Any building must be equipped with a ventilation system. It helps to remove excess moisture, carbon dioxide and unpleasant odors. Thanks to the ventilation system, fresh air flows into the room and creates a comfortable microclimate.
Ventilation is a structure of several elements, each of which is responsible for a certain function. One of these elements is the duct. It transfers air that is sucked in by the fan from the hood to the street. Currently, there are quite a lot of various forms and designs of hoods, but some models require masking of internal parts. The masking function is performed by a special box under the hood.
What is a box?
The ventilation duct for the hood in the kitchen can be made of wood, MDF, plastic, metal. The most popular designs are plastic, as they are distinguished by a more attractive appearance, high strength, resistance to mechanical damage and ease of care. However, for the manufacture of a box with their own hands, MDV, wood or metal is most often used.
This design is a wall cabinet, made, as a rule, of the same material as the kitchen set. The cabinet, located directly above the hood, hides inside the ventilation pipe and the internal parts of the hood.
It should be borne in mind that for each type of hoods different models of boxes are made. So, for built-in classic hoods, boxes of the same standard size are used, and for built-in telescopic hoods they are different.
Do-it-yourself box making
Extraction box size:
- the width of the standard built-in hood is 50 or 60 cm. Therefore, if you make the box yourself, carefully monitor the observance of the exact dimensions: its width should be exactly 50 or 60 cm. If the dimensions do not match, the quality of the device decreases;
- the depth is usually 28 cm. However, if the hood box in the kitchen is used as a cabinet, the depth can be increased;
- the height of the box will depend on the growth of the hostess and the distance that safety regulations require - no more than 85 cm and no less than 65 cm. In addition, the height of the structure should also be adjusted to the size of the kitchen furniture.
Facade
The front part of the structure can be made in the form of two swing doors or one horizontal door that opens from the bottom. The design of the facade can be the most diverse, but you should not make glass doors, because behind them the inside of the box will be visible. If glass is chosen as the material for the manufacture of doors, then it is best to tint.
The facade of the cabinet should be similar to the facades of other kitchen cabinets. It should be remembered that it performs a decorative function, disguises all the existing flaws. It is best to purchase a headset on order, after informing the masters of the dimensions of its hood. If you decide to make a box with your own hands, then select the same color and quality material from which the kitchen furniture is made.
The material of the box must be resistant to household detergents and cleaners, since moisture and grease settle on all kitchen surfaces.
Manufacture
- First of all, it is necessary to sketch the future design in full size, and then cut the blanks according to the finished drawing.To make the edges of the parts smooth and neat, it is best to cut the material with an electric jigsaw. A hole for the ventilation corrugation should be made on the lower shelf.
- All panels are interconnected using self-tapping metal corners. To fasten one connection, you need two corners with a thickness of at least 2 mm.
- You can increase the rigidity of the structure with the help of a shelf mounted in the middle. The middle shelf and the rear walls are installed after mounting the box itself.
- Doors are fastened after the entire structure is ready.
Plastic boxes
Plastic boxes are made of polyvinyl chloride - a special material with many positive qualities. These designs are environmentally friendly, resistant to various chemical fluids, are highly durable, are not afraid of temperature changes and are light in weight.
Unlike structures made of wood and MDF, these products are round, rectangular or square pipes that have a fairly neat and presentable appearance and fit into the interior of any room.
Another advantage of plastic ventilation structures can be called the fact that they easily hide under suspended ceilings. Due to their reliability and durability, such structures will not cause forced dismantling of the ceiling due to unexpected damage to the ventilation duct. In addition, these structures can be easily sewn with sheets of drywall, decorated with wallpaper or simply painted.
Quite often, plastic boxes are simply laid over kitchen cabinets. In this case, they look much better compared to corrugated pipes, which eventually become covered with a layer of grease and dirt and wash very poorly. Plastic boxes are easy to care for, they have a neat and attractive appearance and do not spoil the interior of the kitchen. The disadvantages of these products are the high cost and complexity of the installation.
How to choose?
If you decide to install the plastic ventilation duct yourself, you should remember that all parts must be manufactured by one manufacturer and released in one batch. Otherwise, individual elements may vary in quality, color, and sometimes, and in size. To avoid such troubles, it is best to purchase a ready-made kit.
When purchasing a box in a store, it is advisable to immediately check all the details for reliable connections - they should fit into each other without effort, but rather tightly.
The most common sizes that are put into production are:
- 110 * 105 mm, 120 * 60.mm, 204 * 60 mm - section;
- 0.5 m, 1 m, 1.5 m, 2 m or 2.5 m - the length of the channels.
On sale you can find white, plain colored or boxes painted in wood. Therefore, everyone will be able to choose the right color for their kitchen.
