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New build kitchen...ducting requiring a 'box' around top of hood?

babs711
12 years ago

In a nutshell, our joists run lengthwise perpendicularly into our range wall. I was planning a chimney hood until the contractor and cabinet guy told me that because of how the joists hit and because there's stairs behind the kitchen, the duct work will have to angle up into the joists. Therefore a slight angle will occur so I can't have a straight run from the ceiling and will need something to surround the top of the chimney about 12" down and around and that it might be slightly wider depending on the angle. The cabinet guy swears it will look good and be trimmed out with molding etc. We are having 10' ceilings and are doing 42" uppers.

I cannot picture it at all. This isn't what I pictured for our new custom house. But there is NO WAY around it unless I spend $3k-ish more than a chimney hood to get a cabinetry/mantle hood with a blower and insert. That's the only true way to cover it in a way I can picture. All chimney hoods I see go straight into the ceiling.

Has anyone run into a strange ducting situation like this or seen a hood with some sort of wrap around? Thank you.

Comments (18)

  • annachosaknj6b
    12 years ago

    I'm having trouble picturing it. The ducting can run over the joists but has to angle up first? Maybe I'm not correctly visualizing what a chimney hood is; can you post an example?

    I can certainly sympathize. When I found out that our joist configuration would require putting back in the soffit that we had just torn out, I was completely distraught. I literally SOBBED over it, I was so heartbroken. Then I modified the look to incorporate the soffit and chose another type of range hood that is now one of the things I love most about our kitchen. So don't despair just yet (though I know exactly how you feel!).

  • ci_lantro
    12 years ago

    Drop the entire ceiling to 9'...still plenty tall yet lots less space to heat & cool. (Angle will be concealed above the lowered ceiling.)

    Switch to an under cabinet style of hood...lots less hood to catch dust & have to clean while perched on a ladder.

    Build a soffit to conceal the transition.

    Here's an example of the soffit solution:

  • babs711
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    This is a pic a friend sent me of her friend's chimney hood that shows something they had to do because her ducting had to angle back up into the ceiling and it made the top of the ducting more than the typical 11" depth of a normal chimney hood. They did this:

    I showed that to my cabinet guy and he said, that's similar to how mine would look but mine might be wider at the top. He swears it will look good.

    I can't see lowering the ceiling since the living/dining and kitchen area all open to each other. I feel like lowering the one ceiling will look strange.

    I don't know. What do you guys think? Go with this trim out type of thing? Some other solution? Suck up the money and do the cabinet hood? What would you do if you were in my shoes?

  • annachosaknj6b
    12 years ago

    I have to say I don't like that at all, but it's more the combination of traditional moldings paired with a sleek contemporary hood that I dislike, rather than the idea of some sort of trim to hide the problem ducting.

    What sort of cabinets are you doing? What are the other finishes in your kitchen? Any ideas for tile yet?

  • annachosaknj6b
    12 years ago

    You could have your GC build a plywood box to fit an insert and then trim it very simply to match your cabs, like this:

    That's one idea. I'll try to come up with some others and post them for you later.

  • avesmor
    12 years ago

    What if you soffited (is that a word?) just the part between the cabinets so that it looked like more of a feature? I'll try to explain, I'm a visual person and this is killing me. :)

    I could've had a chimney hood but didn't want one. I wanted to echo a stone fireplace that's on the parallel side of the house, so I had our framer build out just the part of the wall where the hood was going to be. I had it stoned, then had the cabinet guys build the cabinets into the stone.

    I went with a SS range hood, but I'd think a much shorter version of this might work? You could use wood to match your cabinets, or take the opportunity to bring in another texture.

    I'm lacking a great picture, but hopefully this will help convey:

    Framing it in:

    Building in the cabinets:

    For contrast, this is how it was going to look per the original plan:

  • trailrunner
    12 years ago

    Here is our cab guy built hood surround. There is no way that it was 3-4K !! whew that is crazy. I have a Tradewind pro 54" liner with a 1400 cfm roof mount blower. My ceilings are 10 1/2 ft and I have a wide crown that goes all around the kitchen. I would never drop a ceiling :) I raised mine back almost to the original 12 ft of the rest of the house...1890 bungalow. The top edge of the hood trim matches the tops of the cabs.

