MJNewton

Yes, that's coming right out otherwise it would've undermined the space saver McAlpine trap kit I've bought.

All very reassuring - thanks. I half expected the responses to be along the lines 'Ah... you shouldn't have gone for a sink like that. That's made for German units which are different to UK spec' Yes, 20mm doors and we were wondering about overhang so that helps on that front too. Presumably a '30mm overhang' means 10mm beyond the door front? Again, another unanswered question answered! Will measure up where I thought it was going to go (in the middle?) and see where that puts us. Okay, thanks, I can do all that. So you are saying I should secure the sink in place before the worktop fitters come? That's an interesting one... I think the supplied template actually has the worktop cut back from the bowl edge i.e. with some of the steel edge tops showing. I went to look for an image to clarify and found two different ways (yet the same onions in both?!): So you prefer some overhang (second image)? I think maybe I do but I wonder if the worktop fitters will only work to a manufacturer-defined template...

We've opted for a Franke Ariane ARX160 1.5 bowl undermount sink which is to be topped with a 30mm quartz worktop... It'll be sitting inside a 600mm wide unit (the minimum specified by Franke): The issue I would welcome some help with is that the sink is also 600mm wide and it sits proud of the side panels (and also fouls the front bar but that's a straightforward fix to allow it so come forward a bit) and thus needs lowering to allow the quartz worktop to sit flush across it and neighbouring units: It sits around 2-3mm high, and the sink appears to be a dual-skinned and there's some variability in overall thickness: Any suggestion how best to deal with this? I was thinking of just rebating the top of the panels to a sufficient depth, whether with a router or (preferably due to lack of routing experience) my multitool with some timber clamped either side to guide the blade? On a related subject, I wasn't sure how much support a sink actually requires - I think it comes with only four clips to mount it (to a timber worktop at least) so perhaps doesn't need much, and I'm sure I've heard of them being siliconed into place directly to the underside of stone worktops with nothing beneath them. That aside, I did think I might fit a baton across the cupboard immediately under the large sink bowl thus adding a bit of support and stability to replace that which I might compromise from hacking the unit down. To the left if this unit will be an integrated dishwasher and so it's not like it can depend on a neighbouring cupboard for strength. Anyone been here before?

An interim update: they replied to my ticket today (bank holiday so wasn't expecting that) and it's really positive. They went through each of the points, proposed a remedy and requested photos for the damaged items (which is fair enough). So far so good. A bit of a pain, not to mention some apprehension that for some reason we wouldn't be able to resolve things but we bought from them knowing full well that there *could* be some issues and that they're a few hundred miles away so wouldn't just be able to pop in a pick up replacements off-the-shelf unlike some of the other suppliers we decided against so I'm willing to take the rough with the smooth.

I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss it. It strikes me as a perfect solution - easy to use, tried and tested, gap filling, insulating, adhesive, strong and durable. What's not to like?

Oh how they laughed... ?

