Hung Kitchen Cabinets too Low!

[brianwelch]

Any chance you could "flatten" the offset in the hinge bracket? Maybe combine with shaving something off the door bottom...

[TDKPE]

I can't tell from the pics if the cabinet over the fridge is shallower than the fridge, but if it is, you could hinge it at the top and use a gas strut or an over-center link to hold it open.

Edit: New pics added - I can see that hinges on top may not do much good, unless you pull the fridge out a little.

[chrisntam]

Make another (flatter) refrigerator door bracket.  Why does it need such a high offset?

[crokett™]

Make another (flatter) refrigerator door bracket.  Why does it need such a high offset?

IME taking refrigerator doors off it is so you can lift the door up to get the pin out of the bottom bracket.

[brianwelch]

I think raising the cabinets and installing pieces of trim, be it tile or wood, in the resultant void, will be the fastest and easiest solution.

[arthropod98]

are the tops of the cabinets flush on the fridge side??  looks like they're offset a bit above the fridge vs above the countertop??  if they are offset, and the edge of the cabinet lines up with the fridge edge, could ya just raise that cabinet enough for clearance?

[AUswimKC]

I think you need to raise the cabinet up at least 4”. This makes it look like an intended offset.

Note that without a straight on picture of the fridge, I believe you’re violating the airspace requirements, significantly. Most fridges need about 4” of clearance to exchange air. You run the risk of burning that fridge up in no time

[AUswimKC]

I want to add that it is not too complicated to take down one cabinet and rehang higher. In fact, I believe that you can even leave the original ikea french clear in place and put in a new one higher.

The tricky thing will be the location of your studs. Hopefully the stud is very close to the edge of the right side of the fridge and not behind the other cabinets. You don’t want to have the nearest stud, say, 14” from where the cabinet hangs on the rail. If that is the case, a case can be made for using a series of toggle bolts to fill in that space of attachment

IKEA cabinets also have options to hang without their cleat, but then the studs would have to be in the exact right location.

[chrisntam]

I want to add that it is not too complicated to take down one cabinet and rehang higher.


... unless there is something above the upper cabinet. 

[barnowl]

Argh.  I few months ago I hung new ikea cabinets.  All was good until I replaced my vinyl tile floor with 1/4” slate.  Now, when I open the cabinet over the fridge, the door hits the bracket of the fridge door.  I can push the door up a bit to clear the bracket, but I’m worried I’m going to ruin the hinges. They’re euro hinges, but I’ve adjusted them all I can.  And the fridge is lowered as far as it goes.  

Any thoughts here?   I considered taking down all the cabinets and rehanging them 1/2” higher.  But that will screw up the tile backsplash, which goes up to the bottom of the cabinets.  I could also just grind out the tile under the fridge, but I figure I’d end up with a very uneven floor due to the mortar.

If your house is anything like our house, those cabinets only get opened a few times a year, being up over the fridge....

In fact, ours are similar as in they hit the top of the fridge door trim, so we open the fridge door to allow the cabinet door to open.

For yours, I'd remove the doors and cut 1/4" off the bottoms, and touch up with paint, etc.

Or..... if you don't want to cut them, re hang the doors 1/4" higher.