ᐅ Clearance between built-in cabinet and side walls

Hello,

we have a niche in our bedroom for a wardrobe, and we want to have it custom-made to exact measurements. At Höffner, there is a program where you can specify the width, height, and depth down to the millimeter. So, we are very flexible.

Now the questions: how much clearance should there be on the sides (and at the back and top) to ensure adequate ventilation and prevent mold growth? At the furniture store, I believe they mentioned 5cm (2 inches). That would be quite good, as it would allow us to have a depth of 65cm (25.5 inches) and still have space left up to the window.

Attached is the construction drawing; the wardrobe will be placed in the niche next to the fireplace.

Thank you in advance for your answers.

We had a suitable cabinet with a 2cm (1 inch) gap in a niche for 17 years. No mold. However, it was installed only one year after the house was completed.

Alternatively, a built-in closet would be flush on the side and possibly open at the back, preventing mold growth in this area.

Is the house already built? Based on the plans, I would not order custom-made components. First, not all walls are exactly where they are planned to be, and second, the interior plaster thickness can vary from ... to .... This applies to both sides of the cupboard niche, and suddenly you’re missing 5cm (2 inches). It was the same with the kitchen, so fitting strips were planned on the right and left sides, which were only cut to size on site. This is not an ideal solution, but otherwise the delay in kitchen planning would have been too long.

BigFoot schrieb:

Alternatively, a built-in wardrobe would work, which would then be flush on the sides and possibly open at the back to prevent mold formation.

I've thought about that too. But it's quite challenging to get it perfectly flush on the sides. And the supplier doesn't (yet) offer any filler strips to make up a few centimeters.

Mottenhausen schrieb:

Is the house already built? Based on the plans, I wouldn’t order custom-made pieces. First, not all walls are exactly where the plans indicate, and second, the thickness of the interior plaster can vary from ... to ... on both sides of the closet niche, and suddenly you’re missing 5cm (2 inches). It was the same with the kitchen, so they planned filler strips on the right and left that were cut to size on site. Not an ideal solution, but otherwise the delay in the kitchen planning would have been too long.

Yes, the house is already built and the plastering is done, or rather the drywall has been plastered and finished.
The exact measurements are available, but walls are not always perfectly straight, so I wouldn’t trust ordering something to the exact millimeter. It would be possible, but if it doesn’t fit...

Therefore, I was thinking of leaving a few centimeters of clearance on all sides, which doesn’t look bad either.

For the kitchen, we also have filler strips that can compensate for a few centimeters.