One element people often don’t think about until asked by their custom home builder, is what type of vent hood will you be using? The primary purpose of kitchen ventilation is to reduce heat, condensation, and cooking smells. It also traps grease from cooking and prevents it from collecting all over your kitchen. There is more than one option out there though. Read this guide to help you decide which kitchen ventilation system is best for your custom home kitchen!
Under Cabinet Mount
As the name implies, this type of hood is fixed at the bottom of a cabinet. Ducting for it can go directly out the back of the wall, up through the cabinet, or up a bit and then out. With this option, you often lose out on the cabinet space above the range. However, you don’t even have any cabinet space above the range with other options! This is the most common option in standard homes. Some people love how it discrete it is.
Wall Mount
A wall mount vent hoot is affixed directly onto the wall. It can have a decorative chimney or soffit to line up with the upper cabinets. Other people opt to take it all the way up to the ceiling where it “disappears”. This has quickly become the most popular vent hood. A stainless steel wall mount is one of the most common ones we put it. It offers a higher end look without that much extra cost. It also helps break up a solid block of upper cabinets and people love how it can become a feature element.
Ceiling Mount
A ceiling mount also called an island mount, is the type of range hood used is a cooktop is located on an island or peninsula. Most people opt for glass hoods in this situation as to not block sightlines. Because it’s mount above and is generally a little higher than regular hoods, it has to be large to accommodate that. We don’t typically recommend island cooktops, but if you go that route this is your best option.
Downdraft
Downdraft vents are a bit of a sore spot for buildings. They sound very cool. It’s a vent that pops up behind the stove when cooking and then disappears when not in use. Although they’ve come a long way in recent years, they’re still pretty bad at venting. Hot air, steam, and grease tend to go up, which the lower downdraft just can’t catch. We very rarely recommend this option, but it is better than nothing although not by a lot. They’re typically used for island or peninsula ranges, but a ceiling mount is the better option.
Windows
Back in the old day, people simply opened up windows when they cooked to ventilate the kitchen. Unfortunately, this is no longer a viable option. Local codes dictate that windows are not sufficient at ventilating. While a vent hood is still necessary, having windows in your custom home kitchen can help, especially when cooking with strong spices. Windows also let in fresh air and light, which is always welcome!
