“Can we take out the soffits and install 42″ wall cabinets?”, is a question I get asked frequently. The answer , of course, is ‘yes’. After all, anything is possible with enough time and money. But the real question is, is it worth it? Soffits, if you’re not familiar, are the 12″ drywall boxes between the ceiling and the top of the cabinets. They’re a common feature in many kitchens and often serve as a place to run ductwork, plumbing and wiring.
kitchen soffit
Benefits of Removing Soffits
42″ wall cabinets look nice. Removing the soffits can update the look and make the ceiling appear higher. Also, if you’re challenged for space in your kitchen, that extra 12″ on top of the cabinets can be useful.
What are you getting into?
Making the decision to remove the soffits means that you have committed to a big project. Just how big depends on what is lurking behind the soffits. The only way to tell is to cut a hole in the drywall big enough to shine a flashlight and get a good look around. If you’re really lucky, it will just be empty space. But chances are pretty good that you’ll see wiring, air ducts and/ or plumbing pipes. If you are still intent on removing those soffits, all that “stuff” has to be re-routed and you have officially committed to a major remodeling project.
Kitchen soffits removed. This is actually a “best case” picture.
The above picture shows the wall cabinets have been taken down and the soffits torn out. In this case, only wiring has to be routed out of the way. If you have duct work or, worse yet, a plumbing vent/waste pipe lurking back there – it’s time to call a plumber and pull a building permit. Finding a place to rerun a 4″ waste pipe is no trivial matter.
No matter what is hidden behind the soffits, removal and patching will mean drywall work, taping, mudding, sanding (repeat), priming and painting. If you’ve decided there are better ways to spend your time and money than ripping out your soffits, there are options.
1. Leave the soffits alone
There are 10’s of thousands of beautiful homes out there with kitchen soffits. If you update the look of your cabinets, the soffits really are sort of a non-issue.
We refaced the existing oak cabinets in factory finished maple – shaker style and kept the soffits. Learn more about our solid-wood cabinet refacing process here.
2. Add a crown molding at the ceiling
Adding a crown molding at the ceiling can reduce the visible impact of the soffits and give a higher feel to the ceilings.
3. Clad soffits to match cabinets
In this case, we refaced the cabinets and then covered the soffits in the same material. We installed a crown molding at the ceiling and built up another molding at the point where the soffits and cabinets meet. The amount of work that goes into this is pretty significant, but still far less than removing the soffits.
Kitchen soffits covered in matching cabinet material and moldings installed
So unless you are absolutely committed to tearing it down to the studs and getting rid of those soffits, there are options available to update the look. And don’t forget, the soffits can also be a great place to hang your commemorative Elvis plates
Jim