“How’s it hanging?” was the big question last week — not as a greeting, but rather as in, “How are we going to hang this $60 hood we found on Craigslist?”
Sherry had mentioned our plan to build a DIY wood cover for the hood (see the inspiration pics in last week’s post). We were excited about the price and how it would look, but we hadn’t fully thought through the installation. In short: planning fail. The hood we bought is an under-cabinet model, and we don’t have upper cabinets to mount it to. I assumed converting an under-cabinet hood to a wall-mounted one would be a common DIY, but initial searches didn’t turn up clear instructions.
Then I discovered that some manufacturers sell wall-mount brackets specifically for range hoods intended to be used without overhead cabinets. We didn’t buy that exact bracket (our hood is Jenn-Air), but finding those kits confirmed that mounting an under-cabinet hood on a wall was doable. With that reassurance, Sherry and I sketched a plan: a sturdy wood mounting panel secured to studs and heavy-duty metal brackets to support the hood.
Before we began, we had to fix a small oversight: we hadn’t tiled high enough around the vent pipe. It was only a few rows of tile, so we mixed thinset and patched it in. It was annoying to go back to tiling for such a minor gap, but it took about 20 minutes and moved us forward.
Next we mapped important reference points on the wall with painter’s tape so everything would align correctly. That looked messy, but it was essential. The tape marked where our floating shelves would sit (we wanted the bottom of the hood and the top shelf to align about 34″ above the counter, which is within the manufacturer’s recommended 30″–36″ from the stovetop), the locations of studs to ensure secure attachment, and the center point of the stove so the hood would be centered over it.
To mark studs before the wall was finished, Sherry had me make small marks on the ceiling when the wall was open. Later I tied a thread to each ceiling mark with a paperclip as a weight and let it hang to mark the stud positions down the wall. Those small ceiling marks will be hidden once crown molding is installed.
With the guides in place, we installed the first piece of wood. The hood could have spanned two studs, but the factory mounting slots didn’t line up with those studs, and I didn’t trust the attachment if it relied on perfect alignment. Instead we attached a slightly wider plank to two studs and secured a third point with a heavy-duty anchor. The hood would then hang from screws lining up with its notched holes.
We called a contractor to confirm the approach before drilling into our tile (always a good idea when you’re unsure). After getting the go-ahead, I used a special glass-and-tile bit to drill the holes. It took steady pressure and a bit of nerve, but I managed the holes without cracking the tile.
We used 2.5″ screws to secure the thick mounting plank to the studs. Feeling those screws bite into solid wood was reassuring — it felt like that board would hold a great deal of weight. Then we installed a second board above it to support the brackets, also anchored into studs and reinforced with heavy-duty anchors.
Once the mounting boards were secure, we lifted the hood into place. This was another nerve-wracking moment; we half-expected the tile wall to pull away. Thankfully it held firm. Sherry supported the hood while I attached the brackets to the wood panel and fastened them into the hood’s mounting slots — the same slots that would normally attach to a wall cabinet.
After securing the second bracket and tightening everything, I connected the vent pipe and plugged the hood in. We were lucky the existing cord and outlet lined up almost perfectly. A quick update: we later replaced the duct tape with metal foil tape designed for ductwork to ensure a long-lasting seal.
At this stage it looks a bit unfinished — exposed pipe, visible wood, and the ceiling hole are not the prettiest sight. But functionally it was a success: the hood is installed at about 34″ above the counter, within the manufacturer’s recommended range. It has two light settings and will be much better positioned than our old microwave was.
The exposed wood edges stick out about an inch, but that’s intentional — they’ll provide attachment points for the DIY wood hood cover we plan to build. We hadn’t snapped the filters in yet when we took some of these photos, so the hood looks bare from below; it will look cleaner once the stainless steel filters are in place.
If you were worried about the hood falling, we were too — we even pulled the stove out the first night just to be safe. After several days with no movement, squeaks, or signs of stress, we called the installation a success. Between the long screws into studs and the heavy-duty brackets, the hood feels very secure.
Next up is building the decorative wood cover. We’ll share those details and photos soon. In the meantime: did you tackle any heavy hanging projects this weekend? Drill into tile? Balance something on your head while someone snapped photos? Also, something big and unusual is starting at our house today that will last three weeks — we’ll share what that is once we’ve survived the first day and have photos to show.