refrigerator cabinet build advice....

[Myk Rian]

You need room air coming in the bottom, and passing out the top. That is a fact you cannot avoid.
A refrigerator in an inclosed space WILL die.

[David Nelson1]

Thanks for the heads up Mark. Only thing the manual talks about is 2 inches from the back wall and not to exceed 110 degree F. Fridge vents out the front and none of my cabinet go the ceiling so its open. i did leave a space over the sink for make up air but that is a long ways away. 48 cuft of space behind the frig should be ok.

[Jim Becker]

Use temporary spacers at the bottom while you do your assembly and any finishing in the shop, but consider making the piece "break down" for easier installation.

[Peter Quinn]

I'm looking closely at David Nelson's fridge cabinet, it's a really interesting way to do it. Problem with fridge cabs is they are always bigger than the fridge they surround, and many of those fridges barely make it in the door as is. Not to be critical but the double stiles and additional filler strip between fridge and upper would never be accepted in my end of the industry. Designers with keen eyes want clean uninterrupted lines that look like they were built for the purpose. I'm thinking you could achieve the same functionality and maintain the custom look. Make the outer partition walls with the stiles attached. Make the upper cabinet so the plywood verticals tuck behind the stiles on the partitions, no double stile on stile construction. Attach the rails and mid stiles to the upper cabinet box once everything is screwed together in the shop. Mark for a field joint like a dowel or domino at the two stile intersection. Sand it together as a unit once the joinery is in but not glued, you might do a slight ease at that joint if you don't mind the line. I've always though it makes sense to build the upper shallow, like say 15-18" deep max. It's a black hole of death cabinet anyway, who can reach the back of an upper over a fridge anyway? Keeping it shallow lets the fridge vent out the back if you don't run to the ceiling, if you do you could make a wooden vent in one or both of the partitions. I had to build a cabinet for Lieberher fridge similarly, the vent was on the top in front. The specs required convection flow for cooking, the unit sucked cool air in through the front and needed a certain square inches of clear vent space out the top back.

[David Nelson1]

I'm looking closely at David Nelson's fridge cabinet, it's a really interesting way to do it. Problem with fridge cabs is they are always bigger than the fridge they surround, and many of those fridges barely make it in the door as is. Not to be critical but the double stiles and additional filler strip between fridge and upper would never be accepted in my end of the industry. Designers with keen eyes want clean uninterrupted lines that look like they were built for the purpose. I'm thinking you could achieve the same functionality and maintain the custom look. Make the outer partition walls with the stiles attached. Make the upper cabinet so the plywood verticals tuck behind the stiles on the partitions, no double stile on stile construction. Attach the rails and mid stiles to the upper cabinet box once everything is screwed together in the shop. Mark for a field joint like a dowel or domino at the two stile intersection. Sand it together as a unit once the joinery is in but not glued, you might do a slight ease at that joint if you don't mind the line. I've always though it makes sense to build the upper shallow, like say 15-18" deep max. It's a black hole of death cabinet anyway, who can reach the back of an upper over a fridge anyway? Keeping it shallow lets the fridge vent out the back if you don't run to the ceiling, if you do you could make a wooden vent in one or both of the partitions. I had to build a cabinet for Lieberher fridge similarly, the vent was on the top in front. The specs required convection flow for cooking, the unit sucked cool air in through the front and needed a certain square inches of clear vent space out the top back.

LOL Peter the design folks here didn't know the difference since it was their first rodeo. Your suggestion is a good one, but I never thought of it. I can guarantee this will not be the only time someone will point something out that I didn't think of. Appreciate it believe it out not.

[Matt Meiser]

You need room air coming in the bottom, and passing out the top. That is a fact you cannot avoid.
A refrigerator in an inclosed space WILL die.

Some are now designed for a tight fit. The counter-depth Frigidaire we bought for our previous house was that way. IIRC, only 1" of clearance above, which was hidden by the doors when closed, was required. Cool air was drawn in at the toekick. I did mine pretty similar to David's. Of course I only stuck around about a year after.

If you need more airflow and had an open soffit above the fridge, you could put a false back in the cabinet and create a channel for air to flow up through the top. Would make mounting fun but doable.

[Jim Becker]

We also have counter-depth refrigeration and the fit is "tight". Like the larger "professional" refrigeration systems that incorporate air flow venting, our counter-depth LG brings air in front to back by design. The GE that preceded it was the same.