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laurap_2007

another appliance placement question

18 years ago

OK, I found out from my super that there is no real obstacle in moveing my d/w from the left side of my sink (where it is in a tight corner) to the right side, where it will be a lot easier to get into. However, if I move the d/w to the right, it will be right next to the stove. Any reason this is a bad idea? As soon as I get the d/w placement thing settled, I can start renovating.

Comments (8)

  • 18 years ago

    In my current kitchen, my sink is next to my DW is next to my range. It's not a bad arrangement for me. The 2 feet of counter between the range and sink is always in demand, so for big dinners etc. it's a little inconvenient, but in day to day use its fine.

  • 18 years ago

    thanks for your reply. Do you have a filler of around an inch or so between the d/w and the stove, in order to have something to secure the d/w to (I plan on having a silestone countertop, and I understand that with this kind of counter the d/w must be secured to cabinets on the side).

  • 18 years ago

    I believe that the counter top installers can install the d/w secure clips to the underside of the silestone. They might not want to, but they can drill in and then epoxy either an anchor or a wood dowel for attachment to.
    I have had them do that into a granite counter, and it worked fine.

    Good luck

  • 18 years ago

    You do need something between them, but more to hold up the countertop than secure the DW. My cab guy ordered it, I think its just 5/8th of an inch.

  • 18 years ago

    "You do need something between them, but more to hold up the countertop than secure the DW. My cab guy ordered it, I think its just 5/8th of an inch."

    why's that? Can't the countertop just lie across the d/w? And I understand Silestone is glued to the countertop (you are not supposed to drill into it) so I don't see why I'd need anything b/w the d/w and the stove, unless it's to protect the d/w from the heat of the oven

  • 18 years ago

    Silestone is very heavy and will break if not properly supported. A DW is not designed to have any weight resting on it at all. It's designed to be pulled in and out of an alcove in your cabinetry, and this alcove is usually created by having a sink cabinet on one side and another type of cabinet on the other side. When you don't have that other cabinet on the side of the DW, your countertop doesn't have any place to be supported. That's why you order a DW end panel to go between your DW and range. It will support the weight of your countertop on that edge. Your countertop fabricator will still want to attach blocking to the rear of your wall behind your DW to support your countertop at the rear. A regular 24" cabinet will support the countertop at both sides as well as the front and rear. In a situation where the counter goes across a DW, the front remains unsupported for the 24" of space that it goes over your DW, and is a potential "weak spot" in your countertop that you should avoid adding any additional heavy weight on to.

    And no, Silestone is not glued to your existing countertops. Your existing countertops are removed and the 3 cm Silestone is attached directly to the top of your cabinets, and that's why it's very important to determine whether or not they are level and plumb, because the stone will have to be shimmed if it's not, and if it's substantially out of whack, sometimes large spaces can result. If you are in a market that uses 2 cm Silestone instead of the 3 cm, then a plywood subtop is used over your cabinets before installing the Silestone. Your old countertops still have to be removed, and proper support at all points has to be engineered, including a DW side panel of at least 3/4" solid wood.

  • 18 years ago

    Very well explained, thanks.

    Maybe Formica is the way to go....Silestone in my situation sounds kind of risky.

  • 18 years ago

    No matter what type of countertop, you will still need a DW end panel between the DW and stove to be able to support that countertop, even laminate. In addition, it also acts as a sound dampener for your DW, and you may not get the quietness that you would expect our of your DW unless you have it properly installed between two cabinets. Any installation with a DW next to open space or a large hollow cabinet (corner cab etc.) will result in a noisier DW than it's designed to be.