Kitchen fitting tips

[Barnboy]

Hi all,

 

I'm going to hopefully be fitting my kitchen ro my barn conversion in the next month, the walls are skimmed plasterboard on timber studs, I've fixed ply behind the plasterboard where I'd worked out all the brackers/hangers should go.

The kitchen units come pre built with the doors separate and I have a range cooker to go in.

It runs along in a U shape along 3 wall before returning across with a breakfast bar.

I'm just after and tips and tricks before I start to help me out along the way.

Thanks

[Russell griffiths]

Get a laser level. 

[ProDave]

What worktop?

 

Anything other than a simple straight run, I would get a trusted joiner in to cut and do any joints.  That is just what I did with our island, a joiner I know and trust did a very good job of all the cutting and finishing of the oak worktop, far neater than if I had tackled it myself.

 

Likewise the main worktop was stone on on supply and fit contract.

[Beau]

As hinted at get the base units bang on level. The worktop fitting in the captive part of the U is a PITA so know your limits as to what you can do yourself. A cheap well fitted kitchen will look better than an expensive poorly fitted one. 

[Mike]

And for any wall units, fix a temporary batten along the wall at the required height. You can then rest the back on the units on it while you fix them and get them all level too.

[Barnboy]

19 hours ago, Russell griffiths said:

Get a laser level. 

I have a laser, it's been a god send all the way through the build, even last night for simply casting a line along the ceiling to mark out downlighters.

 

17 hours ago, ProDave said:

What worktop?

We're not sure yet, we'd like granite, quartz or similar but the price is so much that we might end up going with oak.

Edited 14 hours ago by Barnboy
Fat finger spelling.

[G and J]

1 hour ago, Barnboy said:

might end up going with oak

I made a small L shaped kitchen with an oak worktop and it looked fabulous.  However we took advise and oiled the worktop, and even for a weekend home it was just so easy to mark.  Not practical at all, much as I like wood I’d never do that again.

 

Our current worktop is shiny granite and I’m forever needing to polish it, so this time round I want something semi matte.

 

I've fitted melamine worktops using a jig for the joins and with care you can get that spot on, but for any other worktop it’s supply and fit.

[ProDave]

1 hour ago, G and J said:

I made a small L shaped kitchen with an oak worktop and it looked fabulous.  However we took advise and oiled the worktop, and even for a weekend home it was just so easy to mark.  Not practical at all, much as I like wood I’d never do that again.

Our Oak worktop is varnished with 3 coats of Howdens best 2 pack varnish.  Apart from where one visitor scratched a bit slicing bread on it (not on the chopping board) the rest is fine and just wipes clean like any other worktop.

 

Save the oil for doors.

[saveasteading]

1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Save the oil for doors.

We are about to remove the Tung oil for the second time. Very tedious.

Then we can get rid of the black rings from water or aluminium implements, where the oil was eroded.

 

I didn't know about this varnish. Perhaps it is newish?.  I should look into it. 

[Barnboy]

If I went for oak I was going to oil it so thank you for the heads up.

[saveasteading]

6 hours ago, saveasteading said:

I didn't know about this varnish. Perhaps it is newish?.  I should look into it. 

I went into Howdens.  They have it in 1 litre packs. it does 15m2 and needs to be used within 3 days of mixing. £25.

They had a small sample worktop and it looked good. Rather glossy though, so doesn't feel as rustic as with the oil.

 

I wonder if this is more for speed and convenience, especially of the fitter, than for beauty.

 

We may try it on our chopping board, which is made from an offcut.

[G and J]

8 hours ago, saveasteading said:

We are about to remove the Tung oil for the second time. Very tedious.

Then we can get rid of the black rings from water or aluminium implements, where the oil was eroded.

 

I didn't know about this varnish. Perhaps it is newish?.  I should look into it. 

Snap.
 

I did love our oak worktop, wish I’d varnished it.  We ‘enjoyed’ the black marks.  😞 

 

But this time we are going more modern, after all, one doesn’t want to repeat one’s mistakes.  Far more exciting to make lots of new ones.

[ProDave]

The 2 pack vsarnish had some odd restrictions on application, something like each coat must be applied no more than an hour after the last coat otherwise you then had to wait 25 hours?

 

We gave the underside 2 coats, then next day turned it the right way up and gave the top 3 coats.

 

And spilled red wine does not bother it either.