New kitchen wisdom needed

[Tilt]

I have fitted Ikea's for a good number of years before the updated units though, fitted on a rail now, i believe.

I thoroughly recommended their earlier ones at least, cannot comment on the newer style though but would expect them to be good quality.

Ikea were fitting quality soft closers (doors and drawers) as standard when most others were charging a premium for them.

And (at that time) you would not have fitted a large style dinner plate in a B&Q wall cabinet as too shallow. 

Unless B&Q quality and design has seriously improved, then not for me.

Fitted a number of Wickes kitchens and yes, not bad on the unit / doors side at least.

 

Most use pretty poor quality laminate worktops in comparison to the better makes, Duropal and Axiom among'st others. Lots more choice out there than most people realise.

Also poor-ish wooden worktops too. I definitely recommend purchasing either of these worktops from a specialist supplier.

You could find a door manufacturer if you desired a very individual style. There are hundreds of laminate styles out there for choice.

 

Be aware that some supplier worktops are slightly wider than standard 600mm. Ikea's became 610mm when they eventually got their *hit sorted and it made fitting their void-less units considerably easier, at the time.

 

After all that you have probably made your decisions already, so good luck with it all.

Most importantly of all, use a recommended fitter. A good subcontractor or S/E fitter will have photo's of work they have done and will have customers that are happy to recommend them directly.

[CWARD]

2 minutes ago, Tilt said:

Most use pretty poor quality laminate worktops in comparison to the better makes, Duropal and Axiom among'st others

 

We bought the Duropal worktops. The kitchen has been in for over a decade now and not a single mark on the worktops despite regularly putting hot pans on it. Only tiny one chip where a Global knife dropped of the magnetic rack on to it, also managed to take the tip off the knife.  I remember the biggest difference was the weight of them of the worktop as they are very heavy compared to what you get at get at B&Q etc and it took a lot longer to cut.

[Auric Goldfinger]

Wots a Kitchen  ?

[Tilt]

3 minutes ago, CWARD said:

 

We bought the Duropal worktops. The kitchen has been in for over a decade now and not a single mark on the worktops despite regularly putting hot pans on it. Only tiny one chip where a Global knife dropped of the magnetic rack on to it, also managed to take the tip off the knife.  I remember the biggest difference was the weight of them of the worktop as they are very heavy compared to what you get at get at B&Q etc and it took a lot longer to cut.

 

I got into kitchen fitting via working for a very small worktop manufacturing company in Nottingham.

We supplied worktops from various other manufacturers as well as making our own and some of the cheaper makes chipboard was almost like Weetabix in places where the glue had not mixed with the wood chips very well.

As you mention weight is a good indicator of quality, as my back can testify.

Also we had lots of laminate samples and some of them not much thicker than a few sheets of paper together whilst the quality ones would be around a good 1mm thick.

Worktops are the most important part of the kitchen imo. Can make it or ruin it, although they can be replaced later if desired.

[S00perb]

3 minutes ago, Auric Goldfinger said:

Wots a Kitchen  ?

That magic room the moaner comes out of with food when you ring the bell (well in my house anyway)

[CWARD]

9 minutes ago, Tilt said:

 

I got into kitchen fitting via working for a very small worktop manufacturing company in Nottingham.

We supplied worktops from various other manufacturers as well as making our own and some of the cheaper makes chipboard was almost like Weetabix in places where the glue had not mixed with the wood chips very well.

As you mention weight is a good indicator of quality, as my back can testify.

Also we had lots of laminate samples and some of them not much thicker than a few sheets of paper together whilst the quality ones would be around a good 1mm thick.

Worktops are the most important part of the kitchen imo. Can make it or ruin it, although they can be replaced later if desired.

 

Totally agree with that. Some places you can save money but not others. 

 

Your comments on the Ikea units I totally agree with. I've recently done the bathroom and and used their cabinets. A mate who does a lot of fitting was very impressed with them and wouldn't believe me that they were from Ikea until I showed him the labels on the insides.

As with everything you can have good components but unless you put them together right you may as well have not bothered and this is were a good fitter is worth every penny.