Browse Forums Kitchen Corner Re: What's the standard gap between benchtop and wall cabine 2Aug 11, 2010 11:42 am There are no real standard heights of wall units above benchtops, although the AS/NZS specifies a minimum of 450mm above the benchtop. It's more to do with ergonomics and common sense - and your own preferences. Some things to consider: When standing at the bench you should be able to comfortably see the back edge (where the bench meets the wall) without having to bend down. If you like to lean over your work to look at it, you don't want to bang your head on the wall units all the time (unless you are into that sort of thing). When standing at the bench you should not be creating a shadow on the work area in front of you. Wall units should be low enough that the most frequently used items are easy to see and reach, at least at the base height of the cabinet. If the wall units contain or are next to a range hood do you want the cabinets at the same level or lower/higher than the hood? Will you be incorporating a microwave into the wall units? If so, the microwave needs to sit at a height where it can be looked into and have hot items safely lifted out of it i.e. not above shoulder level. The dimensions I most frequently end up using are: Where benchtops are approximately 900mm above the floor, absolute minimum for wall units above this would be 480mm - and this height is normally reserved only for a wall microwave unit. I find that an entire run of wall units at this height makes the benchtop feel claustrophobic. I prefer wall units to be mounted at the same height as a rangehood if there is one, so the minimum height of the cabinets from the bench is 605mm for an electric cooktop and preferably 655mm for a gas top. Beware of raising a rangehood too high, as most manufacturers specify a maximum effective operating height...normally around 700mm. Minimum of 605mm also provides a more open feel and allows better lighting of the work surfaces. I also maintain that one can never have too much storage space in a kitchen and prefer wall units to continue as high as possible - even if the top shelves are not easily reached without standing on something they are still good for "long term storage" of items that don't get used often. Cheers, Earl Re: What's the standard gap between benchtop and wall cabine 3Aug 11, 2010 12:27 pm Hi Grinder, Not sure if this will help you, but our benchtops are at 920 high, the overheads are 700 above those. Glass splashback (obviously not seen in this pic!) with rangehood sitting at the top of the splashback/in line with the overheads. I'm short at 5'3ish so I'll need a stepstool or stepladder to reach the top half of the cupboards http://i790.photobucket.com/albums/yy189/oceanus2/b8286d16.jpg Oceanic with Nautilus upgrades. Handover 8 September 2010 Re: What's the standard gap between benchtop and wall cabine 4Aug 11, 2010 8:47 pm Great thank you both I was wondering what the height should be as I wanted to install a glass splashback but after all research I have found there are bigger porcelain tiles of 60 much cheaper than galss all I have to be careful is the power points cut out bits otherwise it is fine perhaps a saving of $1.000 or more money in the pocket. As for the rangehood height it may be seventy but it is not a major concern as I will install a slideout version with a 10cm tile along. Thank you again Re: What's the standard gap between benchtop and wall cabine 5Aug 11, 2010 8:52 pm grinder, i've just uploaded a pic taken today with splashback and rangehood in if you wanted to have a looksie. link for my thread is below in my sig. Oceanic with Nautilus upgrades. Handover 8 September 2010 Re: What's the standard gap between benchtop and wall cabine 6Aug 11, 2010 10:43 pm Oceanus2 grinder, i've just uploaded a pic taken today with splashback and rangehood in if you wanted to have a looksie. link for my thread is below in my sig. Oh yes! I see great looking kitchen I wish I had space like that good choice of colours instead I've gone for white since the kitchen does not get direct sunlight so that is the main reason why I have chosen white as main theme splashback well we'll see whan I get the right appliances at this time looks like metal brushed would be my choice although I have good brand wall ovens for being small too small damn! Re: What's the standard gap between benchtop and wall cabine 7Aug 12, 2010 12:18 am out gap is 700 and we also have 300x600 tiles for our splashback. the small strip of tiles looks fine. we also have led lights underneath our overheads, they are the BEST. Our kitchen is also set back in the middle of the house, and went for a light, white colour scheme. i like the 700 gap as to me 600 was too low/claustrophobic. pics in my sig. Recently moved to a 60's home in need of some improvement! http://s797.photobucket.com/user/leenii ... ch%20House Old house: http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy25 ... loo/House/ Re: What's the standard gap between benchtop and wall cabine 8Aug 12, 2010 8:44 am Hi leni Good choice of tiles though my powerpoints are right smacked in the middle which makes my life difficult to cut the tiles accurately. I thought to start tiling in reverse so may be the cut out hole would not fall in the middle as it does now all I can have now is to change from a single to a double but that is about since my walls are solid brick. BTW what was the tiling job in $$$. Re: What's the standard gap between benchtop and wall cabine 9Aug 12, 2010 10:34 pm Hi, grinder.. our power points are in the middle of the tile, (we have two in the kitchen) and DH is telling me that is is easier to make a hole in the middle of the tile than on the edge. You use an angle grinder to cut the hole, there is a technique that is a bit hard for me to explain... cutting some but not the whole way thru in lines past the square, on each side, and then cuting diagonally to 'push' the square out... to maybe try youtube? If you need to cut out near the edge of the tile you are move likely to break the whole tile and waste it. You need to remeber the hole needs to be smaller so the powerpoint covers it completley. Our tiler did our floor and the splashback for a set price, DH helped him lay the tiles, and then did the splash in the laundry himself. (same tiles as in the kitchen, but no picutres yet, must take a good pic of the laundry!!) The price was $3000 for 60m2 of floor tiles with lots of angles, and the splahback whiich was about 8m2. This was a little bit more than I expected, our floor tiles were rectified porcelain 450x450 and the floor needed screeding. Our tiler did a fantastic job, despite all the angles, the tiles are 'centred' in every room, and flow completley without 'joins' through the whole house, from kitchen to lounge to hallway to laundry and toilet..so I am very happy with the result. Recently moved to a 60's home in need of some improvement! http://s797.photobucket.com/user/leenii ... ch%20House Old house: http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy25 ... loo/House/ Re: What's the standard gap between benchtop and wall cabine 10Aug 12, 2010 10:36 pm forgot to add our walls are also brick, so if you want to add more points best to do them before your splash, as you knwo you need to channel the wall out to do that!!! Recently moved to a 60's home in need of some improvement! http://s797.photobucket.com/user/leenii ... ch%20House Old house: http://s797.photobucket.com/albums/yy25 ... loo/House/ 2 7528 Sorry, don't know costs, but there are a couple of very important principles you need to get right (and now) .... (1) never agree to any "upgrade" unless you first know… 5 6838 Got my stairs designed like this with 250mm Gap marked below. Gap is bec of 2 steps added between two landing area… 0 4872 |