Saving space in the kitchen has always been a priority. This is influenced by the size of standard cooking rooms and the growing need for household appliances. Sometimes there is a niche for a refrigerator in the project, and sometimes engineers provide only conditions for the use of this section of the kitchen. The wider the windowsill, the more likely it is that communications are counted on the non-standard arrangement of the main nodes. Water pipes and gas pipes are laid there, but the batteries are removed - thus, we can talk about additional amenities in terms of design. Before placing the refrigerator under the window, the owners will have to consider the disadvantages of such moves. In the same way as before the transformation of free space into something else, less complicated in execution. Some make refrigerators under the window, others make storage sections. One way or another, this is an option for flexible solutions.
The window sill is a closed niche, which is exposed to kitchen temperatures on the one hand, and outdoor on the other. Special equipment allows you to use the space as a refrigerator, and in a simple version there is an opportunity to equip a cabinet with a low temperature. The idea with a refrigerator under the window organically appeared in the compact kitchens of Khrushchev. In them there was no way to place objects in long lines. For this reason, the designers had an idea about the built-in niche. In some Khrushchev houses, the solution was used, but in the rest they were not, but there it will not be superfluous. In general, the refrigerator under the window will be relevant everywhere where there is little space for free-standing household appliances and there is a wide space below the window sill. Ready-made kitchen furniture sets also have variations on this score.
Advantages and disadvantages
The refrigerator under the window is converted into almost an additional cubic meter of space. At least in the event that you remove the refrigerator and do not replace it with a small version with a freezer. The device inside the wall does not require careful maintenance. At the same time, cleaning the insides will be difficult. Ergonomics will also be a dubious moment. Not everyone will like to bend over products over and over again.
Before making a choice in favor of the built-in refrigerator, it is worth asking the question of air microcirculation.The battery will have to be removed, so you should somehow solve the problem of cold wind in winter. The inside of the refrigerator is best treated to protect against mold caused by condensation. It affects the temperature difference indoors and outdoors. The inner walls will not prevent to finish with ceramic tiles.
Do-it-yourself organization of a refrigerator under a window
The process includes several key points:
Site preparation;
Surface treatment;
Providing opportunities for ventilation;
Choice of doors;
Inner filling.
The choice of the exact installation location requires careful calculation of the available space, the volume of the refrigeration structure and the dimensions of its frame in particular, as well as technical gaps. The inner coating should be treated and veneered with a smooth material. In the future, they are engaged in arranging ventilation and heating. Proper air circulation will protect the parts and materials of the refrigerator from overheating. Heating is done either against the freezing of the elements of the refrigerator, or to protect warm storages in the winter. Installation under the window involves the use of ready-made units, completely self-assembly or attaching doors to the box. Cloths are selected mainly among metal-plastic and wooden options. Independent work with wood will be easier. The internal structure and storage options should be thought out as carefully as possible, otherwise the window sill will not be able to perform the functions that are in demand.
Preparatory work
According to standards, the thickness of the brick walls should be from 0.5 to 0.65 m. Given the required margin in the additional protruding volume, the owners have about 30 cm of available space. In the Khrushchevs, one row of bricks is usually removed. At the same time, actions in the vicinity of concrete floors always require greater care. Concrete slabs are also used in brick houses.The thickness of the outer wall of the house is sometimes brought up to 25 cm and a ventilation hole with a shutter is left. So regulate the temperature inside the niche. The resulting thinner wall is plastered with a sand-cement mortar. Then use putty. It is impossible to do without plaster, because the putty on the brickwork will crack, let in moisture and cold, and sometimes peel off. The facing layer is made of ceramic tiles.
In order to avoid fines, all work should be coordinated with the housing and communal services!
Niche Interior
The main criterion for the finishing material is a smooth surface. Ideally, ceramic products are used. Tiles are selected compatible with plaster and putty. Starting finish is done either with plaster only, or 2 types of material are used. A tile with frost-resistant tile adhesive is placed on top of the base layer.