I thought I'd post a bit of an update as this is proving a useful thread to capture people's experience of DIY Kitchens. We had ours delivered a couple of days ago - was given a 48hr window and promise of an hour's advanced text message notification which ordinarily would've been a bit of an issue but as I am working from home during lockdown it was a non-issue. In actual fact they text me at lunchtime asking if it'd be okay to aim to arrive for 7:30pm-ish so this meant I could relax a bit and get things ready, and they turned up on the dot and delivered without issue: The drivers were really friendly and most obliging about where to put things. I'd made them a ramp to ease getting up our front step and I always feel little things like that can help things go smoothly. Really impressed with the packaging too - carefully wrapped doors and panels, and carcasses wrapped simply (but very effectively) in cardboard and PP strapping. The quality of the units, drawers and paint seems spot on too. I spent the whole of the next day unwrapping and checking everything... I do love the way the original order, invoice and delivery sheet all have a completely different order and subtly different part numbers just to make things take twice as long as they need to! Such is the forced intimate familiarity with each and every item there's a very real risk I'll end up referring to the 'pan drawers' as P2ID1-6 forvever more... ? There were unfortunately a few issues: - Wrong internal drawers (6 of) sent (I'd paid for the glass-sided Tandembox Intivo/Antaro drawers but got the basic Tandembox Plus ones) - A crack on one of the drawer fronts (it's on the rear but as it appears to be in the timber itself - not just the paint - I think it is only a matter of time before it comes through to the front) - A chip in the corner on one of the large doors (on an edge that's on the end of a run so unfortunately likely to be visible) - A permanent(?) marker mark where the writing on a piece of tape with my order number had gone beyond the edge of the tape (it might well come off easily but haven't yet dared try anything other than a damp cloth until it's been discussed as I don't want to risk damaging the paint/finish) - Insufficient soft-close buffers - only one fitted per pair of hinges which isn't enough for these heavy doors (20mm timber) - surely this can't be right? (The Blum technical manual advises one per hinge for 'normal door sizes' and I'd hope/expect them to follow this) - A larder unit supplied with drawer runners fitted and fully glued despite requesting no fittings and dry-assembly (to allow me to experiment with shelf and drawer positioning which now I can't really do without leaving visible fitment marks/holes and I'll also have to drill my own hinge holes for no reason) - Hinges missing for those doors requested to be supplied undrilled (soft-close zero protrusion ones so not cheap) It's just my luck really to have these issues and so whilst I do feel some disappointment I am not the slightest bit surprised! We're fortunate that we're not in any rush: this is a new kitchen in a new room (still got the functioning old one), I'm DIYing so there are no fitters and/or other trades to rearrange and our extension is already many many months beyond how long we thought it would take so 'a bit longer' is something we've learnt to live with! I've raised a ticket and finger's crossed it'll get sorted without too much issue - I've been really impressed with their pre-sales support so hopefully they won't be giving up on me now they've got my money. Incidentally, does anyone know what happens with damaged items? Do they get collected when replacements are delivered? If they're going to end up chucking them I wondered if I could keep them as whilst they're not acceptable for a 1-day old kitchen they well find some purpose years down the line as spares.

I had the same concerns but needn't have worried. Our MVHR unit is in an uninsulated loft and we have temperature sensors inside every port on the unit and one in the loft itself. I've seen the loft temperature rise to 40-45c with no obvious effect on the supply air temperature. Note that on the hottest of days the unit will likely *not* activate the summer bypass as the outside air is often hotter than that being extracted hence keeping the heat exchanger 'in circuit' can cool the incoming air (heat transfer always occurs hot-to-cold regardless of direction). In such scanarios I've seen a degree or two drop. It's not air conditioning, but it has reassured me that the loft temperature hasn't been an issue. I wouldn't expect an MVHR unit to overheat in a loft as the heat-generating items are the fans and they sit within the air flow.

I think all the Titan SDSs have safety clutches? Not sure where the threshold sits though...

Looking good! You've also made me realise that a recessed waste pipe also enables greater freedom of how/where to route the supply pipework. Edit: Looking closer I see that the waste pipe is in front of the water pipes - I was assuming it was sitting behind..

With your proposed approach I think I'll be able to run the pipe behind the cabinet so there won't be anything visible within... have I misunderstood the use of the covers in this case? (Was it that they can be used inside cupboards should the need arise?)

Noted - thanks!

That could work... It's 12.5mm plasterboard (plus skim) dot-and-dabbed on a block wall so there's probably another 15mm gap or so behind to help even further. If luck is on my side (yeah right) I could possibly fix a piece of ply to the blocks on which to easily mount the pipe and related items. I don't know what the blocks are but they're a nightmare to drill (they seem to have black aggregate in them which could well be diamonds given how hard they are!).

We're due to take delivery of a kitchen from DIY Kitchens in a few weeks and am making the final preparations for installation. I need to run a 40mm waste pipe horizontally for around 1m from the sink and dishwasher to a soil stack boss (accessed through the wall) that sits around 300mm up from the floor hence it'll be running behind (not under) the units. I note that the service void on DIY Kitchens units are 42mm which sounds a bit on the small side to me, and would presumably mean I won't be able to use conventional pipe supports on the wall given their thickness and the fact that they hold them slightly off the surface. I'm sure once the units are here and offered up I'll sort something out - necessity being the mother of all invention and all that - but wondered if anyone had come across this situation before and can share how they dealt with it? I'd prefer not to bring the units forward, even slightly as the worktop is already ordered and I haven't thought through what other knock-on consequences there might be.

