighboring cabinets (placing a reduced depth cabinet next to a full depth cabinet), steps must be taken to ensure the doors on the reduced depth cabinet can be opened without pinching or interference from the reveal on the deeper cabinet. This is especially true with full overlay styles.

Varying Cabinet Depths, continued Depending on the brand, insert a ¼ filler between the cabinets, apply a skin to the side of the deeper cabinet, or modify the deeper cabinet to include flush ends. This will align the reduced depth cabinet s frame w/the frames of adjoining cabinets and prevent doors from pinching.

Working with Square Corners/Blind Cabinets Don t forget to pull the square corner cabinet a minimum of one inch (Y) to avoid problems with drawer clearance and hardware on adjacent cabinets. A greater pull (Y) is needed when adjacent to an appliance or when using oversized pulls/knobs.

Clearances Allow sufficient clearance (3 ) on each side of accessory cabinets such as roll-out trays, swingout units, etc. Doors on these cabinets must open fully for internal accessories to be functional. Also make sure roll trays feature properly-placed bumper pads to avoid scraping doors.

Ensuring Proper Clearance Never install a pie cut corner cabinet between two appliances, such as a dishwasher and a free standing oven. The appliances will be deeper than the corner cabinet and their doors could prevent the corner cabinet door and any internal accessories from opening properly. Never

Calculate Correct Moulding Quantities Don t skimp on the moulding portion of the order. Remember to add additional length to compensate for any mitered joints.

Note Hardware Location Don t forget to note hardware location on your drawing for accurate installation. Note the hardware s exact location on the door. Consider including a sketch with dimensions. (You don t want the installer to make the wrong assumption!) Specify if pulls should be on doors, knobs on drawers or vice versa.

Glazed Finishes Consider applying V-Groove skins and/or decorative doors on exposed cabinet sides in designs featuring a glazed finish. This provides area for glaze hangup to occur and creates a more consistent appearance around the room.

Aristokraft Specific Tips

Aristokraft base cabinets are 35 high, which is ½ higher than the industry standard. The distance between the top of the countertop and the bottom of the wall cabinet above it will therefore be 17 ½, rather than 18. When working in 20-20 Design Software, be sure to change the overall height of the dishwasher to 35 so countertop will apply evenly. 35 High Base Cabinets

Toekick & Mouldings All toekicks must be skinned with TOEKICK or TOEKICK8. Order toekick caps to cover the cut edge of the toekick. Order extra scribe for your installers. For example, this is used to conceal the space where the back of the cabinets meet the wall. Additional AOK Tips

Matching Interior Cabinets/Glass Options Use light rail and skin to hide color variation between bottom of WOL (Wall Open Laminate) cabinets next to any other cabinets Verify mullion door grid matches customer expectations. (Advise customer of shaker grid patterns.) Additional AOK Tips

End Finishing Options Order All Plywood Construction for exposed cabinets. The veneer finished end will age uniformly with the rest of the kitchen. Apply 3/16 veneer skin to hide 3/16 reveal. This will allow the ends to age uniformly with the rest of the kitchen and will make it flush. Additional AOK Tips

End Finishing Options Apply decorative door kit (DBEP, DWEP, DVEP). This kit includes a 3/16 veneer skin, decorative doors, and screws for field installation. Underside of wall cabinets are natural maple laminate, with a few exceptions, such as Wall Mullion Door (WMD), Wall Open Laminate (WOL), Wall Prepped for Glass (WPG), or white cabinets. Use light rail and skin to hide, especially when designing with peninsula wall cabinets. Additional AOK Tips

Final Tips Re-verify your customer s chosen appliance specifications one more time before placing the cabinetry order. Include a Touch Up Kit in the order for any future repairs.

Thank You!