The tiles themselves are selected inexpensively, because the main thing in it is a smooth surface structure. It’s not necessary to purchase even a new product. You can buy tiles that do not meet the standards or do with the remnants of already used material. You should not collect something like a mosaic with wide gaps. Proper installation provides a dense arrangement of elements. As for the finishing of joints, it is better to stop the choice on a moisture-resistant grout. In this sense, it is better not to save, but to purchase a multi-component water-repellent mixture.
Electric heating and ventilation of the refrigerator
Electric heating is used in 2 cases. Firstly, in warm storage systems to protect products from the effects of low temperatures. Secondly, the heating elements prevent the formation of condensation when warm air enters during the opening of the refrigerator. They evaporate the moisture collected in a special container. In addition, the receipt of a sufficient amount of heat influx by the refrigerator prevents the temperature in the freezer compartment from rising.Another heating function is to defrost and, accordingly, remove ice from the evaporator. As a heating device, you can use a conventional incandescent lamp at 60-75 watts, placing it in a mesh shade below the vent.
Warm air moves from the rear walls of the refrigerator and freezer. You cannot hide a ready-made forced ventilation system in the depth of a niche. At the same time, such a move will become available if:
Place the ventilation grilles opposite the refrigerator ventilation system and above the refrigerator, respectively.
Leave a minimum of 2-3 cm of stock above the top of the refrigerator.
Door selection and installation
As the optimal ones, it is worth noting options made of PVC, as well as aluminum with a swinging or sliding type of construction. Correct installation on your own is possible subject to right angles. For the installation of door facades, a finished wooden frame is suitable. Doors are installed as tightly as possible. The performance of a makeshift refrigerator depends on tightness. That is why sliding cloths and sashes made of plastic with rubber sealants will be better.
The door pattern is selected based on size and economy. A small deaf section and a large opening one will not hurt in this regard. Capacious storages are closed with 2 moving cloths. Buyers can also find a system with a finished interior. Those who do not want to spend additional funds independently make grooves and install loops there for attaching doors.
Restoration of old doors
Such a need usually arises in 3 cases:
the fridge is buzzing;
the device does not maintain a constant temperature;
there is ice.
Restoration usually begins with the repair or replacement of the seal. In addition to the above reasons, a defect will be indicated by sagging and opening too easily. In the first case, it is also necessary to adjust the sashes.As for the seal, the first thing they look for is the most deformed part. It is heated with an ordinary hairdryer and given the desired shape. Under the heated part put foam or a piece of rubber. Perform all these actions on the floor, that is, the seal will have to be carefully torn from the sash. At the same time, they study the mounting option. The sealing element is mounted on special clamps, glue, bolts or in the slots. Immediately after installing the repaired seal, check the position of the door / s. Before appropriate action, they are exempted from products. Check the fastening of the doors: identify the hinges that creak during the movement of the canvas. A small amount of engine oil is dripped right there.
Plastic doors
For the so-called "Khrushchev" refrigerator, 2 thermal insulation options are used: incomplete and full. The first method involves maintaining the function of the refrigerator using freezers. After complete thermal insulation, the refrigerator is more suitable for the role of a warm cabinet. If you want to hide the contents of the mini-fridge, choose doors with sandwich panels. In other cases, frosted or smooth glass is used, with laminating films for color diversity. It makes sense to maximize space savings and use a sliding mechanism. Metal-plastic constructions come with and without impost, which is convenient for planning the space inside the refrigerator. At the same time, the products have standard accessories of plastic doors / windows, including gaskets for increased tightness. The light penetration level can again be adjusted in terms of the choice between glass and panels.
Doors from chipboard and MDF
For independent installation of doors, MDF and chipboard are suitable. In the process, we will install the refrigerator in the box-case and then hang the doors. Before starting work, we give wood materials for sawing and edging.Next, you will need to select ball guides for the width of the facade each, metal corners, hardware, level and ruler. So, we connect the back wall and the shelf with confirmations. The back part is also fastened with corners to the racks of the frame. We put the frame structure where it should be, if necessary, we connect it with the adjacent cabinets, if any. We attach the racks to the wall with corners to increase rigidity. On the walls we mount loops under the facades. We make a hole in one of the racks for connection.
