Window/kitchen sink installation

Question

My husband and I bought a repo house and we are finding all sorts of issues with the house (SURPRISE!!), most of them small. But, I am in the process of remodeling the kitchen. There is a window behind the kitchen sink going outside. It was intended to be a 'pass through' window going to the outside patio. The window has long since lost it's seal (metal frame) and it needs to be replaced. The question is, behind the sink faucet, there is actually a 1 1/2 inch drop off down to the sill of the window. This makes a mess if you ever are wrestling with an oversized canning pot and water splashes over the back of the sink.

My question is: Why on earth would this be built that way? I wouldn't think that it could ever meet code requirements (doesn't matter what state) for a regular home loan. I am wanting to build up the sill to have a proper backsplash of 4 to 6 inches above the sink and build a decent ledge so that you can actually set something there and 'pass it through'. The house is stucco and I know I'm going to have to do a stucco patch on the built up part and repaint the patio area. My husband thinks we should just replace it with the same size window and 'leave well enough alone'.

Any carpenters out there? What would you do?

Z · Answer

Attention @Brian,can you help Nancy with this please? 
I'm with you Nancy. Since you'll be replacing the window this is the perfect time to fix the problem. My guess is the kitchen was either remodeled ('remuddled' as a friend of my calls such fixes) or added to the home somewhere during it's lifetime. Instead of replacing the window at the time they took the easy way out and worked around it. I'm sure there's a decorative way you could finish below the window on the outside without having to try and match the stucco if you don't want to worry about it matching perfectly. Since it's a pass through maybe add a shelf with base and brackets using composite (plastic like) lumber to fill the gap.

Adrianne C · Answer

1 1/2' is the width about of a 2 x 4. You could build a box to fill it in, and have a glass person get a window to fit.

Jeanette S · Answer

I had the windows replaced in my home a few years ago and they can make a window any size you want. I would have the window opening built to the correct size you need. You can actually use wood to fill in on the outside and put in some pretty molding. To accent this, a decorative shelf could be incorporated to accommodate some pretty pots...maybe an herb garden. Years ago, window sills used to be several inches deep instead of just a few inches. A professional can fix this for you. If you have to replace the window, do it right the first time.

Nancy · Answer

These countertops are low to start with (that's ok 'cause I'm short on one end too, lol). I think I will just have to see if I can find a shorter, standard size window and build up the base to fit the new window. I hate not having a backsplash because the glass in the window is all splattered and impossible to keep clean (I'm too short to reach it).

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

The primary reason why the window is lower then the sink top is the house had a remodel and someone in the past moved the sink in front of the window. This is not all that uncommon a find. AS far as code, I know nothing that would prohibit that from being done.

I would simply remove the old window, frame it so the sill of the new is higher then the back splash and trim outside as needed. Then install a new window in the opening. Perhaps a garden window?

Window/kitchen sink installation

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Window/kitchen sink installation

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