How to Take Out a Kitchen Soffit

Kitchen soffits were born out of the necessity to conceal electrical wiring or ductwork, and in some instances, just to close the space between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling.

If you have a soffit in your kitchen, you might be able to take it out, depending on what's behind it. Should it be completely empty, you can remove the entire thing and leave the space empty or install taller kitchen cabinets which touch the ceiling for more storage space.

Steps: How to Take Out a Kitchen Soffit

Before you begin tearing down your kitchen soffit, take few moments to determine if it's necessary to hide wiring or ductwork. Should either of these be present, you'll either have to leave the soffit in tact or reroute the wiring or ductwork. If it is empty and only serves to close the gap between the top of the cabinets and ceiling, you'll be able to take it down entirely.

Kitchen soffits are essentially drywall-covered boxes that fit between your kitchen cabinets and the ceiling above. They were popular during the 1970's and 1980's as part of general kitchen designs but can make current kitchens look dated. They also take up a lot of usable space. Removing the soffits from your kitchen can make the room look taller, as well as more modern. It can also pave the way for newer, taller cabinets to increase the storage in the kitchen. -- San Francisco Chronicle

You will need several tools and a few supplies to tear down the soffit. Gather together a few sheets of plastic or tarps, flashlight, eye protection, a dust mask, gloves, a utility knife, pry bar, power drill-driver, hammer, and a ladder. Clear the immediate area around the soffit to have ample room, then follow these steps:

1. Determine the function. If there are lights hanging or recessed into the soffit or a vent installed into the bottom, it's function is to conceal wiring or ductwork. Tap on it and shine a flashlight along the seam where it meets the ceiling to determine if it's hollow.
2. Cover the cabinets, countertops, and appliances. This tear down will produce a lot of dust and debris, so, you'll need to protect your appliances, cabinets, and countertops with plastic sheeting, tarps, or even drop cloths.
3. Score the seam between the ceiling and the soffit. Using a utility knife, cut into the seam between the soffit and ceiling to prevent tearing in the ceiling when taking down the soffit.
4. Hammer out a small hole. Knock out a small hole large enough to accommodate your hand. Then, reach into the hole and pull off the drywall, exposing the framing.

After the framing is exposed, you can tear off all the soffit drywall and then unfasten the studs from the wall and ceiling with a power drill-driver. This will take time and should be done delicately to avoid damaging the ceiling or kitchen appliances.
 

Disposing of the Kitchen Soffit Debris

To be able to use your kitchen, you can phone a junk hauling service to cleanup and take away the kitchen soffit debris and save yourself time and money trying to dispose of it at the local landfill.

Contact Pro Junk Dispatch to help clean up the mess!