| Island offers a wide range of benefits. It provides | | | | Sink Smarts. Although island plumbing eventually |
| storage and work space and also makes a strong | | | | connects to a vent stack that penetrates the roof, |
| visual vocal point. But you will not enjoy these | | | | most building codes make use of a high venting loop |
| benefits unless the island venting is done properly. | | | | within the base cabinet. Use 1 1/2-inch PVC pipe in |
| One of the most difficult problems that is | | | | the vent loop as well as to the main drain line. Also, |
| encountered with islands that incorporate sink or | | | | plan drawers and cabinet space around the plumbing, |
| cook tops is how to vent them. Each case is a | | | | and make sure there is room to get at the pipes for |
| different ball game. Plumbing fixtures like sinks have | | | | repair. |
| to be vented through the roof to keep harmful | | | | Cook tops Concerns: There are two choice s for |
| gases from accumulating in the kitchen. Cook tops | | | | venting an island cook top: overhead vents, which |
| are vented to draw away moisture, grease and | | | | are very expensive, and downdraft vents, which are |
| odor-laden air when cooking. Both typically require | | | | featured in many cook tops designed for islands. |
| walls or upper cabinet to conceal piping. Since that is | | | | Downdraft ventilators should be routed to the |
| compulsory with island, this venting begins its journey | | | | nearest exterior wall. Keep the duct run as short and |
| headed south. | | | | straight as possible. And follow the manufacturer's |
| Running venting underneath the floor is easy in | | | | restriction on installation so as not to void the cook |
| homes that have a basement or crawl space - | | | | top warranty. |
| everything is run between the floor joists. But it is | | | | Duct for a downdraft system has longer runs and is |
| particularly easy if the the joists run "the right | | | | forced to make more turns than the ductwork for a |
| direction". Similarly, it even gets easier if the floor has | | | | hood. Stay away from flexible ducting because its |
| a concrete slab. In that case, a trench must be | | | | spiral ribs grease and can inhibit proper air movement |
| hammered to run the new pipes. | | | | on long run. Use straight-wall galvanized-steel or |
| However, whichever floor you have, here are some | | | | stainless-steel ducting, except in concrete, where |
| of the details on both types of island venting: | | | | PVC is the best choice. |