How to Vent a Microwave Range Hood Outside

Lay the provided installation stencil into the bottom of the cabinet above your microwave range hood. The stencil provides a guide during vent installation. Use a power drill to make a hole in one corner of the vent cutout and through the cabinet bottom. Insert the jigsaw and cut around the stencil until the appropriate opening exists in the cabinet’s bottom. If you are installing your vent in the kitchen wall rather than up through the top cabinet, lay the provided stencil onto the back wall and cut in the same manner.

Install the microwave range hood vent damper onto the microwave, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Each microwave brand and style has its own form of damper, and each must be installed its own way.

Install 6-inch diameter, aluminum ducting into the wall behind the microwave range hood, or through the ceiling above your top cabinet. Slide your ducting into the wall between any existing studs and use an elbow redirecting it toward the house’s side. Six-inch ducting should match the diameter of your microwave hood exhaust vent.

Make a 6-inch hole through your exterior wall with a power drill and hole cutter. Depending on your home’s construction material, the procedure varies. Homes with siding can be cut through in this manner from the inside. The siding is then removed over and around the hole, and then cut with snips to fit. The siding’s cut ends are then tucked beneath the wall cap on the home’s exterior and sealed with silicone. Brick or stone homes require cutting with a masonry saw. The hole is then closed with a wall cap, and then sealed with silicone.

Connect the ductwork to the microwave range hood venting system according to the manufacturer's instructions.