Help problem solve - refrigerator sticks out
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Anonymous
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We had a custom kitchen built for us from the studs. When we rolled the french door refrigerator in, it looked great. However, the contractor mis-measured and the doors hit the granite countertop when opened all the way. He "fixed" it by nailing in a 2x4 in the back of the refrigerator well so while the fridge opens completely, it sticks out quite a bit. So you can see a 4-inch piece of the black back part of the fridge from the sides.
It really bothers me, and this is our 2nd year in this kitchen. I knew that the only way to fix it was to re-do all the cabinets and granite and so I just grinned and bear it, but now I want it fixed. What can I do? Is there a way to fiddle with the refrigerator door so it doesn't open all the way? We will not be able to re-do the cabinets because it's expensive and seems like a waste. Has this happened to anyone before? I imagine the contractor measured the space for the refrigerator but didn't realize how far the doors open. (It's counter-depth, not regular, so I'm really annoyed that he didn't think to check this first.) Thanks for any advice |
Anonymous
| Get a refrigerator that isn't as deep and will align better. Did you get your refrigerator from costco? If so, return it. No questions asked. |
Anonymous
| Thanks. It's a GE Cafe and matches the rest of our appliances. Not sure we can do that...do you all know which refrigerators are less deep than counter depth? I thought there were only two depths available. |
Anonymous
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It sounds like it less an issue of depth and more an issue that he didn't allow for door clearance. Assuming you bought counter depth, there's nothing you can probably do other than:
1) look at models that swing entirely within the frame - subzero for instance. They don't get wider than the footprint by design. I beleive Miele as well. 2) if the doors open wide enough when it is set back, you may be able to buy an angle restrictor to stop them from getting too wide. Ask your manufacturer of the fridge. 3) Obviously the most expensive but.... Fix the granite so it fits properly. |
Anonymous
| 4) one other idea, you could opt for a 30" subzero and just have the extra 6" filled with a panel. That will give you the built in look. If you have space you can always put another 30" somewhere else or learn to live with a smaller fridge. |
Anonymous
| That was ghetto he should've measured properly to begin with. You should've made him redo everything, this is horrible and negates the value of a new kitchen because people are going to think it was half assed and what else is wrong |
Anonymous
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Yeah, I think you don't have any cheap options. What is on the wall behind the fridge - can you recess the fridge 4-6 inches (that's what we did, but only because our kitchen is tiny.) A true built-in would be **more** flush-mount, but you might need to rebuild the cabinet surround since the dimensions do differ. I'd go to Gardenweb's kitchen forum, post pictures and any layout/blueprint you have, and get some pros to weigh in.
PS your appliances don't need to be "matching" brands unless they are a special order avocado or something. Stainless is stainless, and a minor difference in the handles is a lot less ugly than a fridge that blocks your aisle. |
Anonymous
| Do you have a cabinet built around the fridge? If you do, have the cabinet built out more. If you don't, build a cabinet around the fridge. |
Anonymous
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If we build cabinet around, it would look funny since the end of the counter is on one side. Also, there is no way to cut the granite to make the door open properly unless we just cut a big chunk out of it.. The other side is a cabinet, so I suppose we can have him rip that part off and move fridge slightly to fit it. Seems like a ton of work.
I'm trying to decide if the contractor will even do anything now that's two years past. I would like to see if he could offer a solution but we've already paid our bill. We probably should've held fast when he installed but we were so ready to be done. It bothers me more and more everyday though. Thanks for thoughts...will look and see if we can just put in a different fridge but that will cost $ and not really wanting to spend more now. On another note, would you notice such a thing when buying a home? The rest of the kitchen is really nice/custom. |
Anonymous
It would be a redflag, especially a 2 x 4 nailed into the back. |
Anonymous
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Did you remodeld the kitchen b/c you're selling the house?
If so, remove the refrig completely and make the refrig sizing someone else's problem. I've seen plenty of homes on the market where the refrig isn't part of the kitchen so it's not that uncommon. |
Anonymous
Not in the DC area |
Anonymous
| No. We will live here for as long as we're in the area. We bought the nice fixtures, the wolf stove, etc. because it's possible this will be our forever home. I could see putting in a different fridge when we sell it but I imagine it wouldn't be as nice of a fridge as we have in there now. |
Anonymous
| The cheapest thing to do will be to get a new fridge. |
Anonymous
| You should be able to have the countertop shaved or angled to allow full opening. But yeah a new fridge is probably the least ghetto option. |