
Important Measurements to Take to Ensure you Get the Right Fridge for your Kitchen
If you are on the market to buy a new fridge, ensure it is the right match for your lifestyle and has all the features you need. However, before you make the purchase, ensure the fridge perfectly fits in your house. Here are guidelines to keep in mind when looking for the right fridge:
General Measurements
Even if you already have an old fridge that fits well in your kitchen, you may still need a new one. When taking general measurements, measure the width, height, and depth of the space where you will install the fridge. Remember that houses tend to settle and the dimensions you took when you move in may have changed.
Moreover, you must measure the doorways, staircases and anything else that the unit may bump into. You do not want to buy a new fridge that will not fit through your front door.
Door Swings
It is imperative to take into account the amount of space you have to fully open the fridge door. A lot of refrigerateur must be opened 90 degrees or more for full access. Make sure you check the installation requirements of the fridge you want to buy as the space needed for a door swing tends to vary by style. For instance, a top freezer fridge requires a different amount of space to fully open than what a side by side fridge requires.
Counter-Depth or Proud Installation
When picking a fridge, it is also important to consider how you would like the appliance to look when installed into your house. You can choose to have the fridge flushing with the cabinetry with a Counter-Depth unit or a Proud installation with a depth greater than your counter. For a sleek, built-in look, go for a Counter-Depth fridge as it has a standard depth of 24 inches that match your counters’ depth. But, typically these fridges have less capacity than Proud installations. Also, they may be taller to make up for the smaller depth. But, if it is fine for the fridge’s depth to exceed the depth of your counters, you can choose a Proud fridge installation.
Ventilation Space
Ensure your fridge can breathe. Proper ventilation is important to prevent the fridge from getting damaged and consuming more energy which means you have to spend more money. Consider at least a quarter-inch gap on the sides of the unit and an inch gap on the top and back.