How To Remove Kitchen Soffit

"Can we accept out the soffits and install 42″ wall cabinets?",  is a question I go asked often. The answer , of class, is 'yeah'. Afterwards all, annihilation is possible with enough fourth dimension and money. Simply the existent question is, is it worth it? Soffits, if yous're non familiar, are the 12″ drywall boxes between the ceiling and the elevation of the cabinets. They're a common feature in many kitchens and ofttimes serve equally a place to run ductwork, plumbing and wiring.

kitchen soffit

Benefits of Removing Soffits

42″ wall cabinets wait overnice. Removing the soffits can update the look and make the ceiling appear higher.  Likewise, if you're challenged for space in your kitchen, that extra 12″ on top of the cabinets can exist useful.

What are you lot getting into?

Making the decision to remove the soffits means that y'all have committed to a big project. Merely how big depends on what is lurking behind the soffits. The just manner to tell is to cut a hole in the drywall big plenty to polish a flashlight and go a good look around.  If you're really lucky, information technology will just be empty space. But chances are pretty expert that you'll see wiring, air ducts and/ or plumbing pipes. If you are still intent on removing those soffits, all that "stuff" has to be re-routed and y'all accept officially committed to a major remodeling project.

Kitchen soffits removed. This is really a "best case" picture.

The above pic shows the wall cabinets have been taken down and the soffits torn out. In this example, only wiring has to be routed out of the way.  If you have duct work or, worse yet, a plumbing vent/waste material piping lurking back in that location – it's time to phone call a plumber and pull a building permit. Finding a place to rerun a 4″ waste pipe is no trivial matter.

No matter what is subconscious backside the soffits, removal and patching will mean drywall piece of work, taping, mudding, sanding (echo), priming and painting. If you've decided there are better ways to spend your time and money than ripping out your soffits, at that place are options.

1. Exit the soffits alone

In that location are 10's of thousands of cute homes out at that place with kitchen soffits. If you update the await of your cabinets, the soffits really are sort of a non-effect.

Nosotros refaced the existing oak cabinets in mill finished maple – shaker manner and kept the soffits. Learn more about our solid-wood cabinet refacing process here.

2. Add a crown molding at the ceiling

Adding a crown molding at the ceiling  tin reduce the visible affect of the soffits and give a college feel to the ceilings.

3. Clad soffits to match cabinets

In this case, we refaced the cabinets and then covered the soffits in the same material. We installed a crown molding at the ceiling and built up another molding at the point where the soffits and cabinets meet. The corporeality of piece of work that goes into this is pretty significant, but still far less than removing the soffits.

Kitchen soffits covered in matching chiffonier material and moldings installed

And then unless you are absolutely committed to fierce it down to the studs and getting rid of those soffits, at that place are options available to update the await. And don't forget, the soffits can also exist a great place to hang your commemorative Elvis plates

Jim

kitchen soffits

Source: http://www.kitchencraftsman.net/removing-kitchen-soffits-worth/

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