How much did your kitchen cost?

Maybe they have improved.
Generally the units have to be screwed together. The worktops are of poor quality and chip very easy whencutting. Very rarely all the parts are there.
the backs are very thin at 3mm and can break out easy.
How did you find them?
 
nediaaa said:
At no point in fitting a kitchen is there need for freehand router work.
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Could you tell me where I suggested there was? You said I had no need for three routers, so I told you why I had more than one. As I said, I'm a DIYer, I don't limit myself to kitchen fitting!
 
Sorry Leo, You are correct. We were having a discussion about kitchens and it was the kitchens i was refering to.
 
Leo ,Nediaaa I have 3 Routers and I use all of them when fitting kitchens. Some of the hand made kitchens require this. I use a small light duty router for trimming etc. The medium duty is handy for socket cutouts etc as it's not heavy. The Heavy duty for worktops and rebating flush mounted sinks, Hobs etc...
I agree with Nediaaa I wouldn't fit a kitchen that had a jointing strip. I think we are the last country on the planet that uses them.
 
another vote against Homebase.

We bought some simple units from them for our utility room. There was a long delay in delivery and then one of the hinges for one of the units was wrong. Three trips back to them and we still don't have the right hinge.
 
i think the moral of the story is that the big difference in price between Homebase/b&q/cash and carry/ikea vsthe local kitchen companies is the high quality of design, service and fitting and over all project management. If there is a problem you can land on the door step and it should be sorted out in an effiecent manner. It is all about someone who cares-the personal touch.
 
I disagree about joining strips.

What does one do about the exposed ends of chipboard worktops? (islands etc)
Glue on a veneered strip? Is that better than a metal screwed on end strip? I'd prefer the metal strip to be honest.

I'm always surprised at tradesmen saying they won't do this or that. Surely if the money is right...


How much is charged for each join to be made? 50 Euros? 100 Euros? (I've heard of quotes greater than 500 just for this). Some people are happy to use the joining strips, and I think there's no problem with them. They simplfy fitting and cost less. Some people buy on price, not quality.


Incidentally, a proper masons miter could be made without using a worktop jig. A jig could be made. It's only a short 45 degree cut, followed by a straight line cut. I wouldn't like to attempt it but if I was DIY'ing my own kitchen it could be worth a shot... especially if only one end of the worktop needed a join.

Of course the jigs allow for angles that aren't 90 degrees... but how is the angle measured accurately?
 
As regards the end strips i would glue on the formica and trim it back and buff the where it joins. It is miles better than the metal strip. Generally a fitter will charge 50 euro per join up to a max of 100 euro.
A quality tradesman will want to do the routed join. It is a more professional join.
People who buy on price cannot expect a top quality kitchen.
to measure the angle cut the female join. Butt the other top up to it. Measure the gap and throw the jig off by that amount. Or using an angle square
 
Ok, it sounds like you make an effort to glue on the end cover strips very well, that's good. The reason I dislike the glue on stuff is that if not buffed correctly, and it's catchy then it will come off eventually, and that'll look a lot worse than a metal screwed on strip.

So the glue on strip is more prone to failure in my view.. but perhaps I'm wrong, and if done correctly, will last for ever.


50 Euros per join is good... 200 per join would be too expensive, and would make the joining striips more attractive, especially to people paying 2,000 to 2,500 for everything. like the IKEA poster.

Yes, of course equipped professional tradesmen would prefer to do better work, but if the customer can't pay then doing it the cheaper way may be best. I think painters would often be painting colours that they themselves don't like... they just have to take it.

I don't follow the angle measuring technique. It would work in some situations butnot all... not for U Shaped worktops, where the ends of the U are trapped by full height cabinets. In that case some guesswork is required,.. and yes, an experienced person can do a lot by guessing, or by using his eyes.. but an upstand or tiles at the back will often cover up a non-perfect corner, so perfection is often not required... (hard to describe)


Yes, people who pay cheap get cheap work... that's obvious, and what the customer expected.
 
nediaaa said:
rescue16 said:
Go to homebase I found them excellent kitchen cost 4500.00 and that was fitted by them . Simples


I find homebase are one of the worst kitchens out there. Not meaning to dis your kitchen. i am speaking from experience
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They were also savaged, along with B&Q and one or two others of that ilk, in a Which? survey recently...
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A final point might be that a worktop jig can be rented.
Another tool many people may not have is a very large core drill, for drilling extractor holes. Yes, it can be done by hand, but if you want 2 x 150mm holes through two layers of bricks it's easier to use a huge drill. This is best rented, along with the bit. The smaller Makita SDS drills would struggle with the largest bits, and the depth of cut required, even though they'd fly though normal holes in concrete, cast concrete, granite, stone etc.. no comparasion to a hammer action drill at all. But still a larger drill is preferred for extractor holes.
 
My IKEA online model currently has my kitchen at around 9K - all units, IKEA appliances and wooden countertops. I got a quote from ORA Kitchens including indesit appliances and granite for 10.7K. Am also considering Kube, but no quote from them yet. Any opinions on which to go for if the prices are coming in fairly similar? thanks
 
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