Keeping a Kitchen Cool in Inland Empire Heat

Stand at the range around four in the afternoon in July and feel where the heat goes. In a kitchen remodel in Riverside, CA the answer is usually the same: a west window pours in sun, the oven adds its own heat, and the supply register is on the wrong side of the room. Cooling a kitchen is mostly about sequence, and kitchen remodeling riverside ca the weekly times sets the order deliberately: windows and ducts first, then the cabinets and the countertop, then the finish work.

Where the heat actually comes from

Three sources stack up in an Inland Empire summer. The sun through a west-facing window can heat a counter surface before anyone starts cooking. The attic above a kitchen can sit far hotter than the outdoor air and radiate down through a thin ceiling. And the oven and cooktop add heat that the room has to shed. When Riverside County climbs into triple digits, all three arrive at dinnertime together.

Windows, shade and the sun angle

A deep overhang or an exterior shade on a west window does more than any interior blind. Low-emissivity glass reduces the heat gained through the pane. Moving a window to a north or east wall during a remodel is possible but involves framing, headers and stucco work, so many homeowners settle for better glass and an awning. The view toward the Box Springs Mountains is nice, and the sun that comes with it is worth managing.

Supply registers and the return

A kitchen with a single small register and a return far away stays warm no matter how big the air conditioner is. Adding a supply near the range and a return that pulls air from the cooking zone helps, and the duct has to be sized so it does not whistle. A range hood that vents outside is the other half of the answer, because it removes heat before it mixes with the air in the room.

Materials that hold or shed heat

Dark stone and dark porcelain tile soak up afternoon sun and release it slowly. Lighter surfaces reflect more. Tile floors feel cool underfoot and keep the room from feeling stuffy, which is part of why they are common in the older neighborhoods around the University of California Riverside. A subway tile backsplash behind the range stays easy to wipe, and the grout lines get a sealer.

Insulation above the ceiling

If the ceiling is open for a new hood duct or a wall removal, add attic insulation above it and seal the penetrations. A kitchen that sits under a hot attic benefits from that work more than from a larger air conditioner.