Floating shelves and toaster oven

[Jason albaugh]

Hey guys, so the story is the misses and I are remodeling our kitchen (which is a smaller 8 x 11) and we want to do a 45 degree quarter gap shiplap (kinda like an arrow pointing up) behind the toaster oven up to the ceiling, and 3 floating maple shelves mounted above the oven. My worries are the heat from the oven affecting the wood wall behind and the floating shelf mounted just above it. The shelf will be about 2-3 inches above the oven and the oven does put out quite a bit of heat.

To address some common answers, no the oven cannot be moved (almost 50 pounds), there is no other place for the floating shelves. And not enough space to go to 2 shelves mounted higher.

Any ideas or am I over thinking this whole thing? Help me help the boss of the house.

-Jason

[Jim Becker]

Honestly, with 2-3" of air gap to the shelf, you "should" be fine...both for the shelf and the wall as room air will help move the warmer air along.

[Bill Dufour]

Does the shelf have to be wood? stone or metal spring to mind. They used to make exterior window sills from terra cotta.
Bil lD

[Jason albaugh]

Bill, yeah it will need to be wood to match the Birdseye maple trim surrounding the tiled wall window and slider on the same wall.

Now that I think of it the latex painted drywall and Ikea cabinet above are just fine right now just get very warm. I'm asking more for expansion from the heat ruining glue joints and finish that will stand up to the heat, not necessarily a fire risk.

Also do you think lining the bottom with aluminum or copper would be a good idea or would that just hold the heat longer?

[Doug Garson]

Instead of copper or aluminum which are both good conductors how about this?

https://www.amazon.ca/Thermo-Tec-13575-Adhesive-Backed-Barrier/dp/B00029KC2K/ref=sr_1_2?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-bjyBRCcARIsAFboWg2_OpsV-xeVrskTRZ8TeFijPqBIAZOxjSAZ-e8UfuykOCdMJVhq-cEaAhM0EALw_wcB&hvadid=327023278786&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9001562&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11630923306251631838&hvtargid=aud-856944949865%3Akwd-294355384502&hydadcr=77_1011698085&keywords=foil%2Bbacked%2Binsulation&qid=1582234422&sr=8-2&th=1 (https://www.amazon.ca/Thermo-Tec-13575-Adhesive-Backed-Barrier/dp/B00029KC2K/ref=sr_1_2?gclid=Cj0KCQiA-bjyBRCcARIsAFboWg2_OpsV-xeVrskTRZ8TeFijPqBIAZOxjSAZ-e8UfuykOCdMJVhq-cEaAhM0EALw_wcB&hvadid=327023278786&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9001562&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=11630923306251631838&hvtargid=aud-856944949865%3Akwd-294355384502&hydadcr=77_1011698085&keywords=foil%2Bbacked%2Binsulation&qid=1582234422&sr=8-2&th=1)

[Jason albaugh]

Doug, that may work I could pocket the shelf so that it would not be seen. I will look into that, thank you.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Before you do anything, go over to the NC Wood Worker site, general woodworking forum, and read the thread on Stupid Easy Floating Shelves.

[Jason albaugh]

Bruce, the shelves aren't the issue. My thoughts are the expansion and contraction from the humid heat back down to low humid cooler weather might cause issues.

Again, may be thinking to much into this.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

If you read the manual for the oven, it should have a specified air gap listed. Follow it and you won't have issues. It was drawn up by their lawyers, so it likely has an abundance of caution. This is a similar situation to a mantle above a fireplace insert, the specified air gap is there for a reason. It'll probably be more space than you want, but you also don't want to be the reason your kitchen burned.