A kitchen soffit is a built-in fixture, situated between the top of the cabinets and the bottom of the ceiling. Most often, this rectangular structure is in-place to conceal electrical wiring, pipes, or other types of mechanical systems. In a few instances, it's hollow and empty, simply serving to bridge the gap below the ceiling and the top of the cabinets because the cabinets are not tall enough to reach the ceiling.
Regardless of it's purpose, if your kitchen is equipped with a soffit, you might wish to get rid of it to install new cabinets. Perhaps, you just want to open-up the space to be able to shelve decor on top of the cabinets. What you should know is that unlike some of the faux fixtures in your home, this one isn't a simple cut-out and patch job. Because these fixtures conceal hardware, said hardware will have to be concealed in another way.
Making the decision to remove the soffits means that you have committed to a big project. Just how big depends on what is lurking behind the soffits. The only way to tell is to cut a hole in the drywall big enough to shine a flashlight and get a good look around. If you’re really lucky, it will just be empty space. But chances are pretty good that you’ll see wiring, air ducts and/ or plumbing pipes. If you are still intent on removing those soffits, all that “stuff” has to be re-routed and you have officially committed to a major remodeling project. --Kitchen Craftsman
Before you decide to proceed, you ought to know what’s inside the soffit. This won’t necessarily be simple, since the whole intent of the fixture is for concealment. The best way to do this is to cut a small opening and shine a flashlight inside. Then, you’ll know whether or not you really want to proceed. Start by shutting off the power to the kitchen at the main panel and shut off the main water valve as well, then, do the following:
Once you have the soffit material and other debris down, you'll have to dispose of all of it. Don't worry about cleanup and haul away, just phone 800-737-5923 or visit Pro junk Dispatch, and we'll take care of it for you.
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