This is part of the plan drawing that's on Photobucket. It's partially cut off on the right side where the fridge is, but I hope it's enough that you can see what I mean about the cupboard behind the fridge.

I'll post a newer picture after work today--I just wanted to give you an idea of what that area looks like. There's a dotted line rectangle at the back of the fridge which is the header over the "doorway" of the recessed fridge, and you can see the cavity space behind the fridge.

The drawings were done by an architect. The GC never pointed out any issues, ambiguities, or inconsistencies in the drawings, so I'm not sure why he's bringing up this insect wall now.

Thanks in advance for your opinions and thoughts!

Your contractor is aware that insects have legs, right? If they get into the house, they can go anywhere they want and don't really care about concepts like wall vs cabinet.

I can't tell from your description if the sheetrock will be entirely enclosed. If its not, sure, bugs can get in through the interior walls.

Your contractor is aware that insects have legs, right? If they get into the house, they can go anywhere they want and don't really care about concepts like wall vs cabinet.

Some of them even have wings! She should definitely let her contractor know. :-)

Oh bill, LOL!!!

Yeah, my thoughts are along the same lines. I could understand building a wall if he needed it for support of the tall cabinet or something like that. Or because he doesn't want to, or can't, build a doorway-type header, so this wall behind the fridge can hold up a cabinet above the fridge. Or that having it would be against code for fire reasons.

His comment about insects being the reason completely floors me. I have never heard such a thing.

Hi chinchette,
I'm not actually sure what the GC's "picture of success" is with the wallboard because he's been explaining things to my spouse, who then tells me after I come home from work. I know it would be easier to see if I could draw it out, but I have to run to work at the moment. What I've gathered from the spouse is:

- They're using 2x2 studs (which I think are technically 1.5 x 1.5 inches).

- They're putting one set of studs behind the cabinet (so perpendicular to the fridge back wall, running behind the cabinet to the existing real wall that runs between the kitchen and dining room)

- They're putting another set of those studs behind the fridge, running parallel between the cabinet and the fridge, ending at the chimney (the chimney is that grayish solid block on the right hand side of the picture).

There's already an existing plaster wall on the face of the chimney that this new L-shaped set of stud framework will end at.

So, he could put wallboard on the studs on the fridge side, to finish it off. Whether he'd put them on the inside (which would still be a cavity next to the chimney), I have no idea. And seems overkill to me--but then these walking insects would be able to get there too.

- Lee

Your plan is OK.
Your pantry cupboard is a small box. It could be made deeper. Arms can reach.

Bugs if there are any in the house (in the wall cavities) will find some way to migrate here and there, so if you leave one portion permanently open it MIGHT become an easy path for these bugs. We don't know if the open space behind the fridge is a drywalled space or a raw stud space. Or if you did write that out somewhere, I didn't see it.

Fridges need open space around the back.
Fridges all have different requirements according to each manufacturer.
Fridges can back into a thingie like a pantry cupboard made of wood, or a whole wall.
The manufacturer says how much space is needed (one inch or two) but they never say that the closest surface must be drywalled. Between the pantry box shape and the fridge there will be a little air space; this could be a smaller gap than whatever the fridge supposedly requires. The air space guideline is just a guideline. Your fridge will have a lot of open space around it in general no matter how close it is pressed up to the pantry.

I don't know yet what the rectangle(Header) has to do with your plan.

Granted it could be a miscommunication - but lmao.

The over the ref cabinets need to be supported in three places - those can be two sides and the back, or the ceiling, a side and the back, or the ceiling and two sides, etc. Your specific over-the ref cabinet may need to be supported in particular places. Likewise, the pantry cabinet only needs to be connected to the side walls - likely in two vertically different places per side, simply because its tall.

I can see this being a problem for your gc if the sides of your cabinets are 3/8" material (wouldn't matter a lot if they were plywood or particle board). The only "good support" available would be through the face frame or through a back hanging rail.

The refrigerator doesn't need drywall. The pantry cabinet doesn't need drywall. The insects don't need drywall. Electrical connections might need drywall.

Personally, I'd probably add a little support inside the cabinet, tho. Dude might be afraid of voiding the cabinet warranty which improper installation or adding stuff would surely do.

Could it be he is afraid that you could have bugs in the pantry migrate outward? We have had moth issues from time to time and they seem to originate from the pantry.

I'm no expert, but I think you are more likely to get insects near your sink as they thrive on moisture.... icky carpenter ants.

Purchase some boric acid and have your contractor place it in the framing cavities while they are open. No more bugs in the wall.

I'm thinking that this a is "pull your leg" type of comment that is being translated poorly through a third party, your DH. Yes, you'll need studs of some variety to be able to attach the cabinets to, and yes, those studs need to be covered with some type of material, either drywall or plywood. It's for shear strength, not bugs. The wall is more rigid and stable when it's sheathed than when it's not. Drywall is the cheapest choice and is more fire resistant than plywood.

There's also an issue, though, with the heat from the fridge affecting the pantry. I wouldn't back up the fridge there without some kind of separation. One usually wants pantries to be cool and dark. I think there should be wall board behind the fridge for that reason, and just for it to be properly finished, and the inside of the pantry should also be finished. I think I'm missing something though...is he talking about drywalling that whole void between the chimney and the pantry? That seems awfully wasteful, unless you wanted to put a deeper pull-out pantry there. You could do that and maximize the storage potential.

I even went to insect school. I can confirm they do have legs and often wings and there is no magic connection between insects and refrigerators and back or even front walls.

So just be polite and say you accept the risk of magic insect fridge wall interactions instead of asking "r u stoopit!!!??" no matter how tempting it might be.

:)

File that under stupidest comments by a GC this week. Really...Bugs? They think we're idiots...

But do remember you need an outlet back there somewhere...

Thanks everyone for confirming that I'm not the only one that thinks the insect reason sounded a bit on the wacky side!

I'm still at work and haven't had time to digest all of your responses--I did want to check the thread now to see if there's some action I should take when I arrive home and see what they've done today in the kitchen. (Every day is a surprise.)

So just be polite and say you accept the risk of magic insect fridge wall interactions instead of asking "r u stoopit!!!??" no matter how tempting it might be.

ROTFLMAO!!! That's just what I needed to de-stress before the commute home on a Friday night.

I'll check in later, thanks for the input so far!
Lee