Correct Base Unit for Breakfast Bar?

[stu_101]

Hi Kitchen Experts,

DIY enthusiastic and kitchen amateur here who is about to try and fit a cheap DIY kitchen (or at least get as far as possible before screaming for help...)

I plan to feature base units along the wall and coming out into the room to form an 'L shape' breakfast bar (please see the kitchen plan attached).

My question is, what is the correct type of base unit to form the breakfast bar?
I have assumed the correct unit is the 'L-Corner Base Unit' however I have seen you can also get this type of corner base unit - Which is the most appropriate unit to buy for this purpose?

My second question as these units won't be fixed to the wall, what is the best method to fix them to the floor?

If you can provide any advice or direction it would be every much appreciated.

Many thanks for your help.

Stuart

[jonny round boy]

Stuart,

You can use either of those units to form the corner, which one would be best depends entirely on your situation.

Having said that, and no disrespect meant, but if you don't know how to do this, you really should get someone else to design the kitchen. You've linked to Wickes in your post, are you getting the units from there? If so, get them to design it for you. Hell, get them to design it even if you're not getting it there!

The 'designs' you'll get at the sheds are generally not great, but at least they will get the basic layout sorted.

As for fixing the units to the floor, there's no right or wrong way, everyone tends to do it differently. Personally I tend to build a sub-frame, fix that to the floor, and then screw the units down onto that. Having said that, it's sometimes possible to just secure it to the floor using the end and back panels, depending on how big the peninsular is.

You might have trouble attaching a plan - as a new member I think you're restricted from attaching files. If you can upload it to another website (photobucket, etc) you can link to that I think. Not 100% sure on that though.


Jonathan

[stu_101]

Hi Jonathan,

Thank you so much for your quick response.
I very much appreciate that I might be a bit out of my depth. To give you some background, I'm not looking for a top finish job - I'm planning to sell the property so I just want to get something done quickly that looks better than it does now without spending too much (I'll spend that £££ getting a pro in for my next place).

Please CLICK HERE to download the design I have put together (.pdf file) which should give you a feel for the corner unit and breakfast bar area I am referring to.

Many thanks.

Stuart

[Alex Morley]

L units suck. There right ball ache levelling them up. Avid fan of your second option with a custom corner post.

Fixing to the floor. (I must be rougher than I thought) I have nerver done that. By the time you have your top on, and silicones the end panel to the floor seems pretty solid IMO.

[Stretch]

I've never seen the need to fix any island/peninsular base units to the floor. The fact that in this instance you will have an L corner as your return means that it will be fixed somewhere.....the weight of it all keeps it in one place, including tops and base units full of stuff means it won't be going anywhere.

I remember seeing a similar post on the Screwfix forum many moons ago. Someone suggested drilling through the worktop and securing into the floor with 970mm long screws. That just about sums it up!!

[Fitter Steve]

as said there i really an need to fit the island part of your kitchen to the floor but if it was a seperate island but if you feel the need you may be able to fit a couple of l brackets to the panels if there are any or a screw thru the legs or even just a bit od silicon under the legs will do it

[snezza]

In the past, I have fixed an island section down to the floor, mainly because the worktop was going to be Granite and it had a 300mm breakfast bar overhang which made the Granite a wider footprint than the cabinets underneath.

In this situation, the complete island becomes top heavy and has a tendancy to wooble so I have used long studding and Resin Anchor adhesive and drilled through the bottom of the cabinets and straight through the centre of the legs to get a good fixing.
The Island is still fine 6 years on

I have never found the need to fix any type of Peninsula units to the floor.

Snezza.