New home, builder cut out kitchen cabinet holes for electric outlet and propane line to gas cooktop. Toe kick heating vents below kitchen cabinets now blow warm air out through these cut outs. Any suggested solutions? Thanks.
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Welcome! I edited to make your image show inline rather than as a link. The title doesn't pose a specific question -- I did my best to answer what I thought you might be asking, but it would be a good idea to adjust the title so it summarizes the question you're asking.– Greg HillNov 22, 2019 at 23:55
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Did you ever get this resolved? If so, please give a check-mark to the answer or write up your own answer explaining what you did to get it fixed and give yourself a check mark. That will help others with this kind of problem know that this has a resolution and is a good place to look for their answer.– FreeManAug 20, 2020 at 17:00
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1 Answer
The ideal installation would have ducting below the cabinet base to bring the forced air out the front rather than pressurizing the entire space below the cabinet base. I expect very few contractors actually do this. You wouldn't have noticed the leakage going up around into and through the adjacent cabinets; these cutouts only highlight the problem. Depending upon your position as far as contract, warranty, or other leverage you may have with the builder, you might or might not be able to get them to correct this. It would be intensive work, though -- requiring some demolition of the floor of the one cabinet, or else disassembly of the countertop to allow removal of the cabinet unit.
The most realistic/likely resolution is that you make the best of the situation on your own with minimally invasive work. The simplest methods won't look like high-class craftsmanship -- fortunately it's hidden in a cabinet.
You could seal around the outlet by pressing in some foam -- backer rod, for example. Or inject spray foam (I'd suggest the low-expansion door and window type here). The vertical cut-out for the gas pipe could be sealed to the wall in the same way.
The hole through the floor is more tricky. An escutcheon from the plumbing department can help dress up the area immediately around the pipe but it won't be large enough to cover the entire area. It may be easiest to fashion a piece of sheet metal into a two-part cover to fit around the pipe. Small pieces of sheet metal can be found in a home center as duct work in the HVAC aisle or mending/splicing plates in the hardware/building department.
