Wooden panel covers for fridge / freezer to match cabinets.

[Keith Hankins]

I'm building my last house, and will be doing the cabinets myself. I'm looking to install two subzero units. One a full upright, and a two drawer under counter model. I'm looking to put matching wooden cabinet panels on the fronts of the units to match all my cabinets.

Anybody built these and installed? I'd love to know any tips tricks of the trade or watch-outs Thanks.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

You need to check the requirements of your particular units, but generally, the panels are identical to cabinet doors.

[Jerry Miner]

I've put panels on a lot of Sub-Zero's. Follow the manufacturer's spec.s and you'll be fine. Pay attention to swing clearances and note that with the under-counter units with a 3/4 thick panel, you will not be flush to adjacent cabinet doors if you want a full 90 degree swing.

[Keith Hankins]

I've put panels on a lot of Sub-Zero's. Follow the manufacturer's spec.s and you'll be fine. Pay attention to swing clearances and note that with the under-counter units with a 3/4 thick panel, you will not be flush to adjacent cabinet doors if you want a full 90 degree swing.

By 90 swing you mean th ecabinet doors right? The undercounter unit has drawers that slide out.

[Jerry Miner]

By 90 swing you mean th ecabinet doors right? The undercounter unit has drawers that slide out.

Oops! You're right. I missed the fact that yours is drawers, not a door.

[Kevin Woodhead]

Just did this last week for a 48" flush inset unit. Followed the subzero specs and it turned out fine. Here's a few tips.

1. For the spacer and backer panels, find a piece of 11/32" sanded BC ply (Orange Borgs have this) and simply rabbet the edges to the proper depth instead of making a sandwich out of two different panels.
2. Err on the side of too much rabbet depth--in both directions--instead of too little. I went about 1 mm extra in depth, and 2mm extra on the top, bottom and side dimensions. Slid right into place. Any bowing in the door will take care of possible slop, and erring on the side of a too-shallow rabbet means your panel won't fit at all.
3. The space between upper and lower hinges was a little tighter than the SubZero door specs, so I had to plane the bottom corners a touch. If I were doing it again, I'd make the doors slightly shorter than the specs, say 2mm. Retouching a painted door edge is never a fun chore. With your model, this may not be an issue.
4. Prime all surfaces of the backer ply panel (and the back of the door panel) before assembling them. Also put a final finish on the first inch or so around the outside edges of the door panel back, because from some angles they may be seen.
5. Be aware that the metal frames that your panels are meant to slide into may not arrive lined up perfectly from front to back. If that is the case, the backer panel can hang up on the frame lip. Before you start doubting the accuracy of your panels or bringing out the baby sledge to bang them in--not that has ever happened to anyone I know--just pull the frames into place with your fingers.

Best of luck.

[Keith Hankins]

Just did this last week for a 48" flush inset unit. Followed the subzero specs and it turned out fine. Here's a few tips.

1. For the spacer and backer panels, find a piece of 11/32" sanded BC ply (Orange Borgs have this) and simply rabbet the edges to the proper depth instead of making a sandwich out of two different panels.
2. Err on the side of too much rabbet depth--in both directions--instead of too little. I went about 1 mm extra in depth, and 2mm extra on the top, bottom and side dimensions. Slid right into place. Any bowing in the door will take care of possible slop, and erring on the side of a too-shallow rabbet means your panel won't fit at all.
3. The space between upper and lower hinges was a little tighter than the SubZero door specs, so I had to plane the bottom corners a touch. If I were doing it again, I'd make the doors slightly shorter than the specs, say 2mm. Retouching a painted door edge is never a fun chore. With your model, this may not be an issue.
4. Prime all surfaces of the backer ply panel (and the back of the door panel) before assembling them. Also put a final finish on the first inch or so around the outside edges of the door panel back, because from some angles they may be seen.
5. Be aware that the metal frames that your panels are meant to slide into may not arrive lined up perfectly from front to back. If that is the case, the backer panel can hang up on the frame lip. Before you start doubting the accuracy of your panels or bringing out the baby sledge to bang them in--not that has ever happened to anyone I know--just pull the frames into place with your fingers.

Best of luck.

Ahh the voice of experience, thanks!

btw my wife just sent me a request for the stove to go in the house and it had a $ of 14k I said are you nuts!

[Kevin Woodhead]

Ahh the voice of experience, thanks!

btw my wife just sent me a request for the stove to go in the house and it had a $ of 14k I said are you nuts!

I know the feeling! I believe we must be married to sisters....

[Erik Christensen]

14k is spendy for sure but if you add up the costs of a double wall oven and rangetop that can easily > 10k - at least that is what it ran me on my kitchen remodel