How to Size a Copper Range Hood for Your Kitchen
The most common mistake people make when ordering a range hood is focusing on the duct opening and ignoring the visual proportions. A hood that vents correctly but looks too small for the ceiling height, or too wide for the range below it, is a disappointment. Getting the sizing right is mostly a matter of knowing which measurements to take and in what order.
Start with the range, not the duct
The hood should be at least as wide as the cooking surface below it, and ideally two to four inches wider on each side. For a 36-inch range, that means a hood between 36 and 44 inches wide. The extra width captures steam and smoke that drifts sideways before it rises, which is most of what a hood is actually doing.
The depth front-to-back should cover the front burners. On most residential ranges, that means a hood depth of at least 20 inches. If the range is against a wall, depth is less critical. If it is on an island, the hood needs to be deeper. Usually the full depth of the cooking surface.
Ceiling height and hood height
The bottom of the hood should sit 28 to 36 inches above the cooking surface. Lower than 28 inches and it interferes with cooking; higher than 36 inches and the capture efficiency drops significantly. The height of the hood body itself. The visible copper form. Is determined by the distance between that 28-36 inch mark and the ceiling or the soffit above.
In a kitchen with 9-foot ceilings and a range surface at standard counter height (36 inches), you have roughly 72 inches of vertical space to work with. A hood body of 24 to 30 inches looks proportionate in that space. In a kitchen with 8-foot ceilings, a shorter hood body. 18 to 22 inches. Usually reads better.
What to send when you enquire
When you get in touch about a range hood, the measurements I need are: range width, range depth, distance from cooking surface to ceiling, duct opening size and location (centred or offset), and the ceiling height at the duct location. A photo of the space with a tape measure visible is more useful than a sketch.
If the ceiling is not flat. A slope, a soffit, or a beam. Photograph that too. Those are the situations where proportions get complicated and where it is worth spending time on paper before cutting copper.
Send the measurements and a photo and I will come back with a proportions sketch before we discuss price. It takes me about a day and it saves a lot of back-and-forth later.