Kitchen Installation - Sensible Order Of Work

[chuckalicious]

Hi all, wondered if someone with some experience in this could give me some advice.

I am doing a kitchen and utility room renovation with my dad (my kitchen/utility). We disagree slightly on the amount of time estimated for each job, so I wanted to run it past you all to see what you thought. My dad, who installed his own kitchen thinks it'll be dead straight forward. I on the other hand do not think he has planned it out enough.

We are getting all of the prep work done before the kitchen is delivered, while trying to keep a functioning house as we have an 8 month old baby. Bit of a nightmare so far.

There are 14 cabinets to be installed in the kitchen - 7 floor and 7 wall. No corner units. Cabinets are from Magnet, in case that helps if you're familiar with their fixtures.

There are 8 units in the utility room - 5 floor and 3 wall.

The kitchen wall is a mixture of plasterboard and lath and plaster. The utility room wall is plasterboard.

So first question: I am concerned about the ability of our walls to hold up the wall cabinets. What is the best way of securing these to the wall? I know we can put battens up which are secured to the wall and then the cabinets are secured to those, but wouldn't the battens themselves need to be secured to the studwork behind the lath/plasterboard? I don't think we'd be lucky enough to find the studs where we needed them. The house is Victorian so they may not be spaced where expected.

Second question: the plan so far estimates that it'll take 1 day per room to fit the cabinets - floor and wall. This seems very fast to me. From your experience, can cabinets be installed that quick? I know floor cabinets just get put in place, levelled and then fixed to the wall, but that's still quick

Third question: tiling of walls/splashback above floor units/below wall units. Should this be done after the worktops have been installed?

I think that's it, so if anyone can help out, I'd be very grateful.

Thanks

 

[foxhole]

Mark up walls with cup'd positions and remove plasterboard back to stud in a 100mm strip along the top of cup's position, replace this with ply to same thickness as plasterboard screwed to stud, you then have a secure timber point you can secure too, [there are metal wall bracket strips that can replace the brackets supplied to give one continuous bracket to hang cup's on.]
It's possible to secure all cup's in a day with two people but assumes all plumbing and electrics are ready to go.Avoid rushing the job though as it's quicker to fit once slowly than twice.
Finally tiles fitted after worktops go in as this can hide slight undulation in worktop fit. Seal worktop to wall before and after tiling for a watertight seal.

 

[chuckalicious]

Thanks for that. I shall pass on this knowledge and hope it doesn't fall on deaf ears!

 

[chuckalicious]

Would one of these be suitable?

http://www.diy-kitchens.com/shopexd.asp?id=276

I've seen these hanging rails mentioned in similar threads and wondered if there was any pro/con over using either method?

 

[foxhole]

Will save time but increase cost, and will need a suitable stud near the end of the run to support, slight unsupported overhang would be ok.

 

[chuckalicious]

That's a good point. Although would we not need a stud near the end of ply run as well?

 

[foxhole]

Yes but end of any exposed ply can be filled and decorated.

 

[chuckalicious]

That my friend is a very good point. I wonder if I should put the ply back plates in before the wall is plastered then...

 

[foxhole]

Ideally yes.