Appliance Bay Panel Fixing Issue

[Spinny]

Yesterday someone reinstalled a sink unit & 2 appliance bay side panels for washing machine and dryer.

The dividing panels were fixed to the wall at the back end. but still had some angle on them. So the someone put right angle brackets in at floor level between the floor and the panel. Last night I tried to put the washing machine in it's bay. It won't go in and out because the brackets stop the machine legs being pushed in and out. I had to remove them.

 

Please can people advise what they see as the normal way to fix these dividing panels next to appliances ?

(Worktop not in place and due to be templated next week.)

 

[markc]

If I am doing panels I dowel them at the bottom with plastic washers as spacers to keep them just clear of the floor to prevent water soak up. 6mm stainless threaded rod works well inserted into holes in floor and underside of the panel. Invisible and nothing to snag appliances

[Spinny]

Wow, that's impressive.

I can't imagine any commercial kitchen fitting company doing that though.

The fitters have put the sealed end of the panel against the floor and cut the top to size.

Annoyingly I have holes in my LVT to fill now regardless.

 

Will the worktop people (30mm quartz) glue or otherwise fix the worktop to the top of the panels ?

 

Any tips for sliding machines in and out ?

 

Pics attached including one of my nicely fitted fridge freezer (sadly the wrong handle style ended up on the order, delivered in a box, sat around for months, then installed and error spotted)

 

 

[Nickfromwales]

You can just buy plastic / nylon ‘feet’ with pins on the back which tap into the wood. 
 

Over engineered with dowels there!

 

These kind of things are available:

 

[markc]

An Engineer over engineer something? … never! 🤫

[Spinny]

4 hours ago, Nickfromwales said:

These kind of things are available:

Thanks @Nickfromwales, but I cannot seem to find those on Amazon when I use the same search term or indeeed search on the full item description.

 

I am not sure we are talking the same thing ? I attach a photo of what the fitter did. He was trying to hold the panel in the correct position at the bottom - not raise it or correct the height. I think if it was better secured at the back against the wall and exactly plumb vertical it should naturally sit correctly ? It potentially needs an invisible fixing under the panel like a dowel or perhaps a cradle shape fixing that would slide tight (and thinly) over the 19mm panel width after being fixed to the floor.

 

The appliance bays are only 610 wide, so only 5mm each side of the machine.

Edited 22 hours ago by Spinny

[Spinny]

Possibly the attached type U shaped brackets, suggested by ChatGPT. (Nick vs ChatGPT - hmm ?)

Apparently there are similar fixings for holding toilet partition panels ?

 

However these still protrude 2-3mm each side of the panel, and if they don't take a recessed screw even more. My fitter was using domed round head screws which really doesn't help. But then somewhere else he was screwing into a 19mm panel from both exact opposite sides in the same place using 16mm thread screws 🙄. I have got loads of screws of all sorts of sizes on site - he only had to ask - very short screws always seem to come in handy.

 

Dowelling seems a good answer. Or possibly some type of Ikea type fitting.

 

Chances of getting a kitchen company fitter to do any of this feeling a bit remote.

 

Edited 21 hours ago by Spinny

[sgt_woulds]

If all it does is hold the panel square, then surely no need to use screws into the panel?  But dowels or hidden fixings are the proffessional option.

 

Unfortunately, in my experience, most kitchen fitters (espescially those used by the big boxes), are just that. 

Politely, they can be classed as unskilled bodgers.  Or cack-handed barstools.

[Spinny]

Quite. I agree. Fitter just arrived again this morning, trying to tell me the floor brackets need to go back in. I have said no.

 

Given the panel must itself be straight not warped, if the front edge is not running plumb vertical then it must mean the back edge is not fixed to the wall plumb vertical. Putting a floor bracket in to forcibly push the front of the panel upright so it is in tension cannot be right. It was all fitted once before the floor went down then removed to put the floor down due to missing parts. In refitting it the floor is therefore now about 5mm higher - 2.5 smoothing compound and 2.5 LVT. However fitter decided to fit the small back wall brackets into the same holes in panel and wall - consequently they are twisted downward by about 5mm now. Just lacks due care and attention.

 

Never had a new kitchen fitted. I guess the best way to do it is get your own excellent fitter. Then they are working for you not the kitchen company and if you want to pay them to take twice the time fitting it you can ?

Edited 5 hours ago by Spinny