How to build a refrigerator into a kitchen set

Refrigerators built into the wardrobe not only look impressive, stylish, but also very convenient. They are especially popular in well-renovated Khrushchev buildings. Such apartments do not differ in spacious kitchens and for them it is necessary to carefully design the interior. Every centimeter is important here, so the technique is built into the headset.

built-in refrigerator small
In small kitchens, the idea of ​​integrating refrigerators into a headset is popular.

The main thing in the kitchen is convenience, which means that when choosing a refrigerator, you should pay attention not only to design and color, but also to comfort. The dimensions of the built-in equipment can be different, the height can vary from 60 cm to 2 m and even higher, so it is very important to take into account the dimensions of the room. The most important thing in this technique is the internal structure and electrical safety.

convenience of the built-in refrigerator
The most important thing is that the built-in refrigerator is convenient to use.

How to calculate the dimensions of the refrigerator

The range of built-in appliances is huge. It differs not only in design, size, functionality, but also in price. The dimensions of the refrigerator will depend on where it is located. The unit can be as high as the top of the cabinets, or it can have very small dimensions and be placed under the work surface. It can be in two sections, with or without a freezer.

dimensions of the refrigerator for the cabinet
Refrigerator sizes may vary.

If you want to save money and buy an ordinary refrigerator, but hide it, you need to measure the area where it will stand. From these data, you should subtract 10 cm in width, since gaps of 5 cm are left between the side walls of the case and the refrigerator.To these 10 cm we add twice the thickness of the MDF or chipboard plate and get the number that should be subtracted from the space between the furniture in the kitchen, where a wardrobe with a built-in refrigerator will be installed.

measurements of the area for the refrigerator
The place under the refrigerator must be carefully measured.

When choosing the height of the unit, you should take into account the additional space at the top in the conventional model and at the bottom in the built-in one. Also add 10-15 cm to the depth in the usual version, up to 10 cm in the built-in one.

How to make a cabinet for a refrigerator with your own hands

Sometimes the refrigerator does not fit into the new interior of the room, in which case it can be easily hidden in a cabinet made in the same style as the kitchen set. Of course, specially designed inline models will make things easier and more natural looking.

set in the same style in the kitchen
The refrigerator built into the headset is almost invisible.

To make a cabinet, you should take measurements of the device, build a drawing on paper, add the necessary allowances, and then cut the existing material into parts, fasten them together.

the refrigerator does not fit into the interior
If the refrigerator does not fit into the interior, it can be hidden in the closet.

For built-in refrigerator

Even a beginner can make a box for built-in appliances.

refrigerator box
Even an inexperienced craftsman can handle the manufacture of a box.

After measuring the device, you can start cutting and sawing materials intended for the cabinet body. It is better to use a jigsaw for cutting. Finished body parts are fastened together with special plastic corners and furniture screws.

materials for the cabinet under the refrigerator
The sawn materials are held together with plastic corners.

For built-in models, it is very important to build a low podium with ventilation holes. In such cases, the back wall is not installed; it can be replaced with a mesh. For the strength of the structure, a pair of crossbars are installed at the back.

ventilation of the built-in refrigerator
The built-in refrigerator must be well ventilated.

The cabinet should be perfectly level and stable on the floor surface. A refrigerator is mounted in the finished furniture structure.

It is better to install the doors after installing the electrical appliance. Moreover, they must be equipped with a pantograph system that unites two doors. Once installed, they require proper adjustment to ensure easy, quiet opening of the refrigerator.

installation of cabinet doors for refrigerators
The doors are mounted after installing the refrigerator.

The facade is fixed directly on the door of the apparatus itself. This approach provides a large opening angle. However, the disadvantage is not too high strength, so it is undesirable to overload the refrigerator door with food. The wardrobe is almost ready, all that remains is to mask the slab cuts with a special furniture edge, attach the handles.

refrigerator cabinet doors
Do not overload the refrigerator doors with food.

When installing built-in furniture, it is necessary to take into account some of the nuances:

  • each model has a personal door canopy system;
  • models with hinges require competently distributing the mass of the door between them;
  • with a guiding mechanism.
the nuances of embedding the refrigerator in the closet
There are nuances of embedding the refrigerator in the closet.

