Fitting kitchen cupboard below worktop

Jolaaled

Need some advice please.

I've been so lucky to have been offered lots of kitchen floor units from freecycle. I've measured up and i think it should all fit ok-ish.
I'm not replacing my worktop, as it's fairly new and i good nick. Can i put in my new floor cupboards with the worktop left in situ???
How would i fix the worktop to the cupboards...and do the cupboards have to be fixed to the wall.

Very ignorant about all of this..have minimal DIY skills, but lots of enthusiasm!
Any advice would be very much appreciated.

thanks so much, in anticipation

Meepster

You should find that the worktops are actually fixed to the current units. They are usually screwed underneath. So you will have to take the worktops out to fit the new units...

The units will also need to be screwed to the wall

Steve_Groves

How you would tackle it will depend upon whether the old units are simply being replaced with newer ones or the kitchen is being redesigned.

If it is a redesign then everything will probably have to come out.

If the kitchen is a straight run then you might be able to slide the worktop out and back in without disturbing the tiles.

Alternatively you couple consider replacing individual units and slowly go from old kitchen to new kitchen.

The worktop will be screwed to the units from under and the units will most likely be screwed to the wall and sideways into each other.

Unscrew areas and you might be able to slide 1-2 units out and slide back in another.

I did something similar when we moved the kitchen from one room to another and a few units were being reused. Took away over half of the old kitchen leaving it still able to be used.

ormus

its possible to do it in situ, but far easier to remove the top and replace it afterwards.

Jolaaled

thanks so much for your replies

It seems that most of you are suggesting that i move the worktop. I'm really worried about doing this as the full run of the worktop goes around 2 right angled bends and the worktop has been scribed and glued to make a nice smooth angle (there is therefore no obvious join or metal strip). If I move the worktop, i'm thinking that this join will then be broken and i've no idea how to fix it back. I also remember that, when the worktop was fitted, that the fitter said it was a really tricky job.

Do you think i can leave it in place and put the new cupboards underneath one at at time, or is this an impossiblity??

thanks all, again.

chickmug

Jolaaled wrote: »

thanks so much for your replies

It seems that most of you are suggesting that i move the worktop. I'm really worried about doing this as the full run of the worktop goes around 2 right angled bends and the worktop has been scribed and glued to make a nice smooth angle (there is therefore no obvious join or metal strip). If I move the worktop, i'm thinking that this join will then be broken and i've no idea how to fix it back. I also remember that, when the worktop was fitted, that the fitter said it was a really tricky job.

Do you think i can leave it in place and put the new cupboards underneath one at at time, or is this an impossiblity??

thanks all, again.

If you take off the worktops you may damage the wall tiling.

I have just done exactly what you have said and fitted a some new units under existing worktop. My worktop is also precision joined at two points and I felt this could be damaged or sent out of line. Have a try as it worked for me

wallbash

Of course the correct way is to remove the work top and fit the cupboards first .

BUT . with the worktop as described, I would certainly have a go at the alternative method. What have you got to lose.. As long as the final result is that you are happy!

Jolaaled

chickmug wrote: »

If you take off the worktops you may damage the wall tiling.

I have just done exactly what you have said and fitted a some new units under existing worktop. My worktop is also precision joined at two points and I felt this could be damaged or sent out of line. Have a try as it worked for me

i'm feeling a bit braver to try out this method now! thanks.
Do you think i will need to, somehow, support the worktop as i remove each cupboard???
Is it best to just do one cupboard at a time, or should i take all base units (and appliances) out completely, before installing the new cupboards??

thanks so much for all your help.

ormus

either support the top in some way, or fit the middle unit as a temp measure, or the two end units.
common sense stuff really.

Steve_the_fitter

I guess this would be done but as a pro kitchen fitter I wouldnt do this as its being done to save money but time wise will take longer than taking the worktop out and refitting.
If you are going to atempt this remember the units have to be level for the doors to look lined up once on so the best way for you to tackle this would be to take out a middle unit ( a unit with one either side) the slide a new unit in and higher to the worktop. then you can take the one out next to it and level it upto the new one next to it. you will still need a level and make sure that the new unit is level horizontal and vertical before moving onto the next one. Cant really see how you are going to be able to get the sink unit looking neat. maybe easier to take the back out completely. Good luck. I dont think it will be as easy as it sounds but you never know

chickmug

Jolaaled wrote: »

i'm feeling a bit braver to try out this method now! thanks.
Do you think i will need to, somehow, support the worktop as i remove each cupboard???
Is it best to just do one cupboard at a time, or should i take all base units (and appliances) out completely, before installing the new cupboards??

thanks so much for all your help.

I did this one or two at a time including the built in under oven. It is only because I had a builder in doing some other work he told me to do it this way so gave me the confidence.