Kitchen: Where waste and water supplies are situated

[richard7761]

I'm using a set of base cabinets for my kitchen. The washer will be in the middle, and either side will be a space of 1000mm.

To the right of the washer will be a 1000 wide base unit.

Now, I'm not sure what to do with the 1000mm space on the left of the washer, because that is where the water supply enters and waste leaves and where the sink will be.

I have two options for the left: Fit a 500mm base unit just left of the washer leaving me to figure out the 500m space left of this base unit, or fit a 1000mm base unit.

Would the usual thing to do be to fit a 1000mmm base unit on the left and to cut out any necessary holes in the base unit? As per the drawing I've made. Thanks.

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• richard7761
• 9 Feb 2015
• 1

 

[richard7761]

Also I have these questions:

In this case:

* Does the worktop edges need to be supported by strips of wood attached to the surrounding walls? (There are 3 surrounding walls). Or is it perfectly satisfactory for the worktop to be entirely supported by the base units?

* Do the base units need to be affixed (glued) to the wall at the back? Or will the arrangement be stable enough without the units being attached to the back wall? (I assume not, but just asking).

 

[Deleted member 174758]

The normal approach would be to fit a 1000mm base unit, with appropriate cut-outs. If it looks really untidy you could always cut-out parts of the back of the cabinet and form boxing inside the cabinet from MFC (melamine-faced chipboard) or Contiboard, edged with iron-on melamine edging tape (trimmed) so it looks neater when you open the doors. Silicon seal the worktop/wall joints and make sure you install a silver foil worktop protector on the underside of the worktop where your washer will go

* Does the worktop edges need to be supported by strips of wood attached to the surrounding walls? (There are 3 surrounding walls). Or is it perfectly satisfactory for the worktop to be entirely supported by the base units?

A bit of both. Supported by the cabinets where they are, but something like a 2 x 1-1/2in or 2 x 2in planed softwood batten on the wall at the back between the units

* Do the base units need to be affixed (glued) to the wall at the back? Or will the arrangement be stable enough without the units being attached to the back wall? (I assume not, but just asking).

I almost always fix my units to the back walls using steel angle plates at the top (out of sight), especially if they are singletons like you have there. The worktop is fixed to the units through the "nailer" at the front of the cabinets (the horizontal "bar" running between the end panels) and by a couple of angle brackets to each upright panel in the centre and towards the rear as well as between the support batten and the worktop in the middle. The angle brackets you need are specifically made for kitchen fitting in 19 x 19mm size

 

[geraldthehamster]

Are you going to be banging your left elbow on the wall when using the sink? Personally I wouldn't put a sink in a corner.

Cheers
Richard

 

[richard7761]

Are you going to be banging your left elbow on the wall when using the sink? Personally I wouldn't put a sink in a corner.

Cheers
Richard

Hi. There is a window on the left, so the elbow does not bash.

 

[richard7761]

Is it the practice to lay down your floor tiles or lino first and to have the base unis standing on floor tiles or lino? Thanks. Right now there is neither where the units are going.

 

[richard7761]

Just remembered another issue:

I'm redesigning the kitchen using same kind of base units.

When the joiner put in the kitchen, he used 28mm thick worktop. When the worktop was on he tiled on top of it. So, the bottom edge of the tiling is at a distance of 870mm + 28mm = 898mm.

The new worktop I want to put in is 38mm thick. For it to fit, so it went under the tile again, I'd have to reduce the base unit height by 10mm.

The problem is that I would have to shave 10mm off the plinth at the bottom.

To avoid that I'd have to take 10mm from off the bottom of the tiles.

Would it be a fairly easy job the score the tiles and remove 10mm from the bottom? I could use the new worktop as a guide line. The tiles of course are cemented to the wall. Thanks.

 

[geraldthehamster]

You could cut the tiles with a Dremel, with suitable attachment. Wear a mask.

Personally I'd be tempted to butt the worktop up to the tiles and fit a quadrant bead. What material is the new worktop?

Cheers
Richard

 

[richard7761]

You could cut the tiles with a Dremel, with suitable attachment. Wear a mask.

Personally I'd be tempted to butt the worktop up to the tiles and fit a quadrant bead. What material is the new worktop?

Cheers
Richard

I was thinking of buying 38mm IT Kitchens Black Quartz Laminate Round Edge Kitchen Worktop:

Product code: 03261200
Technical specifications
Finish Quartz effect
Surface Finish Gloss
Colour description Black
Profile 10mm round edge
Length 3m
Depth 600mm
Thickness 38mm
Base material Chipboard
Timber certificate TT-COC-003110
Timber approval FSC® approved

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• richard7761
• 10 Feb 2015
• 1

 

[geraldthehamster]

Maybe see if you can get a bead to match. Would the tiles look odd if the bottom row were 10mm shorter? Are they patterned or plain?

I've stripped out and replaced a couple of kitchens, and came to the conclusion that chipboard/laminate worktops were something of a temporary measure, but maybe that's just me...

Cheers
Richard

 

[richard7761]

Maybe see if you can get a bead to match. Would the tiles look odd if the bottom row were 10mm shorter? Are they patterned or plain?

I've stripped out and replaced a couple of kitchens, and came to the conclusion that chipboard/laminate worktops were something of a temporary measure, but maybe that's just me...

Cheers
Richard

I've no brass, so I have to get cheap items.

Tiles are plain. 150mm square. The bottom ones would be 140mm high, or show as that height, if the new worktop top surface rises above the original level by 10mm.

Of course the worktop would stick out at the front about 8mm more than originally.

Looks easiest to just butt up the worktop up to the tiles. And put a quadrant at the junctions.

I have a dremel drill, but no attachment.

 

[geraldthehamster]

Less faff to run 8mm off the edge of the worktop with a circular saw, than trying to slice the tiles. Does an extra 8mm overhang matter?

See this:

http://www.diy.com/departments/12mm...04_BQ&ef_id=VNn@bAAABaAS5n4J:20150210124948:s

Cheers
Richard

 

[richard7761]

Less faff to run 8mm off the edge of the worktop with a circular saw, than trying to slice the tiles. Does an extra 8mm overhang matter?

See this:

http://www.diy.com/departments/12mm...04_BQ&ef_id=VNn@bAAABaAS5n4J:20150210124948:s

Cheers
Richard

No, the extra 8mm jutting out would not matter. Drawers and doors would just be set back 8mm effectively.

Of course, originally the tiles held the worktop around it's edges. Sort of.

Upstand noted.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Is it the practice to lay down your floor tiles or lino first and to have the base unis standing on floor tiles or lino? Thanks. Right now there is neither where the units are going.

Not really, but it does make it easier when you come to slot-in things like the washer

The new worktop I want to put in is 38mm thick. For it to fit, so it went under the tile again, I'd have to reduce the base unit height by 10mm.

It would be easier to run a rebate along the back edge of the worktop, or just butt up and accept that you'll lose 10mm off the tile. This is generally what I do if replacing existing worktops with new.

Would it be a fairly easy job the score the tiles and remove 10mm from the bottom?

Therein lies madness. See comment above

 

[foxhole]

Angle grinder will reduce tiles easily or a multi-tool would take a little longer, personally would just reduce the plinth height.