We are preparing the second set of devices:
Chipboard or MDF 16 mm thick;
furniture handles;
minifixes;
confirmations;
self-tapping screws.
After that, we embed an almost finished construction and proceed to install the doors. We mark the place for mounting the guide. Using fasteners, we install doors.
The temperature regime should be carefully calculated, otherwise the tree will deteriorate quickly!
Sliding doors
Sashes of sliding (sliding) door systems move parallel to the frame. With the "refrigerated" version of the rolling canvases, a sliding sash latch is used - so that the placement of products is not accompanied by difficulties. They also establish a mechanism for self-closing with the principle of action based on the counterweight. The usefulness of the system will manifest itself at a time when the owners forget to close the refrigerator. A heating mechanism is installed around the perimeter to prevent the doors from clinging to the frame. Heat losses are reduced thanks to sashes with glass profiles and air in the middle. The basics are chosen with a thickness of 4 or 6 mm. For a kitchen, a configuration with 2-3 doors with movement in both directions is best. As control elements for paintings using large rubber handles.
Internal Filling - Shelf Making
Glass shelves will be the best option. They have high strength with a small thickness, which also saves space. The appearance of the "filling" will also be better.Plastic shelves, in principle, also look "pretty", but their reliability is only a temporary quality, taking into account the loads inside the refrigerator.
So, we choose glass from 5 mm thick, ideally tempered, whose strength is up to 6 times higher. When buying, immediately ask to cut the fragments of the right size. There you should order the grinding of the ends. In which case, you can independently polish the edges to an almost perfect condition using a medium-grained emery bar. Then we put the glass on a smooth surface and leave one edge above the floor, a length of about 15-25 cm, and the emery bar is immersed in water. Next, we grind the edges with neat, rectilinear movements. Periodically rinse the bar in water. The shelf readiness is determined visually.
Interior design ideas
A reminder of the growing manufacturability in modern conditions will be transparent doors, along with saturated lighting inside the camera. Convenience and practicality with this option are guaranteed. Under a very wide windowsill there is a place for a full refrigerator with a horizontal configuration of the freezer and refrigerator compartments. Drawers with lower air temperature will become an ergonomically attractive option and solution for lazy people who do not like to make efforts in finding the right items. A refrigerator with a single door will not hurt to arrange as an imitation of a hatch. Interesting look built-in refrigerators behind the kitchen counter. In turn, a more designer approach is applied to sliding models of refrigerators using attractive paneling.
Installation of refrigerators under the window
One scenario involves using a pre-made niche. In this sense, it is only necessary to provide openings for communications, to make ventilation and heating of the door / door.
The second method means partial dismantling.We remove the old box, clean the surfaces and primer them before facing. We are engaged in measurements for the subsequent installation of a new design and a refrigerator inside it. We insert a new box into a niche, and there is a refrigerator.
In the third case, we dismantle the windowsill. We clean everything. Replace damaged bricks with new ones. We use plaster and a deep primer for high adhesion and strengthening the existing finish. Then we make drywall sheathing.
If the window opens onto the courtyard and there is no reinforced concrete beam under it, then it will be possible to obtain permission to install the window unit. In the case of the south side, however, nothing will work out, because exposure to the sun during the summer period, combined with the heat generated by the refrigerator outside, will make this place of the kitchen too hot.
Conclusion
A small space under the window, provided or created artificially, can take part of the load from classic kitchen cabinets and a crowded refrigerator. In some cases, the refrigerator is completely disposed of. For products with a warm or cool storage mode, simple cabinets are provided, sometimes with insulation, electric heating or ventilation. A reinforced version of ventilation with access to street air is needed for impromptu cold rooms. It will be possible to put the freezer in the event that power is provided for it, and also - heating elements such as batteries and fireplaces are eliminated. Do-it-yourself niche preparation may include expanding available space. In any case, protective sanitary finishing with plaster and a smooth front coating will be required. The most often chosen material for doors is metal-plastic, MDF and chipboard. They usually do not refuse a small cabinet, and always use the large space under a wide windowsill to the fullest.
