What To Know Before Installing A Raised Dishwasher Cabinet In Your Kitchen

For people with back problems, the kitchen can be something of a minefield. Standing hunched over at a sink for too long, doing prep work at awkward counter heights, and repeatedly bending to load, unload, and clear the food trap in a dishwasher ... it can be quite a strain. One simple solution for the dishwasher problem is to elevate it, and there's a lot to like about a raised dishwasher, along with a few potential problems. Overall, though, the biggest impact is that a raised dishwasher cabinet is an aesthetic oddity that will inevitably break the visual flow of your countertops right next to the sink.

Raising a standard-sized dishwasher will also raise your countertop, of course. The usual amount by which a dishwasher needs to be raised for more comfortable use with less bending is around 12 inches. The National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) guidebook "Kitchen & Bathroom Planning Guidelines with Access Standards" recommends increasing the height 6-12 inches (8-14 inches in its diagrams). This creates a dishwasher-wide column that doesn't match the rest of the room. Most homeowners adapt by creating a dedicated space between the higher countertop and the upper cabinets... perhaps a shelf for cookbooks or a dish-drying rack. Others have built a "tower" of cabinets or appliances above and below the dishwasher to make the break uniform from the top to the floor. The space created below the dishwasher is usually filled with a drawer or small cabinet for items that are only occasionally needed.

One issue to keep in mind when planning for a raised dishwasher cabinet is the handling of the drain line. In order to prevent backflow of dirty water into the dishwasher — potentially contaminating dishes and causing dishwasher leaks – the drain line is usually run as high as possible, close to the bottom of the countertop, in what's called a "high loop" right before the flexible dishwasher drain line enters above your sink's P-trap. The high loop makes backflow difficult or impossible, but the raised height of the dishwasher can undermine its effectiveness. The ideal solution in this situation is to install hardware called an "air gap" that stops the back-siphoning of water into the dishwasher by allowing air in.

There's another potential problem which might or might not apply to you. Surprisingly, elevating a dishwasher to eliminate back strain can cause your installation to run afoul of ADA guidelines for wheelchair accessibility — but only if your dishwasher will be used by someone who needs accommodation. ADA standards call for shortened dishwashers so that people in wheelchairs can get closer to load and unload the dishwasher, but without increasing the counter height, which can make things more difficult for someone in a seated position. However, as HGTV's Drew Scott explained in an AARP interview, there are benefits of multi-level kitchen counters, like those created by raised dishwashers, in households with people who have various abilities.