Microwave mounting bracket doesn't fit over tile backsplash
Tile backsplashes create an uneven surface that misaligns the mounting bracket height and conflicts with upper cabinet spacing. This forces installers to either drill specialized holes through tough tile or resize cabinetry just to make the unit fit.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Drilling through the tile backsplash to mount the bracket directly
- 2Moving the middle upper cabinet up to clear the backsplash
- 3Using top spacers to keep the unit flush without drilling tile
- 4Purchasing a low-profile microwave
- 5Drilling directly into the tile backsplash using special bits
- 6Moving the middle kitchen cabinet up to install the mounting bracket above the tile
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The issue is the length of the microwave vs the length of the opening and the backslash”source ↗
“Do I really want to deal with the special bits to drill into the tile and do all that???”source ↗
“How obnoxious is it to move that middle cabinet?”source ↗
“The issue is the length of the microwave vs the length of the opening and where the tile starts.”source ↗
“Drilling into tile sucks but it's a one-and-done kind of pain, especially if you just grab a diamond bit and go slow with some water to keep it cool.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 4Which direction should rectangular floor tiles go?
- 2How to install a vanity over floor pipes in a tight space