Saving space in the kitchen has always been a priority. This is influenced by the size of standard cooking rooms and the growing need for household appliances. Sometimes there is a niche for a refrigerator in the project, and sometimes engineers provide only conditions for the use of this section of the kitchen. The wider the windowsill, the more likely it is that communications are counted on the non-standard arrangement of the main nodes. Water pipes and gas pipes are laid there, but the batteries are removed - thus, we can talk about additional amenities in terms of design. Before placing the refrigerator under the window, the owners will have to consider the disadvantages of such moves. In the same way as before the transformation of free space into something else, less complicated in execution. Some make refrigerators under the window, others make storage sections. One way or another, this is an option for flexible solutions.
Content
Features
The window sill is a closed niche, which is exposed to kitchen temperatures on the one hand, and outdoor on the other. Special equipment allows you to use the space as a refrigerator, and in a simple version there is an opportunity to equip a cabinet with a low temperature. The idea with a refrigerator under the window organically appeared in the compact kitchens of Khrushchev. In them there was no way to place objects in long lines. For this reason, the designers had an idea about the built-in niche. In some Khrushchev houses, the solution was used, but in the rest they were not, but there it will not be superfluous. In general, the refrigerator under the window will be relevant everywhere where there is little space for free-standing household appliances and there is a wide space below the window sill. Ready-made kitchen furniture sets also have variations on this score.
Advantages and disadvantages
The refrigerator under the window is converted into almost an additional cubic meter of space. At least in the event that you remove the refrigerator and do not replace it with a small version with a freezer. The device inside the wall does not require careful maintenance. At the same time, cleaning the insides will be difficult. Ergonomics will also be a dubious moment. Not everyone will like to bend over products over and over again.
Before making a choice in favor of the built-in refrigerator, it is worth asking the question of air microcirculation.The battery will have to be removed, so you should somehow solve the problem of cold wind in winter. The inside of the refrigerator is best treated to protect against mold caused by condensation. It affects the temperature difference indoors and outdoors. The inner walls will not prevent to finish with ceramic tiles.
Do-it-yourself organization of a refrigerator under a window
The process includes several key points:
The choice of the exact installation location requires careful calculation of the available space, the volume of the refrigeration structure and the dimensions of its frame in particular, as well as technical gaps. The inner coating should be treated and veneered with a smooth material. In the future, they are engaged in arranging ventilation and heating. Proper air circulation will protect the parts and materials of the refrigerator from overheating. Heating is done either against the freezing of the elements of the refrigerator, or to protect warm storages in the winter. Installation under the window involves the use of ready-made units, completely self-assembly or attaching doors to the box. Cloths are selected mainly among metal-plastic and wooden options. Independent work with wood will be easier. The internal structure and storage options should be thought out as carefully as possible, otherwise the window sill will not be able to perform the functions that are in demand.
Preparatory work
According to standards, the thickness of the brick walls should be from 0.5 to 0.65 m. Given the required margin in the additional protruding volume, the owners have about 30 cm of available space. In the Khrushchevs, one row of bricks is usually removed. At the same time, actions in the vicinity of concrete floors always require greater care. Concrete slabs are also used in brick houses.The thickness of the outer wall of the house is sometimes brought up to 25 cm and a ventilation hole with a shutter is left. So regulate the temperature inside the niche. The resulting thinner wall is plastered with a sand-cement mortar. Then use putty. It is impossible to do without plaster, because the putty on the brickwork will crack, let in moisture and cold, and sometimes peel off. The facing layer is made of ceramic tiles.
Niche Interior
The main criterion for the finishing material is a smooth surface. Ideally, ceramic products are used. Tiles are selected compatible with plaster and putty. Starting finish is done either with plaster only, or 2 types of material are used. A tile with frost-resistant tile adhesive is placed on top of the base layer.
