"I haven't found a local shop that custom makes black tempered glass yet"

Every glass shop that I am aware of can order this for you, they cannot make it as tempered glass is cut to size then tempered, with no work or adjustments to the glass itself after tempering.

Those silly angled hoods are virtually useless. They’re not shaped to capture anything. And it’s too low. Put in a different hood that actually fits the installation that you have. It will project out over the cooking surface if it has a hope of working.

If I didn’t know better I’d say that hood was upside down.

Any chance you can return it and get one that fits better?

If you'd be okay with stainless steel, I'm sure you can easily find a local fabricator to cut a panel to size for you.

I agree with Sophie. You need to get a different hood that works with what you have.

If you absolutely love (or cant return) this hood I would install filler. As artist said, usually on hinges you have the name of fabricator so I would contact them.

I'm confused as to why you selected this hood.

The hood I bought has a range of installation heights so why wouldn't your hood be able to be installed higher.

I'm completely unfamiliar with that configuration - is there some reason you went with it because it isn't functional and it looks quite odd as all other hoods I've seen extend over the top of the range however they are shaped in terms of style.

Thank you for all the inputs everyone, I'm all ears.

Please allow me to address some of the questions here. First of all, angled hood. I thought Sammy's edit was super funny, however this hood performs... quite well.

This hood is rated at 850 CFM and 54 dB on high speed, and I really like the look of it. Not sure if this is a standard feature on most of the angled hoods, but the baffle plate to the top raises up to stop the fume from going above it, and it does a really good job collecting all (seems so to me) the fume in real life use.

I did not install the hood myself, but I was present when the technician did it. I was offered options to either (1) install it against the cabinet, or (2)leave a gap (manufacturer's suggested height, from the range to the top of the hood, is 32.5 inches maximum, and a minimum of 29 9/16 inches, otherwise fume will likely escape before being sucked out by the hood), or (3) have a stainless steel panel to cover the gap, like Ed mentioned.

I then personally decided to leave a gap, because I didn't want to compromise on performance but I didn't like the look of a stainless steel panel either. Thank you artistsharonva and Klein for the suggestions, I contacted my home builder and it turned out that the cabinets have a white thermofoil finish, instead of paint (newbie me). However it seems that the cabinet manufacturer only deals with home builders and large volume vendors, and I'm still waiting for a reply for them to refer me to a vendor.

I guess I should have clarified my question better, suggestions on how to mount the glass panel over the gap? And now I know a little bit better, do cabinet shops usually offer thermofoil wrapped filler pieces?

Is the rest of the duct behind those cabinets that are above the hood?

I agree with the others that hood is very odd and looks non-functional. I must admit I am curious why you chose that one, or even where you'd find such a thing. Be that as it may, replace it. Look for a hood that is 9" tall, and connect it directly abutting the cabinets above it - assuming that's where the rest of the duct is--is it?

Here is a hood at Costco that looks suited to your kitchen: https://www.costco.ca/Ancona-Advanta-Pro-Elite-Under-Cabinet-Range-Hood---625-CFM.product.100279801.html

If you must keep the hood at this height, instead of doing a band-aid patch, have your builder order a new taller upper cabinet to replace the short one.

-friedajune, yes, the duct in the cabinets above the hood. And I must say that I had the same doubt that such an oddly looking hood would function at all before I saw it in action. You can search Fotile JQG7501 and there should be videos showing it work. I actually didn't believe the videos myself, they could be blowing the fume with a fan behind the cameras or something. but they have a couple of local store in Los Angeles area near me. I went to check out the thing in person and I was simply impressed. I thought the black glass panel looked pretty nice.

-chispa, that sounds like a good idea, actually I was thinking similar things... just new cabinet doors, instead of the whole cabinet, it's not like that I need that extra storage place or I'll ever leave the doors open.

With that much CFM, who engineered the required Make Up Air? Your HVAC Pro? You and your builder are aware that it is a required system, correct?

I think it's kind of cool. You could probably get away with plexiglass or other plastic up there. I'd worry about it less. To attach, you'd screw in little blocks to the sides of the cabinet at the correct depth to put the filler (whatever you use) at the desired depth.

To make your own wood filler, take a drawer front to a good paint store (not Home Depot, more like Kelley Moore or Sherwin Williams) and they can get a really close match on color and sheen. Then you just need a properly sized chunk of wood.

White melamine will probably match the doors. formica's 949 white laminate will probably match too.

Any number of ways to cover the gap. Get some maple and a paint match, get some tinted tempered glass, get a trim piece from the cabinet manufacturer. Pick one and have at it.

My real comment is....850 cfm? That is an insane amount of cfm for a 4 burner hood fan. If you have a giant main level of your house the square footage may support it, but otherwise you are at risk of back drafting your furnace. I hope someone addressed that during the install.

