Behind the kitchen cabinets...

[miamicanes]

Has anybody tried running wire behind builders' grade melamine cabinets from the early 80s? What did you find behind them space-wise? Did they have an indented toe-kick creating an empty space suitable for conduit/cables? Or did the backs go straight down all the way to the floor, making it impossible to run cable there without actually drilling/cutting holes in the cabinets? I haven't been able to pull out the dishwasher and look yet, but I'm trying to get some idea of what I'm likely to find back there.

 

[mdesmarais]

Usually there is a space there in order to make it easier to postion the cabinet (if the wall/floor corner isn't quite straight).. . .

 

[SteveQ]

I've done many Kitchen remodels. I have never seen any kitchen where one could easily get wires behind the cabinets! But, of course it depends on what kind of wiring you are talking about! I have installed low voltage undercabinet lights by fishing the wire behind the wall cabinets and I have added toe kick rope lighting, but I have never been able to add a wall outlet etc. without major plaster or tile rework. On the other hand, if you don't have any outlets, its not that much work to tear out the backsplash tile or plaster and redo the whole thing. Go for it!

Steve Q

 

[miamicanes]

Well, I have good news and bad news. The GOOD news is that unlike the rest of the house, there's actually a ~4" gap between the drywall and concrete party wall in the kitchen and adjacent laundry room (to make room for pipes & plumbing). The BAD news (insofar as wiring goes) is that it appears to be filled with blown-in foam soundproofing insulation, so there's no clear path through it unless somebody makes a heated wand that can melt a path without risking a fire or damaging any plastic pipe it might come into contact with.

Argh. Would a professional electrician have access to tools that could make running a conduit (or at least melting a path and leaving me with one or two wires I could use to pull the cables through myself) fairly easy and straightforward? Or is it just an awkward situation that doesn't really HAVE a good & straightforward solution besides trying to run the cables outside the wall and hide them?

Also... I've never had to pull out a dishwasher for access to the space behind it. Besides removing the screws that attach it to the underside of the countertop, is there anything special that usually needs to be done? Are the hoses and power wires normally connected AFTER the dishwasher is mounted in place (presumably behind the lower panel that I don't see any obvious way of removing right now), or are they usually long enough to allow you to connect the hoses and wires while the dishwasher is OUTSIDE, then just fold into the void behind it when you push it into place?

 

[TonyNo]

If the dishwasher was installed correctly, you should be able to pull it out without disconnecting anything.

 

[electron]

I just replaced my dishwasher. If the installer used a copper line, be VERY careful pulling it out, as it is really easy to damage that line, especially when pushing the dish washer back in (I ran into that issue). If you do want to do this, shut the water supply to the dishwasher down, just in case. If you do end up damaging the line, it's easy to replace it with a flexible steel braided dishwasher line. I recommend you take the bottom face plate off (usually 2 or 4 screws), so you can see the lines while moving the unit.

 

[Ranger Digital]

FYI, spray foam is extremely flammable. It liights up like a christmas tree! I mean POOF! It goes up. I use it as fire starter. Seriously.