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Need more help with Thermador Column Cabinet Door

jaksopcam
14 years ago

For those of you that didn't read my earlier post - My Thermador columns were installed and are not sitting flush with the cabinets. Of course, no one is telling me how to fix it, they are just pointing the finger at the other guy.

My installer finally called me back and told me "those units are in there really tight. You really needed a bit more than 24" for them to fit flush" That's about as specific as he would get. He did offer to speak to the kitchen place but I'm not sure how scientific "a bit" is and if that will convince anyone they are in the wrong. He also said he would come back but didn't think he could really get them to look much better and again told me they are in as far as they can go.

The kitchen guy has been very good to deal with through this whole process. However, when we were trying to figure out the cabinet fronts for the units he really struggled with how to figure it out. At one point suggesting to just put a flat panel on them and add molding on site. I had to send him photos I found here on GW and I also contacted Medallion directly before a solution was found. Obviously, he had no experience designing a kitchen with these units.

He told me he checked the specs and it called for 24" depth. I called Thermador and checked the specs myself. yes, it needs 24" for the unit but the picture then shows the door sticking out past that. I couldn't find any written info saying you need to add a certain # of inches for a door panel. The woman at Thermador wasn't very helpful either. I want to be able to call my kitchen guy and point to something and tell him it was his mistake and he needs to fix it. Right now I feel it is sort of a he said/she said thing. Any suggestions? Do you agree that it was a cabinet issue? Thanks for any help or tips.

fridge side

freezer column - sticks out even more than fridge probably due to water line

Comments (8)

  • Jean Farrell
    14 years ago

    OKay, my Thermador is not installed in a cabinet, it is actually installed in the wall, but it is totally flush. Don't know if you can even see it, it is on the left hand side of the picture, you can really only see the handles sticking out, it is so flush.

    When it was first installed, it stuck out too much, and they had to come back and fix it, adjust the hinges on the doors or something, I forget.

    I'm sure you paid a lot of money to have a totally flush refrigerator and freezer, those Thermador columns are expensive. The way yours is sticking out is totally unacceptable, and I would make them do whatever it takes to fix it.

    Here is another picture:

  • jaksopcam
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    Jeannie kitchen - I so love your kitchen. it's one of the ones I have saved. That's exactly how I wanted my Thermador to fit. I'm near tears!! Do you think its the installer or the cabinets? I'm trying to figure out who to focus my rage on!!

  • liz3
    14 years ago

    I also purchased Thermador appliances and have not had them installed yet, but I am nervous that I will run into the same problem. I will ask my kitchen lady.
    Jeannie - I love your cabinets! What kind and color are they?

  • Jean Farrell
    14 years ago

    Jaksopcam, thanks for the compliment!

    I'm not sure if it is the problem with the cabinet or the installer, but it sure is not your fault, and they have to make it work.

    There are very detailed specifications for the Thermador refrigerators, and it is the responsibility of the contractor, cabinet maker, whoever, to follow them. If they follow them exactly, then the units should sit totally flush. That is what they are designed to do. They are designed for standard depth cabinets, so I don't see how it could really be a problem with the depth of the cabinet.

    The Thermadors and the Sub-zero are the only completely integrated, totally flush refrigerators, and you pay a lot to have that. I really would not accept that fit, even if it means that they have to re-make your cabinet, at their expense. My KD messed something up that required trashing perfectly good cabinets and getting different ones. In my former, not having been through a major renovation life, I would have found a way to live with it. I'm not a troublemaker at all. But I refused. It was his fault, he ate the cost, without complaint, really, and everyone was happy in the end.

    Maybe you can call Thermador and explain the problem to them. I am sure that they have encountered similar installation issues. Send them the pictures you have, and they might be able to help you.

    For us, it was an installer issue. They had to come back and make some adjustments to make it fit. We actually have virtually unlimited depth behind our refrigerator -- the back of my fridge is open to what used to be a hallway/closet. My kids have turned it into a little art nook, and we put things on the BACK of the fridge with magnets (or we used to, now I have a bookcase up against its back!)

    I could have had a full depth refrigerator, but I wanted it to be totally flush, given where it sits in the room, in a wall, next to a door, so I got the Thermador. When they told me that it had to stick out a bit, I showed them pictures of how it was supposed to look, and they fixed it.

    I bet if you go to the Thermador site, you'll see pictures of how flat it should sit.

  • lascatx
    14 years ago

    I've posted before and can't find that because you have a number of threads, but I asked if you have measured the depth of the cabinet sides. Are they 24"? If so, your plans didn't account for the door panels that cabinets would have -- they are designed to fit flush with cabinets that are 24" and have 3/4" panels (doors, drawer heads or whatever) across the front. The other thing is to check that the outlets were placed correctly. Being off a bit could mean the plug is preventing them from going back further.

    If it is the outlet, you need to have that moved, and that shouldn't be a big deal in a wall that doesn't need to be finished. If it is the cabinet depth, I think the simplest thing might be to have your contractor come back and remove the sheetrock, turn the studs 90 degrees (could even add a couple), move the outlet back to the correct position and then replace the sheetrock. That will get you close to 2" so that you will have some wiggle room. You might need a trim strip where the cabinet meets the wall, but that's easy to either put up and paint to match your walls or get finished to match the cabinets.

    Folks who deal with this kind of thing everyday should really be able to deal with these things, but I found in my kitchen, I was the only one thinking on my feet. HTH

  • jaksopcam
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    lascatx, thanks for your reply. I did answer you on the Appliance forum (I was panicking and cross posted). You have certainly given me some useful info. And I agree with you in that as much as I would like to just turn this over to the people I have hired and let them solve it, i need to be informed and on top of everything or it just won't get done.

  • rmkitchen
    14 years ago

    We have the Thermador 30" units (separate fridge & freezer) and yes, the outlets were recessed into the wall PLUS they notched out the drywall to accommodate the water line (for the icemaker in the freezer).

    Could that be it for you?

    Your kitchen is going to be so pretty -- I wish you the best of luck!

  • jaksopcam
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    rmkitchen, thanks for your post. I have admired your kitchen and your columns so I was very glad to hear how you got yours to look so great. Yours was also a picture I sent to my kitchen designer to give them an idea of how I wanted the door panels to look. I just looked through your kitchen photos again and still just love all the fantastic details. I also want to thank you for showing us what you put in your drawers. Thanks for sharing!!

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