    If I can answer any questions let me know.

    {{gwi:612474}}

  • babs711
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Guys, this is the kind of feedback I need!! Keep it coming! What I had in mind is a lot like what Anna_Chosak posted. I have never wanted an elaborate hood.

    So...the cabinets we are ordering. It's a local company and they're premade. I was going with their white that's close to BM Chantilly Lace. But they will do any SW color for a one time $500 charge overall. If we have the hood made, then we would need to have the cabinetry painted, correct? I imagine it's be too hard to match paint to existing cabinetry.

    This is so helpful!

  • bmorepanic
    12 years ago

    This is a construction picture - same problem with the joists running perpendicular to the wall with the range on it with a chimney immediately behind the range on the outside. The duct work is in the sofit. It goes about 5 feet sideways and then up and out.

  • ci_lantro
    12 years ago

    If you're still in the framing stage, the offending joist can be headed off. Have a look-see at the pdf linked below: It's going to be a bit trickier since you have the staircase on that wall behind the range hood so you'll prolly need to check back with your architect or consult a structural engineer.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Floor Framing

  • babs711
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Bmorepanic, we really didn't want to do a soffit if we could help it. So we're here. Thank you for the photo though. Is your hood constructed out of drywall? Interesting.

    I'm off to look at your link ci_lantro. Thank you.

  • annachosaknj6b
    12 years ago

    Here are some other ideas that would work with Shaker cabinets:

    This is Pirula's kitchen, a GW classic:

    Theoretically, your GC should be able to frame any of these out for you and then finish as you wish. It seems to me that you should be able to order a sample of the cabinet color and finish from the company and then take it to a paint store--a real, old-fashioned paint store, not HD--and match the color and finish closely enough that no one will notice any difference.

    Hope that helps!

  • dash3108
    12 years ago

    3-4k is ridiculous. The mid-range cabinet line that we sell - wood hood would be about $1800. Well, that's before the blower insert. But still. Why are you saying they wouldn't be able to match the paint??

  • bmorepanic
    12 years ago

    The hood has a plaster veneer. None of the box hoods appeal?

    Building a custom hood cover for a liner is a total pita. My advice would be to make sure - like ask them to show photos sure, that your contractor or carpenter can do it before planning on a custom hood cover that you don't get from the cabinet makers.

  • babs711
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    The box/mantle hoods definitely appeal to me! That's my first choice. I've gotten two quotes from both cabinet places I've been looking at. Midrange cabinetry - first is Wellborn. The second is a local place. Both have quoted about $3500 for EVERYTHING...the hood, blower/insert. I had asked them what a chimney would be vs. a wood hood (all costs). The chimney would be around $1700ish vs. the $3500 for the box hood/blower insert. I think my original cabinet guy worded it wrong when he said a $3k difference.

    I'm going to a third place Tuesday morning that I went to way way back before we'd started building when I'd had only preliminary ideas. They carry Cardell which is what we had in our last house. I was very happy with those cabinets. I want to see where they come in now that I'm set with how I want things to be.

    Yes, you're right about the paint. I was thinking that it would show if it was a little off since it was right there next to the cabinets. But I'm sure they could match it closely enough.

  • annachosaknj6b
    12 years ago

    Sounds good, babs. Let us know what happens!

  • babs711
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks Anna. I talked to my GC and he agreed that I should go to the third place and compare apples to apples. In the end if the cabinetry total comes in too high with the hood priced in, he will do whatever he needs to do to get me the hood made that I want based on the photos I emailed him. He feels confident the paint can be matched but was more worried about getting the sheen/finish a perfect match to the adjoining cabinets. Thoughts there?

    This thread helped me so much guys. It made me realize that long-term, I would not be happy with the chimney hood and the box. I might be able to live with it. But I want to love our new kitchen in our new home. And you all helped me realize there could be other options. Thank you so very much! I will update you!