Have you had the unfortunate experience of opening one of your kitchen cabinets, grabbing a plate for your dinner only to realize the dish is cold?

I know I have, and it was very annoying.

It can be frustrating to pay to heat your home when you’re constantly finding cold spots and drafts coming into your heated living space.

Not only have I experienced this, but as a customer concierge here at RetroFoam of Michigan I’ve worked with a lot of homeowners who are dealing with cold kitchen cupboards.

In this article, I will be covering why your kitchen cupboards are cold and also how we can fix them.

How to Combat Cold Kitchen Cupboards

If you are struggling with cold kitchen cupboards, then those cabinets are likely installed on exterior walls that are poorly insulated.

Little to no insulation in these exterior walls is why the cupboards are cold and not warm like the air you are paying to heat in the rest of your home. This is something many homeowners struggle with as there are many options to tackle this challenge.

No one likes having cold walls and drafty gaps in the existing insulation.

While you do have options, unfortunately with most traditional insulation, like cellulose and fiberglass, it’s impossible to create a proper air seal in the exterior walls of your home.

Fiberglass batts and blown-in cellulose allow for air to pass through it, meaning even if your walls are insulated, you will still have drafts and air leaks. 

The best insulation option to fix those cold cupboards is foam as it creates that air seal. Here’s how it’s done.

Insulating Exterior Walls with Injection Foam

Injection foam insulation will be key to insulating those exterior walls, creating an air seal, and preventing those darn kitchen cupboards from being cold.

Injection foam can be installed from the outside without the need to remove your drywall and cabinets. The process can vary depending on the type of siding you have. Typically, the siding is removed, and a hole is drilled into each stud cavity. 

The foam is injected, the hole is then capped, and the siding is reattached.

A good foam insulation contractor will leave your home looking like they were never there.

Insulating Exterior Walls with Spray Foam

Another way to install foam insulation and create that air seal is to spray the wall cavities, but it is much more invasive.

This option is much more viable if you plan to remodel your kitchen and you’ll be taking everything down to the studs.

In this case, open cell spray foam would be sprayed into each open stud cavity. The crew would make sure to cut the foam back in the cavity so the drywall can be placed without any issues.

This option is much more invasive and only recommended if you are remodeling.

Tips to Warm Up Kitchen Cupboards

Another thing you can do to try and combat these cold cabinets is to look for any cracks or gaps under the cupboards in the kitchen.

Most cabinets are built-in and can have gaps underneath along the floor. You can seal these gaps by using canned foam, which you can find at any home improvement store. By sealing these gaps with canned foam, you can help keep the cold air out of your cabinets.

It’s a good idea to also check the inside of the cabinet as well. 

Look along the back of the cabinet, feel the back wall, and around the edges. If the draft seems to be coming from the edges, you can seal that as well and it can eliminate some of the cold coming in through the gaps.

Warming Up the Rest of Your Home

After reading how you can warm up those kitchen cabinets, I’m sure you’ve already thought of some other areas of your home that seem to be hard to keep warm.

This isn’t just a fix for the kitchen, more than likely, if the areas in question are on an exterior, your best option is to insulate all of the exterior walls of your home. This will help create an envelope out of the home keeping all of the drafts out in the winter, and the hot air out in the summer.

Foam insulation throughout your home has a lot of benefits aside from making it more comfortable – it can also help save you money on heating and cooling costs. If you want to read more about all the wonders of foam insulation, check out the Learning Center on our website.

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