Understood and, yes, I agree that the wall is sounding preferable!

Prior to reading to what I did, I thought your approach sounded reasonable. It is only having read the rules - and interpreting them literally - that personally I would try and comply with exactly what's written. This wouldn't be to (just) satisfy the regs/BC but more just for confidence that I've done everything I can to do things properly based on expertise of others that might not have not have necessarily been explained. All said and done though, I must admit that Aico not approving their heat alarms for wall mounting probably more has in mind conventional flat-ceiling rooms where I can see the obvious issue of it being outside where the heat will rise too (or at least be delayed in being within it). A single-sloped ceiling likes yours seems, in my mind at least, to likely make things different. I don't think you've mentioned why mounting it on the ceiling wouldn't be acceptable to you? I think aesthetically it might look better? This could be down to me just being more used to seeing detectors on ceilings than walls.

It's on the supply side (only) and I'd read various manufacturers/retailers recommendations that this is all that's required. I don't think we get any fan-related noise in the extract vents, but I'm sure someone here did and found that they benefited from fitting one on the extract side also. I seem to recall they're not that expensive (mine's a Blauberg silencer) so you could be worth making provision for one in both if you've got the room? 125mm spigots here. I think I'd be worried about using reducers as presumably the size of a unit's spigots is a reflection of its size/throughput and therefore implied requirement of ducting?

Might the approach I took below be of any use? Cheap and cheerful, but I think it does the job?

Does the following help at all? I'm no expert on the subject so do check my train of thought... Approved Document B (Fire Safety) essentially refers to BS5839-6 (Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings) for its recommendations. BS5839-6:2019 has the following to say in para 11.2(l): You can presumably cover (1) and (2) okay so that leaves (3). Looking at the installation instructions for an Aico Ei144RC heat alarm, which covers the whole Ei140RC series, it says on page 16: This, to me, suggests that only Aico smoke alarms (not heat alarms) are suitable for wall mounting and thus would fail to satisfy clause 11.2(l)(3) of BS5839 above?

Whatever that actually means though... even their heat alarms and control panel switch have a 10yr expiry date!

I haven't seen Jeremy around for a while. Does anyone know if he's okay?

Was it this one? JSHarris MVHR Commissioning Sheet.xls

A quick interim review of the Tikkurila paints above... Echoing what @wozza has said, the Anti Reflex 2 went on to the ceiling really well - absolutely no roller marks, completely flat matt (hard to focus on it when up close!) and - if you'll forgive the obligatory cliche - really does do what it says on the tin in terms of coping superbly well with unforgiving light angles. The second coat is still to go on but is seeming like just something of a formality, although I did have a pretty decent white base (Screwfix's No Nonsense plaster paint) underneath. I've also done a first coat of Optiva 5 on the walls and that too seems excellent. Slightly thinner that the Anti Reflex 2 hence even easier to apply. Covers really well, silky smooth and gives a luxurious finish. Using the base white again so can't comment on coloured tints. I've yet to test its scrubability/cleanability but will do some tests in due course on the walls behind where the kitchen units will go (I figured the sink or dishwasher opening would be an ideal place to test cleaning methods before doing so anywhere on display! Whilst the product literature makes no mention I am assuming the paint will take some time to develop its maximum strength as I know that whilst emulsion dries fairly quickly (25 minutes to touch dry for the Optima 5!) there's still various other ingredients that go through various state changes over a much longer period.

I suppose it might depend how big the rooms are? The bigger the room the further away the 'sweet spot' might be? 500mm sounds a bit on the far side to me, but then I do tend to overthink things like this and forget that either a) there's more than one right answer, or b) 'normal' people wouldn't notice or care!

I seem to recall having reading 20cm minimum on at least a couple of manufacturer's sites. Aside from anything else I think too close might not look aesthetically pleasing?