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Kitchen install gone wrong

7 years ago

I've recently had a new kitchen install which was done by one of the big nationwide companies.

When I’ve checked the installers work I’ve found that there are gaps at the back on the working surfaces which have not been filled or sealed, some of the side panels to on the kitchen cupboards have been filled with filler at the bottom.

When Curry’s tried to install my dishwasher yesterday they advised that the kitchen unit wasn't straight and it couldn't be fitted.

They haven't left a big enough gap for the fridge so it sometime difficult to open and they have left the drain pipe for the sink sticking out and it’s not attached to the wall.

I wanted to check and ask when you fit a kitchen working surface is it normal practice to leave gaps at the back and not seal them, and the kick back boards at the bottom of the units also have gaps and I not sure if these should have been sealed or filled.

I’ve attached some pictures showing the installers work, I'd really appreciate any advice that you can give me and also what you think of his work.

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Comments (4)

Jonathan
7 years ago
The workmanship seems fine. It is normal for perfectly straight kitchen units to not fit flush against imperfect walls and normally people would have some sort of splashback to hide any gap at the back of the worktop. If you are not having a splashback then silicone is the obvious choice to seal the edge.
You have some pictures of the plinth too- this does not have to fit to the floor and is just used to cosmetically hide sloping floors and so it looks fine to me.
However there is a design issue if your kitchen planner has not left sufficient room for your appliances.
I would be returning to the designer for solutions.
Daisy England
7 years ago
I’m with Jonathan on this. Uneven walls are a nightmare for fitters. Worktops need to be sealed to prevent spillage seaping through. A gap below the plinth is fine. Nobody but you will probably even notice it.

The problem with using well known nationwide kitchen fitters is that they’re on a price. They want to be in and out promptly. No time or money allocated for problems whereas an independent would spend more time sorting out such problems if they arose.

I presume it’s Wren, B&Q or the like.
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Sonia
7 years ago
My bottom plinths are the same as yours, with odd gaps, I just checked as I’ve never noticed before! My house is quite old so floors and walls are all over the place. I had tiles as a splashback and that has helped to cover any gaps and gives a nice finish. Worth considering some kind of splashback. However the issue with the dishwasher is not acceptable. The fridge does look a very tight fit but whether that’s due to poor measuring or fitting, or just buying a fridge that is too wide for the gap, I’m not sure. I would certainly contact them to rectify the dishwasher issue. Email is best as phoning is time consuming and details can be “lost”. All companies have a Contact Us option on their website. Hope it all gets sorted for you.
PRO
MBH Carpentry and Joinery Ltd.
7 years ago
Worktops I agree are fine and usually an upstand or splashback would be fitted to cover any gaps from uneven walls,

End panels should not require that much filler when fitted and it looks as if the kitchen level could have been dropped a little and this will also get over the gap under the plinth. I thought the plinth was not only to cover the void under the units but it also provides added support to the base units when loaded up to help spread the weight and really should be fitted with a 5 mm or less gap so they can be removed if needed.

pipe outside is not fitted properly as over time this will sag as there are no fixings to the wall to hold it in place, and the fact the appliances won’t fit says to me that the kitchen was not set out correctly from the start or there is a fault in the design.

If I were you I would be going back to the company demanding these things are corrected.

I hope you get it sorted and can enjoy your new kitchen soon.

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