The tiles themselves are selected inexpensively, because the main thing in it is a smooth surface structure. It’s not necessary to purchase even a new product. You can buy tiles that do not meet the standards or do with the remnants of already used material. You should not collect something like a mosaic with wide gaps. Proper installation provides a dense arrangement of elements. As for the finishing of joints, it is better to stop the choice on a moisture-resistant grout. In this sense, it is better not to save, but to purchase a multi-component water-repellent mixture.
Electric heating and ventilation of the refrigerator
Electric heating is used in 2 cases. Firstly, in warm storage systems to protect products from the effects of low temperatures. Secondly, the heating elements prevent the formation of condensation when warm air enters during the opening of the refrigerator. They evaporate the moisture collected in a special container. In addition, the receipt of a sufficient amount of heat influx by the refrigerator prevents the temperature in the freezer compartment from rising.Another heating function is to defrost and, accordingly, remove ice from the evaporator. As a heating device, you can use a conventional incandescent lamp at 60-75 watts, placing it in a mesh shade below the vent.
Warm air moves from the rear walls of the refrigerator and freezer. You cannot hide a ready-made forced ventilation system in the depth of a niche. At the same time, such a move will become available if:
Door selection and installation
As the optimal ones, it is worth noting options made of PVC, as well as aluminum with a swinging or sliding type of construction. Correct installation on your own is possible subject to right angles. For the installation of door facades, a finished wooden frame is suitable. Doors are installed as tightly as possible. The performance of a makeshift refrigerator depends on tightness. That is why sliding cloths and sashes made of plastic with rubber sealants will be better.
The door pattern is selected based on size and economy. A small deaf section and a large opening one will not hurt in this regard. Capacious storages are closed with 2 moving cloths. Buyers can also find a system with a finished interior. Those who do not want to spend additional funds independently make grooves and install loops there for attaching doors.
Restoration of old doors
Such a need usually arises in 3 cases:
Restoration usually begins with the repair or replacement of the seal. In addition to the above reasons, a defect will be indicated by sagging and opening too easily. In the first case, it is also necessary to adjust the sashes.As for the seal, the first thing they look for is the most deformed part. It is heated with an ordinary hairdryer and given the desired shape. Under the heated part put foam or a piece of rubber. Perform all these actions on the floor, that is, the seal will have to be carefully torn from the sash. At the same time, they study the mounting option. The sealing element is mounted on special clamps, glue, bolts or in the slots. Immediately after installing the repaired seal, check the position of the door / s. Before appropriate action, they are exempted from products. Check the fastening of the doors: identify the hinges that creak during the movement of the canvas. A small amount of engine oil is dripped right there.
Plastic doors
For the so-called "Khrushchev" refrigerator, 2 thermal insulation options are used: incomplete and full. The first method involves maintaining the function of the refrigerator using freezers. After complete thermal insulation, the refrigerator is more suitable for the role of a warm cabinet. If you want to hide the contents of the mini-fridge, choose doors with sandwich panels. In other cases, frosted or smooth glass is used, with laminating films for color diversity. It makes sense to maximize space savings and use a sliding mechanism. Metal-plastic constructions come with and without impost, which is convenient for planning the space inside the refrigerator. At the same time, the products have standard accessories of plastic doors / windows, including gaskets for increased tightness. The light penetration level can again be adjusted in terms of the choice between glass and panels.
Doors from chipboard and MDF
For independent installation of doors, MDF and chipboard are suitable. In the process, we will install the refrigerator in the box-case and then hang the doors. Before starting work, we give wood materials for sawing and edging.Next, you will need to select ball guides for the width of the facade each, metal corners, hardware, level and ruler. So, we connect the back wall and the shelf with confirmations. The back part is also fastened with corners to the racks of the frame. We put the frame structure where it should be, if necessary, we connect it with the adjacent cabinets, if any. We attach the racks to the wall with corners to increase rigidity. On the walls we mount loops under the facades. We make a hole in one of the racks for connection.
