Kitchen Renovation: 5 Tips for Purchasing a Kitchen Range Hood
Purchasing a kitchen range hood for your kitchen renovation can be a difficult decision to make. However, like buying any other kitchen or home appliance, there is information out there to help you with your decision. This article will go over five different areas for you to consider while shopping for a range hood.
Decide Ducted or Ductless?
First, decide which option you need: a ducted or ductless range hood. A ducted range hood ventilates air outside of the home via ductwork. A ductless range hood re-circulates filtered air into the kitchen.
Sometimes, installation of ductwork doesn’t fit into the budget for a project. Other times, you may not be able to install ductwork, like in an apartment. If you do a lot of cooking, we recommend the ducted range hoods.
With the right selection, your range hood can fit seamlessly into your kitchen renovation.
Measure, Measure, Measure
Before picking out a range hood, you’ll need to know how much room you have for it. Measure the width of your cooking surface. This measurement (with an additional three inches on each side for optimal ventilation) will determine the width of the range hood you need to purchase.
Other things to consider are whether you have space for a wall mount range hood, island range hood, or under cabinet range hood. The wall mount range hood goes above a cooking surface against a wall, while the island mount range hood hangs from the ceiling over the kitchen island. The under cabinet option goes between the cooking surface and the kitchen cabinetry.
Lastly, remember that you may need a chimney extension if your kitchen has high ceilings and if you are installing a wall mount range hood or island range hood.
How much CFM?
CFM stands for cubic feet per minute, which is a measurement describing how much airflow the range hood can move. This is also known as the power of the range hood.
The amount of CFM you need will depend upon the BTUs in your range (or cooking surface). It is estimated that 1 CFM is needed per every 100 BTU. Another rule of thumb is to compare CFM to the width of the range hood. Approximately 100 CFM is needed for every 12 inches of a wall mount range hood, while 150 CFM is needed for every 12 inches of an island range hood. Range hoods may come with anywhere from 150 to 1000 CFM.
What about Noise Level?
The noise level of a range hood is described in sones. To give you an idea, one sone is equal to the sound of a refrigerator.
Think of it this way: if you’re range hood is very loud, will you be likely to turn it on when you need it? Choose a range hood with a comfortable noise level. You can also buy a range hood with more CFM than you need and run it at a lower speed level. This way, it will produce less noise during use.
Determine Style
Think about how your range hood will fit in with the rest of your kitchen design, including your backsplash, cabinets and the overall flow of the kitchen. Remember that range hoods often become the focal point of the kitchen design. This is especially true with island range hoods. There are many variations in range hood shape and design, including options like a tempered glass canopy.
If you like to cook, then a range hood should be a serious consideration in your kitchen renovation.
Good luck in your kitchen renovation!
Range Hoods Inc is a kitchen home improvement website. They house a large inventory in a warehouse in Southern California. The goal of their dedicated and experienced team is to make shopping for a range hood convenient. Their knowledgeable staff is available to answer any questions. Visit Range Hoods Inc to learn more, or visit us on Facebook, Houzz, or Instagram.
