27 Questions
Appliances
Appliance Load Capacity
Structural Engineering
Can standard cabinets hold a 500lb range? +
No. Floor-mounted appliances like ranges sit on the subfloor. However, "Column" refrigerators and heavy wall ovens rely on the cabinet base. We use 3/4" plywood bottoms with solid wood "levelers" to prevent floor compression.
3/4" plywood bottoms with solid wood levelers to support heavy column refrigerators.
Permalink →Appliance Trim Kit
What is an appliance trim kit? +
A stainless steel or custom-finished frame that borders a built-in appliance opening, bridging the gap between a standard appliance size and the custom cabinet surround. Used on microwaves, speed ovens, warming drawers, and drawer dishwashers, a trim kit creates a flush, furniture-grade transition without requiring a fully integrated (panel-ready) unit. The surrounding cabinet carcass is built to the trim kit's specified outer dimensions rather than the appliance dimensions.
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Beverage Fridge Extended Gables
Cabinet Geometry
Why is my beverage fridge sticking out? +
Many "beverage centers" are 24-25" deep including the handle. Standard base cabinets are 24". We often specify "extended gables" (26" depth) to ensure the fridge face sits flush with the door fronts.
26" extended gables used to accommodate 24" deep units with protruding handles.
Permalink →Built-In Coffee System
What is needed in the cabinetry for a built-in coffee system? +
Plumbed built-in coffee systems (Miele, Wolf, Jura) require a dedicated 20A circuit, a 1/4" braided water supply line with an accessible shut-off, and ideally a gravity drain or removable drip tray. The cabinet opening is typically 24"W × 24"H. If the unit is stacked below a wall oven, a ventilation gap or "chimney" must be designed into the carcass to prevent heat from the oven migrating into the coffee machine electronics.
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Built-in Coffee Plumbing
Liquid Management
Do built-in coffee machines need a drain? +
Most high-end units (Miele) have a removable drip tray, but plumbed versions require a drain line. If no drain is available, we design a pull-out shelf below the unit for easy maintenance access.
Specialized pull-out maintenance shelves or integrated drain lines for plumbed units.
Permalink →Custom Wood Hood Liners
Ventilation Housing
How does a custom wood hood house the fan? +
We build a wood "shroud" around a stainless steel "power pack" liner. The wood must be at least 30" from the cooking surface, and the interior of the wood box must be oversized to allow for the duct transition.
Stainless steel shroud housing protecting wood exteriors from high-heat cooking vapors.
Permalink →Fridge Opening Clearance
Fridge Opening Clearance
How wide should my fridge opening be? +
Standard openings are 36 inches, but you must account for 'hinge clearance.' Professional-grade or French-door fridges often need 2-3 inches of buffer on the hinge side to open past 90 degrees.
Critical 2-3" buffer required for French-door hinges to clear adjacent gables or walls.
Permalink →Gas Cooktop Clearance Codes
Safety & Compliance
What are the clearance codes for gas cooktops in Alberta? +
Per local gas codes, there must be a minimum of 30" clearance to combustible materials above the cooktop. If using a wood hood, the ventilation liner must be "zero-clearance" rated to protect the cabinetry.
Central Alberta code requiring 30" clearance to combustible materials above the burners.
Permalink →Induction Airflow Clearance
Thermal Management
What are the cabinetry requirements for induction cooktops? +
Induction units require a 2–3" airflow gap directly below the unit to cool the electromagnetic coils. Drawer boxes directly underneath must be "notched" or lowered to prevent heat buildup and ensure warranty compliance.
Required 2–3" internal airflow zone to prevent electromagnetic coil overheating and failure.
Permalink →Island Cooktop Buffer Zones
Safety & Clearances
What are the clearance rules for island cooktops? +
To prevent grease splatter and fire hazards, a minimum of 9" of countertop is required behind the cooktop. If the island has seating, we recommend a "split-level" counter or a 12–18" buffer zone.
9" rear buffer or 12–18" split-level seating zone required to prevent grease splatter.
Permalink →Island Cooktop Layout
What cabinetry considerations exist for an island cooktop? +
Island cooktops require downdraft ventilation or an overhead pendant hood, each of which has significant cabinetry implications. Downdraft units need a 27"+ deep island carcass to house the pop-up mechanism and require a floor duct. Overhead hoods over an island must be sized 6" wider than the cooktop. The island base also requires a dedicated gas or electric service zone — typically a recessed pocket in the back panel — so the utility connection doesn't intrude on drawer or door clearance.
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Laundry Cabinet Makeup Air
Ventilation Safety
How do you handle built-in dryer venting? +
Stackable units in closets require "louvered" or "mesh" cabinet doors to allow for makeup air. Without ventilation, the dryer will overheat, increasing drying times and posing a fire risk.
Louvered door panels required for built-in dryers to ensure airflow and fire safety.
Permalink →Microwave Niche & Trim
Appliance Housing
How do you handle a non-drawer microwave in cabinetry? +
For standard microwaves, we build a "microwave niche" with a coordinated stainless steel trim kit. The cabinet must be 2" wider than the unit itself to allow the trim kit to vent hot air away from the wood carcass.
Vented housing built 2" wider than the unit to allow heat dissipation away from wood.
Permalink →OTR Microwave CFM Limits
Airflow Capacity
Can an OTR microwave handle a professional range? +
No. Over-the-range (OTR) microwaves typically max out at 300 CFM. High-BTU ranges require 600–1200 CFM. OTRs should only be paired with standard electric or low-output gas ranges.
