Replacing a drop-in stove

F

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P5

• Sep 2, 2004

• #1

Has anyone replaced a drop-in stove with a freestanding one? If so, how difficult was the carpentry and how well did everything fit?

My house has a crappy old drop-in stove and I'd love to replace it, but drop-ins are so damned expensive. I think with a few cuts to the cabinets I could make a freestanding range fit...any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

J

JunkPunch

Member

• Sep 2, 2004

• #2

The drop-ins are MORE expensive? That's odd. We replaced our electric Jenn-Air cooktop with a gas one, and it was a lot less expensive that a full gas range.

In any event, it shouldn't be hard. Do you have to cut the cabinets or just the countertop? Do you have a picture?

 

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P5

• Sep 2, 2004

• #3

Well, it doesn't look this nice, but here is the general idea:

I would have to remove the support platform, and the countertop in front of the wall backsplash...the guy @ Sears claimed he did this and it worked fine, but I'm not so sure a 30" free-standing stove will fit in the space between the cabinets (our drop-in is also classified as 30").

 

J

JunkPunch

Member

• Sep 2, 2004

• #4

Ok, so is the current cooktop sitting above it's own cabinet? If so, it should be fairly easy to remove the current cooktop and pull out the cabinet underneath. Look at the specs for the stove - they should tell you the exact size on the sides you need for a space between the cabinets.

 

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P5

• Sep 2, 2004

• #5

Yeah, it sits on a platform of sorts...I've measured and I just don't see how a freestanding will fit in between the cabinets, but the guy at Sears assures me he did this on his own.

BTW, w/a freestanding I can get a stainless range cheaper than a fugly basic model in the drop-in...oh well.

lol...thanks for even looking at such a mundane topic. You must be an "old guy" too.

 

J

JunkPunch

Member

• Sep 2, 2004

• #6

You might be able to cut a little off the sides of the cabinets if you need to. Most kitchens that I've seen are built to hold a "standard" size stove, fridge, etc. Unless they custom built the cabinets or something. Measure the hell out of it though - you don't want any surprises!

Yep, I'm an old guy too (34).I redid my kitchen myself last spring, so I actually get excited by this sort of crap

 

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P5

• Sep 2, 2004

• #7

I've measured and it seems VERY tight. The cabinets are original to the house (mid-eighties), so they were built for the drop-in.

lol - you ARE old (4 years my senior)...and yep, this is my first house so I've spent every spare moment for the past year (moved in last Labor Day) painting, cleaning, installing, removing, tiling, planting, mowing, etc., etc., etc. I'm finally starting to slow down and enjoy the fruits a bit, but damned if I don't feel lazy if I'm not raising the resale of the house.

 

J

JunkPunch

Member

• Sep 2, 2004

• #8

No kidding. I used to be "into cars" - I had an older Audi turbo I worked on all the time. I was so happy when I bought my house because I FINALLY had a huge garage to work in. Shortly after I realized I didn't have time to work on cars anymore, since all my time was put into the house. So i didtched the Audi and bought my P5. Oh, the irony of it all.

We gutted the kitchen last spring and put in new floors (tile and hardwood), countertops, new stove, new sink, lighting, and painted the cabinets. I'm the same way though - I feel like I'm being lazy if I'm not covered in sawdust or paint.