Cold air in kitchen cabinets

3 years ago

During the winter months, there is a cold draft inside some of the kitchen cabinets. For example, the bottles in the spice cabinet feel very cold in the morning (even though the kitchen itself is at a comfortable temperature). Recently I felt a slight cold draft by my feet from under one of the cabinets. This is making me thinking the cold air is traveling up from the crawl space / subfloor into the cabinets. Is there anything we can do about this without ripping apart the kitchen to get to the floors under the cabinets?

Thank you!

Featured Answer

ShadyWillowFarm

3 years ago

Your wood cabinet doors prevent the warm air from going into the cabinets, especially cabs on outside walls. My coffee cups are pretty chilly every cold morning and we don’t have a mouse problem.

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Comments (9)

kathyg_in_mi
3 years ago
Are you on a slab? Crawl space? Basement?
klem1
3 years ago
It appears mice have chewed holes through cabinets and to crawl space below. 2 holes for sure in cabinet to left of sink plus 1 in unit 2nd to right of sink. There might be others but lighting is poor in your kitchen.

N-e-x-t
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ci_lantro
3 years ago
. Is there anything we can do about this without ripping apart the kitchen to get to the floors under the cabinets?

Tackle it from the crawl space. Or tear the kitchen apart.
Stax
3 years ago
Mice? Not visible. Unlikely.
Stax
3 years ago
Of course!
klem1
3 years ago
After a second look with better light I agree mice didn't make the holes,it was rats and there are others I didn't see on first inspection.
raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
3 years ago
I am confused by the comments here. Who has the rat/mice problem? Were some comments or pictures deleted?

OP, you could buy some insulation foam board, cut to size and caulk it into the backs of your cabinets - sacrificing 1/2" of cabinet depth. Be sure to caulk any joints where you feel the cold air flowing in. Putting a layer of that bubble foil insulation might do the trick instead of the foam board. Especially if your cabinets are site built, without any back except the wall.

For the base cabinets, if they have toe kicks, see if the trim there can be gently removed to open access under the cabinet to spray insulation foam.

When I had my kitchen remodeled, they had to open up one wall to do some work - and promised that they would replace the insulation. If they did, it was far less effective! I had cold air streaming from every edge where cabinets (and stove hood) met the wall. I found some thin strips of foam like material that I could force up into the joints with a butter knife, and that did the trick.
3onthetree
3 years ago
I don't have the secret code for the pics either. Consider your cabinets furniture that just happens to be screwed to the wall. You wouldn't insulate your dining table.

If I were to guess with zero information, I would say your rim joist area in the crawl space is not insulated or insulated well. I would also guess that you have soffits above the cabinets that are open to the attic on the topside, and are under insulated.