Max 300 CFM capacity; typically unsuitable for high-BTU professional gas ranges.
Permalink →Panel-Ready Dishwasher Alignment
Flush Integration
What is required for a panel-ready dishwasher? +
Integrated dishwashers require a precise 24" wide opening. Unlike standard units, the cabinet "flanking" gables must be perfectly plumb to ensure the custom wood panel lines up with adjacent drawer banks without rubbing.
Precise 24" plumb opening ensuring custom wood panels align perfectly with drawer banks.
Permalink →Pot Filler Coordination
How does a pot filler affect the surrounding cabinetry design? +
A pot filler requires a 1/2" water supply stub-out in the wall behind the range, typically 18"–24" above the cooking surface. The hood design must account for the pot filler arm swing — the arm length and arc should be verified against the hood's bottom clearance before installation. For stone or tile backsplashes, the rough-in must be coordinated before cabinetry installation since access becomes very limited afterward.
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Pro-Range Utility Service Zone
Utility Rough-in
How do you prep the cabinet for range gas/electric lines? +
Professional ranges (Wolf/BlueStar) are often "flush-to-wall." This requires a recessed "service zone" in the back of the flanking cabinets or floor for the gas shut-off and 240V outlet so the range can push back fully.
Recessed "flush-to-wall" cavity for gas shut-offs and 240V outlets behind the range.
Permalink →Recessed Fridge Boxing-In
Built-in Aesthetics
How do you make a standard fridge look "Built-in"? +
We "box-in" the fridge with 3/4" finished gables and deep upper cabinets (24-26"). In many Alberta homes, we frame the wall behind the fridge into the stud cavity to gain 3" of depth, allowing the fridge to sit flush.
3/4" gables and 24-26" deep uppers designed to create a built-in look for standard units.
Permalink →Refrigerated Drawer Fit
What cabinetry is required for under-counter refrigerated drawers? +
Refrigerated drawers (Perlick, U-Line, Sub-Zero) fit a standard 24" wide base opening but vent through the front toe-kick, which must remain completely unobstructed. Because the drawers are "heavy-pull" — often holding 60–80 lbs of product — the surrounding cabinet must be bolted to the floor or countertop to prevent tipping when both drawers are fully extended. A dedicated 15A circuit is required.
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Speed Oven Heat Deflection
Thermal Clearances
What is the difference between a microwave and a speed oven? +
Speed ovens (convection + microwave) generate significantly more exterior heat. The cabinet carcass must be lined with heat-deflection tape, and 1/4" "reveal" gaps are required around the face to allow for cooling.
Heat-deflection tape and 1/4" cooling reveals required for convection-microwave hybrids.
Permalink →Speed Oven Integration
What is a speed oven and how is it housed in cabinetry? +
A speed oven combines convection heat and microwave energy to cook 2–8× faster than a conventional oven. It generates more radiant exterior heat than a standard microwave. The surrounding cabinet carcass requires heat-deflection tape on adjacent gables and a minimum 1/4" reveal gap around the appliance face. Speed ovens are commonly stacked in a tall column: warming drawer at the base, speed oven at mid-height, and a full-size wall oven above.
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Steam Oven Supply & Drainage
Hydraulic Integration
Does a steam oven need a drain? +
Plumbed steam ovens require a 1/4" supply line and a gravity-fed drain. The cabinet must be engineered to hide these lines while keeping the shut-off accessible, usually in an adjacent sink base or pull-out.
Gravity-fed drainage and 1/4" supply lines integrated into adjacent accessible cabinets.
Permalink →Toe-Kick VacPan Integration
Utility Specialty
Can a central vac "Toe-Kick Sweep" be integrated? +
Yes. We install "VacPan" units in the toe-kick of the island or main sink base. The cabinet must be notched to accommodate the vacuum piping before the floor-mounted sweep is installed.
Floor-mounted VacPan integration requiring specific notched cabinet toe-kick framing.
Permalink →Vertical Oven Column Stacking
Structural Loading
What are the structural needs for stacked wall ovens? +
Double wall ovens or oven/microwave combos require a reinforced "mid-deck" shelf. These shelves are often doubled (1.5" thickness) and braced with cleats to support 300+ lbs of appliance weight without sagging.
Reinforced 1.5" double-deck shelving designed to support 300+ lbs of appliance weight.
Permalink →Warming Drawer Cabinet Prep
What does a warming drawer need from the cabinetry? +
Warming drawers (Wolf, Miele, Thermador) require a dedicated 110V/15A circuit and a reinforced drawer platform rated for the weight of heavy cast iron or stoneware. The drawer opening height is typically 10.5"–10.75"; the surrounding carcass should be sealed against heat migration to protect adjacent wood finishes. Warming drawers are most commonly positioned at the base of an oven column or below a cooktop for proximity to the cooking zone.
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Warming Drawer Platform
Auxiliary Cooking
Where should a warming drawer be installed? +
Typically installed in a base cabinet or at the bottom of an oven tower. The cabinet requires a 110V outlet and a platform capable of handling the weight of the unit plus heavy stoneware or cast iron dishes.
Heavy-duty platform with integrated 110V power for auxiliary high-heat stone storage.
Permalink →Wine Cooler Toe-Kick Venting
Compressor Cooling
Does an under-counter wine fridge need special venting? +
Yes. Most under-counter units vent from the front (bottom). The cabinet toe-kick must remain unobstructed, or we must CNC-slot the toe-kick board to ensure the compressor doesn't overheat and fail.
Front-venting compressor paths required to prevent thermal failure in under-counter units.
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