Who says kitchen remodeling on the fly is a bad idea?
So, yesterday ivyriver and I went to Lowes... I originally intended to buy a new dishwasher. However, the preferred replacement appliance for the day in total was a range. So, after a little looking and some discussions, we came to settle upon this Whirlpool 30 inch Freestanding Range (I find it hilarious that the Lowes.com page says they don't sell it where we bought it.)
No problem, right? You'd think that... until as I was driving home I pondered our current stove. A Kenmore 30 inch drop in range. What's the big deal you may ask? Well... let me explain the difference. A drop in range, as the name implies, "drops in" to the cabinets in the kitchen. In our exact case, two cabinets on either side, with the center area being the drop in range. A freestanding range, on the other hand, merely stands apart from or in between cabinets. The real rub is that the counter top for a drop in is not fully cut out; the footprint for the top of the drop in stove is cut slightly smaller (around 29") than the opening you would need for a freestanding or slide in range. So while measuring the opening between the cabinets gives me the required 30" width, the counter top opening is 29" wide!!!! Tab does not fit into slot b, as they say. For the moment, I'll also ignore the extra inch and or two between the wall and the opening for the range (the counter top opening goes behind the drop in range, looking pretty with a back splash and everything. (I have pictures, maybe I'll upload them.) The free standing variety of range has to slide into this opening, and back (in theory, to the wall) to fit all pretty with the cabinets.
So, using a jigsaw, having to shave open the sides of the opening to approximate the 30" requirement is possibly the easiest solution, after also knocking out the bottom support for the drop in stove. Removing the back splash and remaining 1.5" of depth of the counter top still is a question mark for me... a dremmel maybe, or other rotary cutting tool might work.
Let this be a lesson... always look into what kind of modifications may be necessary BEFORE you willy-nilly buy an appliance. (I don't think this will be that difficult... but it may be funky for a day or two.
No problem, right? You'd think that... until as I was driving home I pondered our current stove. A Kenmore 30 inch drop in range. What's the big deal you may ask? Well... let me explain the difference. A drop in range, as the name implies, "drops in" to the cabinets in the kitchen. In our exact case, two cabinets on either side, with the center area being the drop in range. A freestanding range, on the other hand, merely stands apart from or in between cabinets. The real rub is that the counter top for a drop in is not fully cut out; the footprint for the top of the drop in stove is cut slightly smaller (around 29") than the opening you would need for a freestanding or slide in range. So while measuring the opening between the cabinets gives me the required 30" width, the counter top opening is 29" wide!!!! Tab does not fit into slot b, as they say. For the moment, I'll also ignore the extra inch and or two between the wall and the opening for the range (the counter top opening goes behind the drop in range, looking pretty with a back splash and everything. (I have pictures, maybe I'll upload them.) The free standing variety of range has to slide into this opening, and back (in theory, to the wall) to fit all pretty with the cabinets.
So, using a jigsaw, having to shave open the sides of the opening to approximate the 30" requirement is possibly the easiest solution, after also knocking out the bottom support for the drop in stove. Removing the back splash and remaining 1.5" of depth of the counter top still is a question mark for me... a dremmel maybe, or other rotary cutting tool might work.
Let this be a lesson... always look into what kind of modifications may be necessary BEFORE you willy-nilly buy an appliance. (I don't think this will be that difficult... but it may be funky for a day or two.