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Full height dishwasher, replace with dishdrawer (cabinetry)

Hi all,

I'm in the process of changing over a full height dishwasher for a dishdrawer unit.

IMG_20210628_140945670[1].jpg

There is already an existing carcass (well.. left/right/back/top) in place from the old dishwasher, and I'd prefer not to remove this if I could avoid it.

However, with this carcass in place, the width of the opening is almost perfect for the new dishdrawer (~600mm), but definitely wouldn't allow enough room for an inner carcass to support the lower and upper 'shelves' that the dishdrawer needs.

My initial thought was to just use some edging boards as shown, but I see that typical kitchen cabinets use plinth feet, which I like the idea of. However, the kickboard is only ~60mm high, and the plinth feet available from the likes of Bunnings seem to be at a minimum 85mm (Hafele do have a 60mm version, but not stocked by Bunnings it seems).

Any great ideas for how to mount the lower/upper shelves? At this stage I'm thinking for the upper it would only hold a microwave, so liquid nails and some 60mm screws in through the left hand wall would do the job (the under sink cabinet is on the left, and accessible). However for the lower I'm less sure. Are the plinth feet a good idea, or is there a better option?

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EricL

Hi @bevanweiss,

I'm currently drawing an idea for you. Can you please send me a photo or tell me the make and model of your drawer-type dishwasher. It will give me a better idea of the dimensions and will make my suggestion possibly work for you.

I look forward to seeing those photos.

Eric

bevanweiss

Hi @EricL ,

The photo might not be quite as helpful as the model.

Fisher & Paykel DS603

As for the current cavity, it's:

W : 606mm

H : 875mm full (857mm at front lip)

D : 582mm

Thanks and regards,

Bevan

EricL

Hi @bevanweiss,

Thank you for getting back to me with that information. One of the easier ways to create the foot for your panel is to use Porta 40 x 18mm 2.4m Clear Pine DAR Moulding. Cutting and combining this timber to form a "T" footing under the dishwasher will give you the height that you need.

When joined together the height of the two pieces is 58mm. If you really need it to be spot on at 60mm you can place a Zenith M10 Tech-Shield Flat Washer on each corner of the foot to give you exactly a height of 60mm. I suggest gluing the washers on the corner on top of the "T" and sandwiching it between the top of the foot and the bottom of the dishwasher panel. Assuming that the dishwasher panel is 18mm as well, it will give you a total height of 76mm from the bottom of the foot to the top of the panel.

I suggest using Zenith 8 - 10 x 60mm Galvanised Countersunk Rib Head External Timber Screws - 15 Pack so that it will resist corrosion even under heavy condensation. I strongly recommend doing pilot holes to prevent splitting the timber.

I've drawn up a diagram for you to give you a better idea of how to set it up. The measurements I've placed are for reference purposes only, please adjust them to suit your needs.

Let me call on our experienced member @JoeAzza for more advice as he has built a similar footing with his oven stand.

Please keep us updated, we would love to see the dishwasher setup once it's complete.

Eric

bevanweiss

Wonderful, thanks @EricL

At this stage I've got the two ~60mm 'side rails' mounted in the cavity, and was planning on laying 16mm melamine over this for the baseboard.

I hadn't thought about a central rail, so I'll mount up another ~60mm central rail and use some countersunk screws to anchor this baseboard to the rails (which are also 16mm melamine), and I'll just cut a similar for the kickboard, and screw down into it.

The dishwasher is max weight of 42kg (fully loaded), so I think this should be enough support across the span.

I've also bought some connecting brackets which I'll then use to support the top shelf.

I'll hopefully get it finished off tomorrow, and will post some pictures once done.

It would have been nice to have used the Hafele adjustable height plinth feet.. but fixed boards will have to suffice for now.

JoeAzza

Hi @bevanweiss,

Are you having a single drawer dish washer or 2 drawer, if single drawer, will you be placing the microwave above or below the dishwasher?

If you are going to place the Microwave above the dishwasher, you can install a shelf above the dishwasher.

EricL

Hello @bevanweiss,

My apologies for not attaching the diagrams. Please tell me what you think.

Eric

JoeAzza

Hi @bevanweiss and @EricL

Here is what I made for my small oven, maybe it would work for your dishwasher.

IMG_8034 - Copy.JPG IMG_8037 - Copy.JPG

bevanweiss

Ok,

I've made some progress. I was actually thinking that I would get it all finished tonight, but then I forgot that I'd need to seal corners (using some silicon sealant currently), and that prevents me mounting the dishwasher tonight, which I want to at least trial fit before I finalise the upper shelf position.

I do however have a couple of photos of the kickboard and bottom shelf IMG_20210630_205432296[1].jpg IMG_20210630_205416716[1].jpg

The white piece just laying on the shelf is an insert from one of the 60mm white cable duct items. I have a 60mm hole from the top shelf through to the under sink cabinet, so that the microwave can get power from the double GPO there for the dishwasher. These cable ducts on each side make the hole almost invisible, just a cable going into the cabinet wall (and they're incredibly cheap and easy).

I'm after good ideas for how to waterproof seal the cut edges of melamine. I would like something that seals the raw wood cut and doesn't add thickness to the edge. At the moment I've just spread the silicon sealant across some of them. But it's slightly hard work (being not very viscous). I'm thinking an acrylic / polyurethane sealing 'paint' might do the job. What do others use where melamine edges might be exposed to some water?

Ok, finished setup on the right.

IMG_20210701_210131284[1].jpg

Feels like it was lots of 'work' just to get a shelf and a floor to the carcass. And now my problem is that it feels like too much silver, so I'll be swapping out this dishwasher for an integrated model to match the cabinet style closer.

Thanks to @EricL for the ideas and @JoeAzza for his example with the melamine.

Now... on to the tidying up.

JoeAzza

Looks great, well done @bevanweis

Just an idea for sealing the cut edges of the melamine, try painting them with water resistant glue, as long as you can't see the edges when the dishwasher is installed, hopefully you shouldn't have any water leaks, although silicone is a good idea too, maybe .@Ericl or .@MitchellMc

Might have another suggestion.

EricL

Hello @bevanweiss,

It's great that you've received excellent advice from @JoeAzza. I actually agree with your idea of using paint as a primary buffer against water damage. I suggest at least two coats to make sure that it is properly sealed. What is important is that no raw timber edges are left exposed. Once you've painted the edge and placed the panel in, you could add an additional cover to the join by using Selleys 300g Wet Area Waterproof Silicone Sealant - White. I recommend using it on both panels to give you a very watertight setup.

Thank you for posting those updates and photos. I'm sure it will be a great reference to members who are thinking of putting in a similar type of dishwasher.

We look forward to seeing your next project.

Eric

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