Kitchen fitting tips

[touch]

I'm going to be fitting a new kitchen next week, I've taken Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off work and with the weekend that'll give me 5 days to get it done.
It's a small (3.5m x 2m) galley kitchen with units down one side only so I think I should be able to get it done within that time but I'll need to have everything ready to go and can't be mail ordering stuff half way through.

• Should I lay the new flooring when it's empty then drag the new kitchen cabinets across it and risk scraping it or do I put the new stuff in first then fit the floor around it?
• The wall units are solid wood and feel very heavy. Would it be worth building a supporting frame of 2x3 against the wall to attach the units to?
• Any general tips or things that I'm likely to have overlooked?

 

[NoobCannon]

• Any general tips or things that I'm likely to have overlooked?

Pay someone else to do it.

Post pictures of upside down units

 

[Scrutinize]

I'm going to be fitting a new kitchen next week, I've taken Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off work and with the weekend that'll give me 5 days to get it done.
It's a small (3.5m x 2m) galley kitchen with units down one side only so I think I should be able to get it done within that time but I'll need to have everything ready to go and can't be mail ordering stuff half way through.

• Should I lay the new flooring when it's empty then drag the new kitchen cabinets across it and risk scraping it or do I put the new stuff in first then fit the floor around it?
• The wall units are solid wood and feel very heavy. Would it be worth building a supporting frame of 2x3 against the wall to attach the units to?
• Any general tips or things that I'm likely to have overlooked?

Are the wall units being hung on a solid wall or internal plasterboard!?

Do you need to route the tops for sink and cooker?

Wall/ceiling Extraction points for extractor etc?

Floor can go in either way but it depends on plinths, levels and whether you need to be able to remove units once fitted i.e. dishwasher/washing machine etc. Plus depth and type of floor and base eg screed, insulation etc.

As for general tips, any electrics and gas to be re plumbed/connected? If yes get a qualified electrician/plumber in to do this stage.

My main tip would be to get someone in to do it £££ or help ££.

Fitting a kitchen is easy but it can be a right pain and very time consuming and hard work to get right + there are usually the trade instruction guides about. My Howdens fitting manual is fairly hefty. Weights / Volumes of units and worktops can be challenging.

Whatever wall you fit the wall units too use appropriate anchor bolts/screws not dinky Rawl plugs.

 

[samcat]

When we did mine it was:
* Floor first (tiled)
* Units in
* Worktop in and everything levelled (we went with the slightest roll away from the back wall, so any spills gradually go towards the floor rather than puddling against the wall)
* Finish fitting units and tighten everything up gradually, checking levels etc at each change.
* Wall cupboards mounted
* Wall between worktop and units tiled (electric tile cutter is a godsend when doing this... so quick to tweak things and less mistakes)

Personally, fit floor first. Never DRAG units around, either lift them or get a helper (get a helper... trust me on this. Borrow a friend on the promise of beers/pizza/cash. An extra pair of hands will make some jobs go from PITA to dead easy, and one of you can go get supplies whilst the other cracks on etc)

We already had good plumbing and electric so this didn't change, new fascias on sockets and tweaked the under sink piping to allow an extra drain for the dryer.

Random thoughts:

Cordless drill/screwdriver and 2 batteries, both fully charged. When one is empty swap and charge. If stopping to go get bits/have a breather/get fish and chip lunch make sure a battery is charging.

Invest in a big box of assorted GOOD QUALITY screws.. Often the ones supplied with things are awful, so just assume all supplied screws are junk and use your own.

Same with Rawl plugs, bug an assorted lot of good quality ones.

Make sure all your water stop valves work easily. also fit decent ones on the runs to washing machine, dishwasher etc and make sure they are easy to get to once the kitchen is installed... So if anything goes wrong its quick and easy to isolate just that thing.

Same with wastes, make sure you have enough for all appliances.

Basically plan plan plan, make sure you know where local screwfix/builders merchants etc are, grab a catalogue and have a damn good look through. Watch youtube vids on how to etc as it will show you things you havent thought of. Write out your plan, run it past others and see if you have missed a step that makes a later step much harder etc.

Get everything you can do in advance done in advance, have plans for if its raining heavily etc. Dust sheets and a staple gun are useful if you need to cut wood inside, saves the shavings/dust going through the whole house. Holes from staples can be filled easily after the fact.

Good luck!

 

[wakadoo]

i am not super tall and find doing the top units first makes life easier.

if tiles then i have done the floor first, if laminate then i do it last, remember that its not
moving the units that will mark it but all the tools you end up getting out as well.

just take plenty of time and enjoy it.

 

[S@njay]

I swear by these fixings, guaranteed every time. Its the only fixings i would use if there is any plasterboard mentioned against a brick wall. (Especially if you have the wonderful new type soft concrete bricks).

http://www.drylinepro.com/

 

[platypus]

I swear by these fixings, guaranteed every time. Its the only fixings i would use if there is any plasterboard mentioned against a brick wall. (Especially if you have the wonderful new type soft concrete bricks).

http://www.drylinepro.com/

These things are ****** brilliant. Another recommendation here.

 

[PFarrey]

It would be useful if you could publish a floor plan which should show any annotation from the kitchen manufacturer.

Should I lay the new flooring when it's empty then drag the new kitchen cabinets across it and risk scraping it or do I put the new stuff in first then fit the floor around it?

The most common problem I come across regarding floors is that it has been agreed that the floor will be laid after the kitchen has been installed. It is fine to do this but consider the following;

- If you are going to put the floor down afterwards then you should consider that any freestanding 'integrated' appliances (dishwasher, washing machine, washer dryer, built under fridge / freezer) require that a finished floor surface is required before installation in those particular areas. Imagine laying your floor and then installing a dishwasher afterwards, laying the floor up to the appliance and fitting your plinth only to forget about it for a few years. What happens when the appliance needs to be removed for whatever reason? Good luck getting it out without damaging the floor. This is a simple thing to consider and resolve during the initial install - Either lay finished floor where the appliance is going, or make sure the appliance is on a raised plinth of some sort to coincide with the finished floor level.

- If you have an island which has 'clad on end panels' then consider laying the finished floor before installing the island. It will leave a much nicer finish as you will be able to install the end panels over a finished floor level. If you decide to tile up to the end panel then you will require the floor to be scribed around the end panel and it never looks great.

Personally I would try to get the finished floor down before the installation of the kitchen. If you do this please ensure you sufficiently protect the floor.

 

[rexehuk]

Personally I would try to get the finished floor down before the installation of the kitchen. If you do this please ensure you sufficiently protect the floor.

Or moreso... Cheap out not finishing the floor and your fridge sits on sub floor leaking a small bit and rotting your sub floor cause you couldn't stretch for £50 more for tiles.

 

[Buffman]

Similarly I'm getting mine next week and going to be starting. I'm doing the flooring after (well the fitters are) but remember to leave sufficient room for the plinths! Or be prepared to cut them. Also put flooring under freestanding appliances.

I've previously fitted flooring first in a very small kitchen.

 

[planty]

I fitted our laminate flooring after the units were in - just left an extra gap for the plinths to compensate for the height of the flooring.