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+--- Thread: Not a Fitter, well, not yet (/showthread.php?tid=2629)
Not a Fitter, well, not yet - Chrisfin - 21-03-2011
Hi all,
I'm Chris, not a fitter, I'm purchasing manager for an aerospace engineering company. I would rather be fitting kitchens for a living though! Done a few kitchens and bathrooms for family and friends in my spare time, but pretty basic stuff. Some of the work I've seen on here is special, really something else, it's good to find somewhere that the real pros use to offer advice to us DIYers. Fitting a new kitchen in my place in a few weeks, my most ambitious effort yet, so you may well see me on here asking for advice over the coming weeks. Cheers in advance.
Chris.
RE: Not a Fitter, well, not yet - Claydon Lad - 22-03-2011
Welcome to the forum Chris. There's plenty of great fitters here - maybe I'll join 'em one day!
RE: Not a Fitter, well, not yet - PREM - 22-03-2011
welcome Chris, take pictures when trying to describe something, it is the best aid. have you planed the kitchen? where is the kitchen from, tops included. there are some to avoid ( tops).
RE: Not a Fitter, well, not yet - Chrisfin - 22-03-2011
It's a b&q cooke and lewis kitchen, which I'm sure will get some derogatory Clints from the purists, but it was a good deal. It should be arriving tomorrow. Ivory painted Oak inset doors. The tops aren't ordered, but will be 40mm thick solid oak. Haven't decided on the supplier yet, although my brother in law bought some from woodworktops.com for £120 per 3m length and they look pretty good to the untrained eye so I had thought about going with them. Are they one of the ones to avoid?
RE: Not a Fitter, well, not yet - voltarol - 22-03-2011
That sounds like a good price for a wooden worktop,if you have seen them and they look ok then go with them,you would pay that for a decent laminate top
I try to avoid buying anything from b and q as well as howdens,just don't think the quality is there,and let's face it neither of them are exactly cheap
RE: Not a Fitter, well, not yet - Chrisfin - 22-03-2011
Ok, so what is the quality problem with a cooke and lewis kitchen from B & Q? I don't want to end up with something that will fall apart in a few months time.
Being a high street consumer rather than a tradesman with an account It feels like I have limited places to go to get a kitchen. Where else could I go?
RE: Not a Fitter, well, not yet - Stretch - 22-03-2011
It's not so much the quality but the fact that B&Q kitchens are aimed at DIYers and therefore the finished article is not what you'd expect from a quality kitchen fitter. I've tried installing their rubbish and I can never make it look good.
There are so many reasons why but just to cite one example.....a base end panel should measure at least 900mm x 650mm as this will allow you to cope with out of square walls and floors. But what they do is supply a colour matched decor end panel that is exactly the same size as the end panel on the base unit so it will not overcome this problem and there are very few kitchens in the world that are exactly square and plumb.
They do make end panels that might do the job but you won't know you need these until you are halfway through the job and then it's a four week wait for them to deliver it to you by which time you'll be somewhere else and you'll be making a return visit.....do I need to go on??
At the end of the day, B&Q kitchens are designed by spotty youths who have done a course in CAD programming and have never installed a kitchen in their short lives. I turn down all offers to install their kitchens these days.
RE: Not a Fitter, well, not yet - voltarol - 22-03-2011
A Cooke and Lewis kitchen won't fall apart,I'm just not that keen on the stuff,the hinges are not that great and the screw on soft close pistons ain't very good either,if your kitchen is painted just be sure to check it all for finish quality and make sure everything matches,cornice and pelmet as well
Hope it goes to plan and everything gets delivered
RE: Not a Fitter, well, not yet - Stretch - 22-03-2011
Agree with Voltarol here....I might have gone into a bit of a rant on the last post but what I was trying to get across is that if this is your first kitchen, you're doing it in your own house and you are a DIYer then it will be fine and won't fall down/off/apart in six months.
B&Q kitchens are not really for the discerning kitchen fitter so we tend to avoid them. Good luck with the installation!
