Connecting a wood panel door to a fridge door, to open together.
davidro1
15 years ago
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ventupete
15 years agodavidro1
15 years agoRelated Discussions
cheating the system: fridges
Comments (12)My upcoming reno is the same. I only need to conceal two sides. In Australian and New Zealand web sites I have uncovered a "Concealed Fridge Door Mounting Mechanism" slider, which can be bought separately, and which cabinet makers have there. Not here. This resolves the issue of opening the hinged door with another door whose hinges are close to it but obviously not on the same point axis of rotation. Using it one does not have to pay more than normal attention to the "hinge door relationship" because the slider is designed to couple the two doors and allow for some independent movement as the doors slide past each other and this prevents them from binding up. You don't need a fridge door that opens on itself. It can push the door past its side walls when open and this space become a little air space good for the gasket and the right amount of space for the new door panel hinges too. Ventilation is easy to provide for since it's in a corner so I have room to maneuver. As for depth, I am strongly in favor of having one counter be extra deep like 28" or 30" or whatever. I can do that by either pulling cabinetry foward or building one or two extra deep cabinets and then putting in a "check" or jog-back to regular depth. Also, I can insert the fridge into a little bit of wall niche without affecting the room behind the wall. This is what I am looking at before I buy my next fridge. With my kitchen layout, the fridge will be stand alone at the end of a counter. So a regular size fridge (less money) might fit if it's far less than 30" deep and I could make it look like a built-in or integrated by putting a door panel on top and a bit of finishing panel on one side. The fridges I am considering are all nominally 24" deep but they need air space behind them and they are not sold as built-in. Not being warranteed as built-in, there may be a problem with condensation around the gasket during high humidity summers If there is not enough air around the gasket. So my questions I am asking fridge makers are -Are there heat pipes behind the metal near the door gaskets? -Can I install two fridges in side by side configuration without risk of triggering icy condensation on gaskets? -Can I install this fridge near a wall or finishing panel without risk of triggering icy condensation on gaskets? -Do gaskets have to be kept visible and uncovered (for air circulation)? How much? This is a project for DIY who can do a meticulous job by themselves, or those who have money and access to a great handyman who likes to take the time to try things out and get the highest quality no matter how much methodical trial and error is needed. If you are a professional installer or contractor this is not for you because nothing is known in advance except that a slider can be bought or built. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg1216203520931.html - - door on door slider (seen on Fisher & Paykel, Miele, Liebherr, Blomberg but not on US designed fridges) http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/appl/msg1114122513850.html - - 24 inch deep (small but still full-size) fridge options David...See Moreneed help, new side by side fridge, freezer door doesn't open all
Comments (15)thanks for the input guys! i had pondered the idea of moving that whole wall of cabinets to the right, but realized in doing that the stove would move. i can only move stove a couple of inches to the right (make that 2'), and still be able to fit my waist inside the corner without hip-checking the stove every time. What i really need to be able to completely open the freezer door (past the first point where the door holds it self open) as i can the refrigerator door. That requires 5 3/8'. I have 3/4' i can gain just by tightening up the 12' base cabinet closer to the stove, add another 2' by shifting all the cabinets to the right, but i'm still short 2 1/2'. These cabinets are 14 yrs old, i know i cannot get doors for them anymore, i've tried both lowe's and home desperate, so i'm thinking if i can find a carpenter to make them 9', and move everything down to the right, i might be able to hit it! I cannot modify the opening as the last poster was correct, it's a 8' tall patio door. Find a pic of how far (little actually) the door opens (while resting on the glass of the patio door) Here is a link that might be useful:...See MoreFridge panels or no fridge panels?
Comments (17)I think you're right about the window balancing the fridge in this photo. The trick is to get away from photos however. There is absolutely no way to get IRL balance in a rendering because the page ends. You always have to take it back to the space and see what your reality is. Hold up the renderings one at a time and see what is off page. I know you did a lot of mockups...so do you have a beach towel or sheet that more or less matches your current cabinets? And a gray or blue one? Get a family member to stand holding each, one at a time, even waving them a little, where the new fridge goes, during the day time so the window gets its full due, and see how much it matters having a contrast color impacts vs. just having the big towel hanging there. Walk around. Approach it from all directions. The look of this wall is really important to you, and nobody's taste but yours (and your husband's) matters. Maybe the contrast will help lighten the room? And tie in with all the appliances (okay, for that one imagine that a blue towel with fishies matches :) ). It may be that the "hulk" you were worried about seeing when you put the fridge here looks much better if it's part of the cabinetry. The smudge thing really isn't an issue. Actually, the replacement issue is only a moderate consideration too--important, but not the first thing to determine. The overall look is a huge issue. Especially of this one appliance you were so concerned about. Settle that, and make your decisions and compromises from there....See MoreCan we MacGyver a custom panel refrigerator?
Comments (22)Responses here have been interesting. I also have thought about wood paneling a standard fridge. I salute circuspeanut for pointing out that lots of folks who frequent this website are accustomed to finding new ways to do things. Some have a unique problem that they are confronting while others have an open mind to approach old customs with new ideas. Tell someone you can't do that and some will only try harder. For some of us, it will end up costing more or taking longer and some of our ideas just flat have to be re-done, but some, and I dare say many, will do some things better than has been done before. Hats off to the MacGyvers here and thanks to all who share successes and failures so we can all learn from them. It sometimes only takes a minor tweak to turn a bad plan into a great one....See MoreCircus Peanut
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15 years agoCircus Peanut
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