-Sophie & Super Lumen, that is a very interesting point and to be honest, I have never considered that nor has anyone mentioned it to me. I don't have a giant first floor, it's about maybe 900 sqft~ish, but can't I just open my windows?

-Taylor, I found a local shop that can make a new pair of cabinet doors with matching style and finish that extend downward to cover the gap. I think I'll just get those and use the existing hinges. The only thing is that the cabinet doors on top of my fridge won't be the same length as those.

So I read up about the make up air system and negative pressure caused by powerful range hoods, it seems to be quite a serious issue. However, this issue reminds me of the other system that I have in my home - the QuietCool fan system. I'm not sure which exact model is installed in my home but their products all seem to be capable of operating at 1000+ cfm. I have been told to make sure windows are open when using the QuietCool fans, so can I just do the same with my range hood? I live in Socal and it's rarely humid here at all. Plus I cook a lot at home, meaning lots of greasy fume, so I definitely do not want to use any range hood that's not powerful.

Back on the gap covering though, the cabinet shop can make the doors for roughly $140, those will come with pre cut out hinge hole so all I need to do is replace the existing doors. Or I could pay $120 for a dark tempered glass panel and mount it with u channels, with clear silicone I guess? I'm not DIY-savvy at all but I think I can manage these tasks.

And happy Independence Day everyone!

In your location you'll probably just open a window. But check with your building department about what they would require for a townhouse. If something is required past a threshold cfm your HOA may have put a limit on exhaust hoods at that amount. So be careful gathering info.

You’re not getting 900cfm through that 6” duct. Not physically possible. But you can get 600 CFM through it and that IS enough to backdraft other appliances in the home. Which is why the requirement exists.

If you can’t comply with that requirem by, then you chose the wrong hood and the wrong contractor, and possibly the wrong residence to have expectations of a pro style cooking experience.

Yulin:

I just fixed your problem several days ago:

The microwave/hood couldn't be raised any higher without altering the wall ductwork ($$$^). Fortunately, there was a 4" x 30" piece of matching laminated particleboard behind the old installation that I was able to rip into two 1 1/8" strips; one for the front and one for the two returned ends. The cabinet door shadow hides the line fairly well.

Although I rarely comment on esthetics, I'm not crazy about how your range, backsplash, hood, and space all compete horizontally. A matching white cabinet filler, even close, would not add to the fray as your black glass idea will.

Install one over the fridge too, please.

-dan1888, stuk & Sophie, I get what you are saying. Creating such a negative pressure in the home could be dangerous, however isn't that simply solved by opening several windows? Not sure how common the QuietCool systems are installed in homes, here is link to website https://quietcoolsystems.com. I don't see a dedicated makeup air system mentioned anywhere, in fact it is designed to create a negative pressure in the home so outside fresh air can come in to the home.

That last picture is so funny and alarming at the same time...

-Joseph, thanks for the input, it looks great! Do you mean they "compete horizontally" for attention? I never thought about that. Do you think a filler piece will be better than new longer doors? I will be getting a new fridge later so I'll have to wait to see how much of a gap there is going to be, but that's a good point, too.

The point is, make up air is required by code now. It is not optional, anywhere. It ain’t optional. If your vent is over 400CFM, you have to have a MUA system. This is often incompatible with multi family living units. And being able to do your own thing, outside multi family unit restrictions, is one of the drives to single family home ownership.

Any home that installs a vent over 400 CFM must install a MUA system. You don’t even have to be remodeling beyond installing a new hood. MUA required. House, duplex, apartment, condo, tinyhouse. Every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse over 400 CFM fan= MUA.

Sophie - Well, your point is made, clearly. A 400+ CFM exhaust fan needs to be accommodated by a makeup air system.

Now my cabinet gap and way-too-powerful hood aside, could you please possibly satisfy my curiosity by providing some insight on why MUA is not required for the QuietCool system? And why can't opened windows satisfy as a way to provide makeup air?

The code requires that the MUA be integrated into the hood system, so that either when you turn on the hood, the switch also activates the MUA, or, an overall pressure drop in the home activates the MUA. Opening a window does not satisfy the code anywhere. Not even in CA, where the external temperature means that at least you don't need heated MUA.

A whole house fan is inappropriate in most climates. It can not create cool air. It just pulls in ambient temperature exterior air. Installed as a new system, it requires intake openings that operate automatically also. Before AC older homes often had closable ventilation windows designed to be opened when the fan was operating. Like jalousies. Or reverse transom hoppers or sliders, close to the floor.

Essentially, any type of exhaust fan can backdraft combustion appliances if the pressure balance in the home is not kept within narrow parameters. That's what MUA does.

On topic, glad to hear you can get doors to cover the gap. That will be a very good solution.

ERV. Look it up. It’s mainly for cold climates, but is also applicable to hot ones. It takes a LOT of expense to do at the 1200 CFM level.