Insulating kitchen cabinets

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disneysteve

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We have one wall of kitchen cabinets that is flush against the soffit through which runs the HVAC ductwork. When the heat is on, those cabinets get warm which causes issues with stuff like chocolate and things that get rather soft. Is there some sort of insulation board I could fairly easily apply to the top of the cabinet to help reduce the heat transfer?
 
Are you looking for some sort of foam board like blue board?
 
I think I'd look for a professional to check it out. What you look for in the "yellow pages" I'm not so sure. Insulation Contractor??

You want it done right and you don't want to have to do it twice. Best of luck to you.
 
I'm assuming you don't want to rip out and re-do the soffit, and are looking for insulating material that you could apply to the inside top of the cabinets.

Take a look in Lowe's or Home Depot for Polyisocyanurate board insulation. Nickname is polyiso.
Available in 4' x 8' sheets of thickness 1/2", 3/4", and 1". Might be available in shorter width and length.

Either way, one side is a bright reflective foil, the other side is a colored foil. You could cut pieces to fit the inside top of the cabinets with a knife and a straightedge. Could make them to be a slight friction-fit. Paint the non-shiny side after cutting and test-fitting, a color to match the inside of the cabinets. You could use caulk to glue them up around the edges, prop them up with something to keep them flat against cabinet top until caulk cures.
Might be looking at 3/4" polyiso, as 1/2" is pretty floppy. Any of the thicknesses will have a high-enough R-value for what you want to do.
 
CO-guy said:
Are you looking for some sort of foam board like blue board?
Click to expand...
Yes. Sounds like the polyiso that Telly mentioned is what I need.

We’re actually looking to redo the kitchen this year so I may not bother but will definitely talk to our guy about some sort of insulation when the new cabinets are installed. Maybe a sheet of polyiso on top of the cabinets before they are mounted.
 
skyking1 said:
that would help, but insulating the duct itself would be more productive. That would put the heat where you want it.
Click to expand...
That would require ripping out the soffit. We’re not doing that.
 
disneysteve said:
Yes. Sounds like the polyiso that Telly mentioned is what I need.

We’re actually looking to redo the kitchen this year so I may not bother but will definitely talk to our guy about some sort of insulation when the new cabinets are installed. Maybe a sheet of polyiso on top of the cabinets before they are mounted.
Click to expand...
Similar R-value per inch, but blue board is cheaper since it doesn't have the reflective backing. If it's a quick temporary solution, then I'd slap a rectangle of foam board up there using spray adhesive for crafting. You could save some money by buying thinner blue board and then layering it using the adhesive to get the insulation you need.
 
If you are redoing the kitchen, then I'd vote for placing new insulation above the cabinet and then cover it with molding.
 
CO-guy said:
Similar R-value per inch, but blue board is cheaper since it doesn't have the reflective backing. If it's a quick temporary solution, then I'd slap a rectangle of foam board up there using spray adhesive for crafting. You could save some money by buying thinner blue board and then layering it using the adhesive to get the insulation you need.
Click to expand...
Placed properly, the reflective backing might make the blue board more effective though I'm no expert on this subject.
 
Loosen the affected cabinets, empty and pull away from wall. Put a sheet of aluminium foil behind the cabinet. Screw the cabinet back down.
 
Try Reflectix insulation rolls. It's double sided bubble wrap and very flexible. You could also use it to wrap the duct work. Another option if you know exactly where the duct is, drill a bunch holes around the duct and use door and window expanding foam.
 
Cabinets are almost always screwed into studs and seldon nailed to the wall. They almost always have a 1/2" or so recess at the top. I would empty the cabinet(s). Unscrew them from the wall and fill that space with Reflectix insulation or any other foil skinned insulation that fits.
 
disneysteve said:
Yes. Sounds like the polyiso that Telly mentioned is what I need.

We’re actually looking to redo the kitchen this year so I may not bother but will definitely talk to our guy about some sort of insulation when the new cabinets are installed. Maybe a sheet of polyiso on top of the cabinets before they are mounted.
Click to expand...
I would do insulating board on the cabinet tops as you say, but I would also leave an air gap between the insulating board and the soffit and try to ventilate it for convection so the air in the gap can circulate out as it warms, pulling cooler air in.
 
Either the styrofoam board or I think better is the rigid foam board. Ideally put between the top of cabinet and the soffit. The foil faced bubble wrap has much less R-value compared to the styrofoam or rigid foam board.
 
In addition to whatever insulating you do, perhaps you can put a couple of air grills in the soffit- a higher one allows hot air to escape, a lower one allows cool air in for convection.
 
Gearhead Jim said:
In addition to whatever insulating you do, perhaps you can put a couple of air grills in the soffit- a higher one allows hot air to escape, a lower one allows cool air in for convection.
Click to expand...
This is not a bad idea. Anything foil faced also needs to have a minimum of 1/2” of an air gap for the foil to be able to reflect anything back. I doubt that in a stagnant air situation it would do very much.
 
disneysteve said:
We have one wall of kitchen cabinets that is flush against the soffit through which runs the HVAC ductwork. When the heat is on, those cabinets get warm which causes issues with stuff like chocolate and things that get rather soft. Is there some sort of insulation board I could fairly easily apply to the top of the cabinet to help reduce the heat transfer?
Click to expand...
I would just move all my dishes and serving bowls/platters there so they are a little warm when you put the food one them!
 
Palmtree said:
Cabinets are almost always screwed into studs and seldon nailed to the wall. They almost always have a 1/2" or so recess at the top. I would empty the cabinet(s). Unscrew them from the wall and fill that space with Reflectix insulation or any other foil skinned insulation that fits.
Click to expand...
I'd do the same but foil backed insulation isn't required. Take the cabinets off and put a half inch or so of rigid foamboard on top, then put the cabinets back up.

FYI, I live in a severe winter climate and no one here uses foil backed insulation. The temperature ranges from 100F to gets to -40F people so only use what's been proven to work.
 
Foil helps reflect radiant heat back to its source. So while it may not be necessary in this kitchen cabinet application it has some effect. The attic spaces in homes in my area are not usually conditioned, they typically have fiberglass insulation installed just above the ceiling to help keep the living space comfortable. But in recent years some homes have been adding a layer of foil underneath the roof deck as a radiant barrier, as it helps to reduce the attic and roof surface temperatures. One could put a radiant barrier just above the ceiling to help reflect heat back inside the home, but I have not seen that being done, most people only increase the depth (R-value) of what is already in place if more energy efficiency is needed.
 
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