1. That's a fire wall and would require a lot more labor and $$$ to fix that kludge than you are estimating.

2. Looks fine when planned correctly. Takes more than just hanging it from a cabinet to make that happen. Needs side panels and fillers, etc. Probably your best option though, if you give up trying to cover it with a door.

3. A commercial MW won't do what you need, and will require even greater clearances for ventilation's sake. Can't really be''built in''.

Stupid me, yes, of course there would be a fire wall back there. You're right, hollysprings, an otr mw does seem to be my best option. I'm extremely grateful for the info you have provided in resolving this issue. However, as you have pointed out, it does bring up issues regarding installation for this type of application. If you don't mind, I really need to "pick your brain" and ask a few more questions.

1. There happens to be a GE otr mw sitting in my garage that was intended to go over the cooktop until GW wisdom prevailed and converted me to use a real vent hood. For the coffee bar install, I had planned to leave the cabinet above the mw open for display. Now with an otr mw, I need to either put a door on that cabinet above the mw or run a piece of wood on the floor of the cabinet,in the back, to hide the mw cord that will be running through there into an adjacent cabinet to an electrical receptical. What would you advise in that situation?
2. My GE mw is 15" high so at the bottom, it will be 3" higher than the cabinets on either side. I know that a shelf should not be installed directly under an otr mw bottom due to ventilation requirements. However, I could run molding across the bottom, as long as it doesn't go as high as the bottom of the mw door. Or I could have 3" high bracing under the bottom of the above cabinet, allow a gap for the mw electrical cord and conceal that area with a 30"w x 3"h wood filler on the front. That sounds like my best option to get everything flush at the bottom. What do you advise?

Put the electrical outlet in one of the adjacent wall cabinets rather than the one above the MW. Have a horizontal filler across the bottom of the MW between the two flanking side cabinets. If you do all of the wall cabinets at 15'' deep, you won't need side panels as the adjacent wall cabinets act as side panels.

I could unzip the garage drywall, install a header and jack studs, reinstall the drywall, tape, mud, and paint in less than a day, including picking up material. Let's hope there are no mechanicals in the way. You'd instantly gain 4" of depth.

Hollysprings, if molding is being run beneath the mw, then you are saying run the electrical into the back of the cabinet above, and then into an adjacent cabinet, is this correct? Aesthetically, this may be the preferred method. However, I would think from a mw replacement standpoint it would be better to run the electrical thru the 3" bracing between the mw and the cabinet above, and then into an adjacent cabinet. This would eliminate the need to unintall and reinstall molding below a mw every time a mw is replaced. Is there anything wrong with this logic? Electrical can always be run into the above cabinet if a taller mw is purchased later. Is there anything wrong with this logic?

Trebruchet, thanks for weighing in on the subject. I would think that in the long run it would certainly be less expense to pay the initial $$$ of increasing wall depth rather than continue to pay someone to install new otc microwaves over the years since they all lack durability. In my home, electrical does not appear to be in that area on the garage side but electrical outlets are below on what will be the coffee bar side. However, there is a pull down attic ladder about 4 ft. past the door into the garage which is immediately adjacent to the area being discussed. Therefore, there is easy access to all the framing in this area. I don't know if this helps, but I thought it might. Is it structurally OK to install a header and jack studs if this is a support wall?

At this point it appears I need someone who knows what they are doing to come in and advise me regarding my best options. I don't want to get into an electrical "hornet's nest." We may need to open up the wall to see what the situation is in that area. I'm deeply grateful to both of you for your professional advice.

Are you sure you need a 1.6 size? I have what used to be called a GE spacesaver. It is 1.1 but it fits all my big casserole dishes. I made sure before I bought it that it could handle all my big cookware.

These GE mws are now rebranded and the model numbers start with PEM and no longer called spacesavers. They are only 12.75 " in depth.

Debrak, you raise a good question. I see this mw allows the turntable to be turned off for cooking large dishes. You're right, I would have the required depth for this mw with an 18" deep cabinet. The internal mw dimensions are 16.5"w x 7 7/16"h x 11.25"d. My 4.5 qt. casserole would fit inside (yeah!). The reviews aren't too bad, and a trim kit is available. I can live with the 800 watts to make it work if I have too. That mw at least gives me an option without too much expense. Thank you for taking the time to help me out.

This post was edited by Texasgal47 on Sun, Jun 8, 14 at 19:47

I've just read some more reviews on the ge spacemaker microwave, and they present the newer models as a world of hassle. It will be interesting to see the cost of increasing the wall depth and putting a door on the cabinet. Then I can buy whatever mw is big and cheap on craigslist.

"Is it structurally OK to install a header and jack studs if this is a support wall?"

Texasgal47:

A header transfers the load above to the jacks which transfer it to the sill plate and foundation.

If it's a partition wall, just frame in the cutout with 2x4's.

Thanks, Trebruchet, for giving me that piece of information. Someone is coming this Thurs. a.m. to open up the wall in that area so I will soon know whether a "hornet's nest" is behind that sheetrock or not.

Here's an OTR that I "built in" with panels on each side and open shelving between. The filler across the bottom hasn't been attached yet because the MW had to be hung first.

As you can see from this closeup, the cabinets are 15" deep, as are the side panels. That makes it more seamless.

Live_Wire_Oak, thank you for your generous assistance. The photo is a great help. The electrical outlet must be in the cabinet above. I see the cabinet sides are flush with the front of the mw. It was my impression that doing this might interfere with the door hinge but obviously not. You designed such a beautiful space. The glass tile is stunning in this area.

I like the look of either the otr mw or the built-in. It just seems that a mw in a cabinet would be easier to replace than hiring someone to hang the otr for me. However, in the other scenerio I would need to order someone to install it. I wonder what the usual life of an otr is these days.

Also what is the cabinet hardware called that allows a horizontal door to lift up and slide back into the upper portion of the cabinet? I believe an inset door is ordered for this option. Would that look odd since my adjacent doors will be full overlay? If the entire back can be recessed 4" into the wall, this would be my least expensive option for future replacement -- just sit it on the shelf and plug in.

Well folks, we unzipped the wall today, and it wasn't a pretty sight--water pipes right where I was hoping to increase the wall depth. Now on to Plan B -- either the GE Spacemaker mw with trim kit or an OTR mw.