33.5 Inch Dishwasher

Nupe2

Well-Known Member
Hey folks - My wife and I just purchased a new dishwasher from Sears and when the installers came they said that it wouldn't fit. A few years ago we replaced our original floors with wood floors and apparently that affected the spacing. I am at work so I haven't had a chance to check it out but I think the problem might be the molding around the base of the cabinets, sink and dishwasher. I am also not sure that the installers might have been unwilling to take a chance at damaging the floor. They apparently tried to lift the countertop but decided against that.

My wife went to Sears to ask whether they carried a 33.5 inch dishwasher but they didn't have any. The standard size is 34 inches tall. Has anyone here had this problem before? If so, were you able to resolve it? How?

Any help would be appreciated!
 

Merlin99

Visualize whirled peas
PREMO Member
Hey folks - My wife and I just purchased a new dishwasher from Sears and when the installers came they said that it wouldn't fit. A few years ago we replaced our original floors with wood floors and apparently that affected the spacing. I am at work so I haven't had a chance to check it out but I think the problem might be the molding around the base of the cabinets, sink and dishwasher. I am also not sure that the installers might have been unwilling to take a chance at damaging the floor. They apparently tried to lift the countertop but decided against that.

My wife went to Sears to ask whether they carried a 33.5 inch dishwasher but they didn't have any. The standard size is 34 inches tall. Has anyone here had this problem before? If so, were you able to resolve it? How?

Any help would be appreciated!
Had the exact same issue due to putting in 3/4" hardwood flooring, I ended up notching the bullnose of the countertop.
 

TurboK9

New Member
Had the exact same issue due to putting in 3/4" hardwood flooring, I ended up notching the bullnose of the countertop.

? Why not just remove the counter top and cabinets, run the floor UNDER them, and put everything back together? :confused: That's sort of the um, right way, to do flooring... :lol:
 

Merlin99

Visualize whirled peas
PREMO Member
? Why not just remove the counter top and cabinets, run the floor UNDER them, and put everything back together? :confused: That's sort of the um, right way, to do flooring... :lol:
Hardwood flooring runs about 10.00 per foot, seemed a waste to put under the cabinets, dishwasher, and oven. I installed 3/4" plywood instead under the stove and dishwasher and notched the bullnose to get the dishwasher to slide in.
 

TurboK9

New Member
Hardwood flooring runs about 10.00 per foot, seemed a waste to put under the cabinets, dishwasher, and oven. I installed 3/4" plywood instead under the stove and dishwasher and notched the bullnose to get the dishwasher to slide in.

hehe. I know it's a pain and expensive... But my own mantra has always been, if you're going to do it...

Sounds like you made it work though. Does it look OK with the bullnose tooled out?
 

ItalianScallion

Harley Rider
Hey Enyaw! (Nupe). Tell us how much clearance it needed to fit. If it's just a 1/2 inch or so, you might try removing the leveling feet (if it has them). If not, then you do need a smaller one. I don't like to cut the counter top for a dishwasher. It sometimes weakens it. :howdy:
 

Merlin99

Visualize whirled peas
PREMO Member
hehe. I know it's a pain and expensive... But my own mantra has always been, if you're going to do it...

Sounds like you made it work though. Does it look OK with the bullnose tooled out?
I made the bullnose out of the same 3/4" oak, then routered the edges. It looks like it was part of the original plan.
 

Nupe2

Well-Known Member
Hey Enyaw! (Nupe). Tell us how much clearance it needed to fit. If it's just a 1/2 inch or so, you might try removing the leveling feet (if it has them). If not, then you do need a smaller one. I don't like to cut the counter top for a dishwasher. It sometimes weakens it. :howdy:

Happy New Year my friend! :howdy: Removing the feet might work. I'm going to Bray and Scarff this weekend to check out their sale. I'll tell them about the problem and ask about removing the feet prior to installation. Stay tuned!
 

DoWhat

Deplorable
PREMO Member
Would it be possible to remove the counter top (all), and install required spacers along the top of the lower cabinets?
 

Nupe2

Well-Known Member
Would it be possible to remove the counter top (all), and install required spacers along the top of the lower cabinets?

That's one option that we discussed. We might replace the countertops this spring so if the current dishwasher can hold on until then it might make more sense to replace it at the same time. Just trying to figure out options at this point....
 

tantara

New Member
My husband was a contractor putting in applicances with Sears. Some customers in this circumstance will say, put it in anyway possible, but later on complain to sears that the installer messed up their floor, countertop, or whatever. It comes out of the contractors pocket, NOT SEARS, to fix or repair their concerns. We also had people who had existing damage before, claim it was the installers who caused it and that again it came out of our pocket to fix. There had been times when we made no money or had to take it out of savings because of these kinds of claims. The contractor is responsible so most wont take the risk.
 

Nupe2

Well-Known Member
My husband was a contractor putting in applicances with Sears. Some customers in this circumstance will say, put it in anyway possible, but later on complain to sears that the installer messed up their floor, countertop, or whatever. It comes out of the contractors pocket, NOT SEARS, to fix or repair their concerns. We also had people who had existing damage before, claim it was the installers who caused it and that again it came out of our pocket to fix. There had been times when we made no money or had to take it out of savings because of these kinds of claims. The contractor is responsible so most wont take the risk.

Understood. No complaint with the installers. I'm actually glad that they took that approach rather than screw something up saying "this should work!"
I will admit though that I couldn't believe they didn't try but after I thought about it, I realized that they did the right thing.

By the way....do you or your husband have any creative solutions to the problem? I think we will wait until we purchase the new countertops. Just curious....
 

RPMDAD

Well-Known Member
Nupe2, i have a dumb question here, if the new one is to tall to go in, does that mean the old one is to tall to come out??
 

Nupe2

Well-Known Member
Nupe2, i have a dumb question here, if the new one is to tall to go in, does that mean the old one is to tall to come out??

:lol: I asked the same question....I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it!
 

tantara

New Member
you will have to cut the old one out. sears does sell an
ADA(american disabilty act) dishwaher. they start off with I believe 32.1/4 or 32.1/2" and will adjust up to 34 341/2 to meet the countertop. me as a previous contractor if i didn 't have 34 1/4 from the countertop to the floor i would not install it being a wood floor. they scratch/gauge too easy without a waiver signed.
 

Nupe2

Well-Known Member
you will have to cut the old one out. sears does sell an
ADA(american disabilty act) dishwaher. they start off with I believe 32.1/4 or 32.1/2" and will adjust up to 34 341/2 to meet the countertop. me as a previous contractor if i didn 't have 34 1/4 from the countertop to the floor i would not install it being a wood floor. they scratch/gauge too easy without a waiver signed.

Thanks for the information! We went back to Sears today and exchanged the previously ordered one for and ADA compliant one. If we do have the cut the old one out I think we'll just wait until we decide on the new countertops. That brings up another issue/question....if we install granite countertops does that effectively lock in the dishwasher forever? In other words, is there any way to remove the dishwasher after the countertops are installed, even with a waiver?
 

tantara

New Member
if its an ADA as long as the measurement from the top of floor to the bottom of the counter top is more than the lowest point with the feet down than no
 

Nupe2

Well-Known Member
if its an ADA as long as the measurement from the top of floor to the bottom of the counter top is more than the lowest point with the feet down than no

Let me make sure that I understand. Is the answer "no" that we would NOT be able to remove the dishwasher after installing the new countertops? It seems that wood flooring + granite (i.e., expensive) countertops means no future repair or replacement of the dishwasher....without some risk of damage to either the flooring or the countertop. Is that accurate?
 
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