For the usual

There is no bottom in the cabinet design for a conventional refrigerator, so it will not be strong enough. It should be borne in mind that it will be deep, especially if the door of the appliance is convex and wide, since an ordinary refrigerator is large.

refrigerator cabinet brown
There is no bottom in the refrigerator cabinet.

In order for the air to circulate freely and cool the system, the back wall of the cabinet will have to be replaced with several rails, which will make the structure unstable. However, if you close the back wall, the refrigerator will overheat.

back wall of refrigerator cabinet
The back wall must be well ventilated to avoid overheating.

You should also think carefully about the door opening system: they should open easily, conveniently and freely. If the doors of the cabinet and refrigerator cannot be fastened, they will open separately.

built-in refrigerator door
The refrigerator doors should open freely.

An old refrigerator can be most successfully built into a cabinet if it has perfectly flat walls and doors. Instead of a podium with ventilation, some craftsmen advise drilling several holes in the floor under the cabinet. True, this option is only appropriate with wooden floors.

Some people put a cabinet for an ordinary appliance on special legs to make a bottom with holes for ventilation. But in this case, the floor must be perfectly flat, otherwise the structure will swing when opened.

building an old refrigerator into a closet
You can even build in an old refrigerator if it has straight doors and walls.

How to properly place the refrigerator in the cabinet

Before embedding a conventional refrigerator in a new kitchen set, it is necessary to fix the door with adhesive tape so that it does not open and does not interfere with the installation. It is worth removing all shelves, drawers from the unit, unscrewing the handles and fixing the electrical wire with tape on the body. It is important to ensure that the housing does not come into contact with the radiator, otherwise all vibration will be transmitted to the furniture. Better to leave a gap of 2-4 cm.

integrating the refrigerator into the cabinet
Before work, you need to remove all internal elements from the refrigerator.

The cabinet for the built-in unit must stand on a perfectly flat, stable surface, have a sturdy casing and ventilation slots that allow unobstructed air flow to cool the heating elements.

surface for the cabinet under the refrigerator
The cabinet must be on a level and stable surface.

Cabinet design features:

  1. the presence of a podium with a ventilation grill;
  2. holes in the back and side walls;
  3. additional centimeters to width, depth and height;
  4. holes in the podium for wires.
refrigerator cabinet design
Ensure that all cabinet design requirements are met.

Fastening the fronts to the refrigerator door

It is important to understand the types of fastening the facade to the door. The built-in units have special fasteners in the front part. The most common are:

  • articulated;
  • guides.
fixing refrigerator doors
Doors come in two types of fasteners.

The hinge mechanism connects one door to another very firmly. With such a connection, there are no gaps, and the door can be easily opened almost wide open. However, for a heavy door leaf made of solid natural wood, it is better not to use hinges.

hinge door mechanism
With the hinge mechanism, the door opens almost wide open.

The mechanism with guides allows you to hang the facade on the plane of the refrigerator door. When the device is opened, they slide relative to each other.

The disadvantage of such a mechanism is the gaps between the door surfaces, in which dust and dirt accumulate. It is not entirely convenient that the door in this case can only be opened up to 90 degrees. However, the mechanism with guides is simply irreplaceable with heavy and massive doors, especially made of natural wood. Here, the load is evenly distributed over several sections.

refrigerator door guide
With a guiding mechanism, the door can only be opened 90 degrees.

In order not to be mistaken with the choice, at the stage of choosing the technique and designing the headset, you should consult with a specialist. He will be able to suggest the correct option by comparing design requests and the capabilities of the refrigerator.

selection of appliances and furniture
In case of difficulties with the choice of equipment and furniture, you can always consult a professional.

The refrigerator cabinet can be open. When the furniture does not have a facade, the appliance door remains visible. It can be simply pasted over with furniture film to match the kitchen unit or, on the contrary, decorated with a 3D image. If the overall style of the kitchen is not in harmony with such a solution, it is better to choose a closed option.

open facade of the refrigerator
The front of the refrigerator can be left open and decorated as you like.

If desired, an ordinary refrigerator can also be built into a kitchen set. The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment, to apply even the most seemingly impossible manipulations, but only after calculating and thinking everything well.

Video: how to build a refrigerator into a cabinet

Examples of embedding a refrigerator in a cabinet

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