Microwave Cabinet

7 years ago

The opening for the microwave is only 15 inches wide. I had planned on using a LG microwave, but I cant find any brand microwave smaller than 17 inches in width. At the cost, I cant believe that we have to enlarge the opening ourselves. Am I missing something or is this an error?

Featured Answer

User

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

100% normal and would never need to be called out to anyone who is at all familiar enough with cabinets to be doing this job. Your installer is expected to have the standard skills to cut it to size and build the support platform. You’ll have to cut a hole for the electrical too. And the plumbing for the sink base.

If you can’t do this, you need another installer. That’s simple compared to shimming everything properly and getting it level, plumb, and coplanar. Installation of a job runs about 20% of the cabinet costs for a reason. It’s a specialty skill. It’s not just attaching boxes to a wall.

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Comments (6)

M
7 years ago
A good cabinet maker or even a general contractor should be able to enlarge that opening for you. It probably requires using a router to make a nice clean edge. But that's not very difficult, if you know what you are doing. Afterwards, you need to repaint the edge, though. That can be more challenging.

Is this conversion varnish? Or is this just regular paint? Can you find an edge band in a matching color? Did the manufacturer provide you with touch-up paint?

Alternatively, get a microwave trim kit. They come in all sorts of sizes. I think, some third-party manufacturers even offer made-to-order sizes. You can choose between flush and surface mount. Surface mount doesn't look quite as sleek, but it hides any damage that you did to the cabinet.

Whatever you do, carefully read the manufacturers specs with regards to venting requirements. Often, a microwave needs to have several inches of space on the sides and it needs to have both an intake and an exhaust air path. In some cases, you can hide venting in the back of the cabinet and vent towards your ceiling. But that's not always an option.
PRO
Filipe Custom Woodwork
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
That is a standard opening that is meant to be modified to each individual MW.

Appliance cabinets come with standard openings, some even do not have an opening at all.

Unless it's a custom cabinet in which YOU provide appliance specs and they cut the opening to YOUR size, what you have is the standard and not a mistake.
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Summer Mays
Original Author
7 years ago
This is a DIY project, we worked with a Home Depot designer ordering the cabinets. I'm disappointed that she didnt advise us to provide measurements for the opening .
Summer Mays
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks everyone for your response.
PRO
Filipe Custom Woodwork
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Most of what Home Depot provides is Semi-Custom so what she provided is what they offer. Full custom cabinets will need appliance specs. The Home Depot vendors would not cut the cabinet to fit to the size you needed anyway. Those cabinets are semi-custom. They do their share of custom but it has limits. full custom will come with a. "you draw it we can make it attitude "but with a steep price point.

She didn't lead you wrong. She should of said the openings would have to be custom cut BY CUSTOMER/INSTALLER.