Gap between stove and counter -- how to seal it? [moved from General Topics]
I have a new stove and counter, and there is a small gap between them. Already some crumbs are getting down into the gap. (The stove is a 30" Wolf, which is very heavy, so this gap is, for all practical purposes, never going to get cleaned up.)
Some sort of vinyl stripping, perhaps adapted from weatherstripping, might work. Or silicon caulk. Any thoughts or suggestions? It seems to be an obvious problem, but the architect, contractor, and stove salesperson had no ideas...
Thanks.
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Thanks for all the great replies! I will look into them. I already see, though, that I have a complication: the stovetop is about 2 inches higher than the countertip. So a strictly T-shaped strip won't do it. Also, the stove is stainless steel (a Wolf) so magnetism won't work either.
I'll start with some of the local Home Despot sort of places.›3 Replies-
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re: Eclipsoid
dcrb
Jan 13, 2012 09:50 PM
Check your stove legs/casters. 2 inches is pretty high. Maybe the are adjustable to a lower height. The manual that came with it should have instructions for leveling/adjusting. In our kitchen, floor to countertop is 35 3/4 inches. Our Blue Star range was adjustable to that height.
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re: Eclipsoid
My stove edge was also higher than the countertop, and the silicone strip from Walmart laid flat on the counter, while I was able to but the opposite edge against the side of the range. It had a flange in the middle, so the strip was like a "T" strip: the bottom flange went between the countertop edge and the range, one edge went vertical against the side of the rangeand the opposite laid flat on the counter.
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I had the same issue, and all I can say is do NOT use silicone or foam to fill it. The metal edge on my stovetop (a "professional" series gas Frigidaire, not high end but not bottom of the line either) gets hot enough, after simmering a pot for a while, to melt the plastic/foam I tried to use to fill the gap. I'm going to look into the links posted above - something metal that's designed to fit might be the way to go.
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dcrb
Jan 13, 2012 11:47 AM
Here is a link with some sources: http://www.nextag.com/gap-between-sto...
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In my previous home I had the same problem. While not ideal, Walmart had a silicone strip that came in black or white for exactly this problem. It worked for me, but then I had an el cheapo builder grade stove. And here's a link to one at Amazon, if you scroll down you will see in the similar products section many different strips to bridge the gap:
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There is a product meant for this that's sold by household miscellany suppliers like Walter Drake and Harriet Carter. It's a flat plastic thing about 1 1/2 inches wide that bridges the gap and is held in place with a downward plastic ridge. Works like a charm. I used one in a previous kitchen. PS I just now googled for this. Harriet Carter has it for $4.98 (google "kitchen counter gap"). Amazon.com has a (nicer?) one for $20 called a 24" countertop extender.
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It's called a Stovetop Extender. Here's a link to a white on sold on Amazon. As I said, ours is stainless steel. http://www.amazon.com/STOVETOP-EXTEND...
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Without knowing more about the specific application it's hard to opine, but I wouldn't use caulk. Possibly a finish piece at the edge of the counter adjacent to the range, an angle piece like an inverted "L" capping off the counter. Stainless or whatever works best design-wise. But again, I don't know anything about your counters/cabinets so I can't be more specific.
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We found "T" shaped stainless steel strips which are exactly the right length for this purpose at Home Depot many, many years ago. The top part is about 1/2 inch wide, covering the gap and the bottom part falls into the open space, also about 1/2 inch in length. I would think those are still sold in appliance stores/the appliance section of stores; never had to buy again...
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re: Cathy
That's what I have as well (the Stovetop Extender mentioned in a post below). I can't remember where we got them but it probably was a big box store. The work great and clean up well.
I remember them being made in plastic but those did not hold up well. The stainless ones are perfect.
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EWSflash
Jan 12, 2012 05:32 PM
You need to go to a Lowe's or Home Depot and ask around. Failing that, you can go to a catalog like Improvements or Solutions and look around. What i'm saying is I've seen them several times, I'm just not sure where, but what i've seen is a wide band of some mateilicone caulk by itself doesn't fill gaps.
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In a commercial kitchen, a sleeve would be placed over the seam, but I do not believe I can think of a home product, to fill the gap between the washer and dryer in my home, I put some foam sponge material between the two machines.. You could do the same or look for a thin styrofoam insulation sold in home improvement stores. If you make it flush with the counter, it may not be perfect, but at least you will prevent food, grease and other debris from getting in between and grease build up on the side of your stove. You could finish the gap with silicone.
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