We are preparing the second set of devices:
After that, we embed an almost finished construction and proceed to install the doors. We mark the place for mounting the guide. Using fasteners, we install doors.
Sliding doors
Sashes of sliding (sliding) door systems move parallel to the frame. With the "refrigerated" version of the rolling canvases, a sliding sash latch is used - so that the placement of products is not accompanied by difficulties. They also establish a mechanism for self-closing with the principle of action based on the counterweight. The usefulness of the system will manifest itself at a time when the owners forget to close the refrigerator. A heating mechanism is installed around the perimeter to prevent the doors from clinging to the frame. Heat losses are reduced thanks to sashes with glass profiles and air in the middle. The basics are chosen with a thickness of 4 or 6 mm. For a kitchen, a configuration with 2-3 doors with movement in both directions is best. As control elements for paintings using large rubber handles.
Internal Filling - Shelf Making
Glass shelves will be the best option. They have high strength with a small thickness, which also saves space. The appearance of the "filling" will also be better.Plastic shelves, in principle, also look "pretty", but their reliability is only a temporary quality, taking into account the loads inside the refrigerator.
So, we choose glass from 5 mm thick, ideally tempered, whose strength is up to 6 times higher. When buying, immediately ask to cut the fragments of the right size. There you should order the grinding of the ends. In which case, you can independently polish the edges to an almost perfect condition using a medium-grained emery bar. Then we put the glass on a smooth surface and leave one edge above the floor, a length of about 15-25 cm, and the emery bar is immersed in water. Next, we grind the edges with neat, rectilinear movements. Periodically rinse the bar in water. The shelf readiness is determined visually.
Interior design ideas
A reminder of the growing manufacturability in modern conditions will be transparent doors, along with saturated lighting inside the camera. Convenience and practicality with this option are guaranteed. Under a very wide windowsill there is a place for a full refrigerator with a horizontal configuration of the freezer and refrigerator compartments. Drawers with lower air temperature will become an ergonomically attractive option and solution for lazy people who do not like to make efforts in finding the right items. A refrigerator with a single door will not hurt to arrange as an imitation of a hatch. Interesting look built-in refrigerators behind the kitchen counter. In turn, a more designer approach is applied to sliding models of refrigerators using attractive paneling.
Installation of refrigerators under the window
One scenario involves using a pre-made niche. In this sense, it is only necessary to provide openings for communications, to make ventilation and heating of the door / door.
The second method means partial dismantling.We remove the old box, clean the surfaces and primer them before facing. We are engaged in measurements for the subsequent installation of a new design and a refrigerator inside it. We insert a new box into a niche, and there is a refrigerator.
In the third case, we dismantle the windowsill. We clean everything. Replace damaged bricks with new ones. We use plaster and a deep primer for high adhesion and strengthening the existing finish. Then we make drywall sheathing.
If the window opens onto the courtyard and there is no reinforced concrete beam under it, then it will be possible to obtain permission to install the window unit. In the case of the south side, however, nothing will work out, because exposure to the sun during the summer period, combined with the heat generated by the refrigerator outside, will make this place of the kitchen too hot.
Conclusion
A small space under the window, provided or created artificially, can take part of the load from classic kitchen cabinets and a crowded refrigerator. In some cases, the refrigerator is completely disposed of. For products with a warm or cool storage mode, simple cabinets are provided, sometimes with insulation, electric heating or ventilation. A reinforced version of ventilation with access to street air is needed for impromptu cold rooms. It will be possible to put the freezer in the event that power is provided for it, and also - heating elements such as batteries and fireplaces are eliminated. Do-it-yourself niche preparation may include expanding available space. In any case, protective sanitary finishing with plaster and a smooth front coating will be required. The most often chosen material for doors is metal-plastic, MDF and chipboard. They usually do not refuse a small cabinet, and always use the large space under a wide windowsill to the fullest.