Cut drywall out behind back of refrig to gain 3in of space? (how much, grill)
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Has anyone cut out the drywall behind the fridge to regain 3in - 3.5 in of space to push it back?
I want to have the counter depth look but still have the full size refrig.
I will need to move the power outlet and move the water hose. And most likely make a header becuase im sure there are 2x4's in the way and its probably a supporting wall.
Legally would i need a permit for that? Im guessing probably since you need a permit to do anything to a house you own
You will have to make a header. Whether you need a permit depends on your local ordinances. Some towns require a permit to change the faucet in your sink or put in a new waterheater. Others only require permits for major changes or safety issues. Some require permits for everything, but do not really care. In one place I lived, I converted a pantry to a small bathroom. When I went for a permit, they told me not to bother. I asked if a permit was needed and they said "Technically yes, but we do not want to waste time inspecting some thing like that."
Personally I have often done work like this and not worried about a permit. Who is going to know?
This is not a bad idea if you frame it nicely and put some trim around it it could look very nice. It is probably cheaper than buying those ridiculously prices counter depth fridges. You will probably need to open up portions of the draywall on the back side and cover them with screen to allow heat out and for air cirulation for the compressor/fan. You will probably need a vent at the bottom (where the compressor is located) and one at the top to let heat out. Otherwise, you will burn out your fridge real fast.
When you frame your header make the space a large as possible. You do nto want an exact match for your firdge, or you will have to re-frame every time you replace it. Besides, you want as much air space around the fridge as possible. You can fill in the gaps at the front with trim molding to make it have a nice tight fitting appearance if you want to.
You will have to make a header. Whether you need a permit depends on your local ordinances. Some towns require a permit to change the faucet in your sink or put in a new waterheater. Others only require permits for major changes or safety issues. Some require permits for everything, but do not really care. In one place I lived, I converted a pantry to a small bathroom. When I went for a permit, they told me not to bother. I asked if a permit was needed and they said "Technically yes, but we do not want to waste time inspecting some thing like that."
Personally I have often done work like this and not worried about a permit. Who is going to know?
This is not a bad idea if you frame it nicely and put some trim around it it could look very nice. It is probably cheaper than buying those ridiculously prices counter depth fridges. You will probably need to open up portions of the draywall on the back side and cover them with screen to allow heat out and for air cirulation for the compressor/fan. You will probably need a vent at the bottom (where the compressor is located) and one at the top to let heat out. Otherwise, you will burn out your fridge real fast.
When you frame your header make the space a large as possible. You do nto want an exact match for your firdge, or you will have to re-frame every time you replace it. Besides, you want as much air space around the fridge as possible. You can fill in the gaps at the front with trim molding to make it have a nice tight fitting appearance if you want to.
Excellent as usual. I'll only add that you make sure you don't let your wife then hang anything behind it.....I also like the idea of adding a cold air return grill on the other side for more airflow.
Excellent advice.
Depend on the wall, you may not even need a header (wall may not be load bearing).
You will need to relocate the electrical outlet for the refrigerator, and depending on what is on the other side of the wall, you may have to deal with other outlets and switches.
If there is an ice maker connection, you will have to deal with that too.
I've always broken down and bought a more expensive counter depth fridge (which also sticks out a bit, but has to in order to enable the doors to open). If you do this all professionally enough not to have issues when you go to sell your home, how much money will you save over just buying another fridge & selling your old one? We recently had a passage issue between fridge and a jutting bkfst bar on a renovation project and we did sink in the outlet and water hookup; that gave us a little room; about 2".
Last edited by Squirl; 08-13-2010 at 07:32 AM..
Reason: spelling correction
That's a very key aspect here. If it's a bearing wall, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING THIS.
That said, since there's electrical and water behind it, you may be in for a lot more work than it appears. Plan on tearing off all the sheet rock on that wall, since you're going to have to completely reroute both utilities.
In most municipals, electrical and plumbing work will require permits.
My question would be- what happens when someone leans against the wall on the other side, where the drywall is now spanning 3' with no support? If the other side of the wall is in a closet or other non-traffic area, it's no big deal, but if it's a wall that someone would potentially be in contact with, you may have an issue.
Thanks for all the great advice. I will probably contact a contractor and get an estimate of what it will cost and if it’s even possible.
The counter depth refriges are 300+ more expensive usually for a similar model but you also lose space which is why I wanted to try a full size.
I currently just have a regular off white side by side but i wanted to upgrade to a french door stainless model and i wanted it to look nice and not stick out too far.
I replaced an LG counter depth (put it in a flip house) with the Samsung. Both had 23 cu ft but the Samsung has much more space b/c the doors are designed to hold more and the bottom freezer holds more than sxs freezer. I also got a much better price. Waited for Great Indoors online sale.....
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