Kitchen - where to save and where to spend

Meepster

lisahobden wrote: »

What a shame we cant buy from them - we are in Herts too!

Well buy them from CK, I'm sure he'll do you a good deal...

Meepster

CKdesigner wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion Mr W.

Not a problem, seems like common sense to me...

Fire_Fox

I am not convinced by top-of-the-range carcasses, my parents have just had the doors and worktops replaced on their twelve year old kitchen as the carcasses are still in excellent condition. It wasn't even a 'good' kitchen in the first place - new conversion with the bog-standard units that developers often select. The kitchen shop she used were quite happy to fit granite worktops onto the old units as they agreed they were very sturdy.

Meepster

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I am not convinced by top-of-the-range carcasses

I guess it depends on how you define "top of the range"

CKdesigner

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I am not convinced by top-of-the-range carcasses, my parents have just had the doors and worktops replaced on their twelve year old kitchen as the carcasses are still in excellent condition. It wasn't even a 'good' kitchen in the first place - new conversion with the bog-standard units that developers often select. The kitchen shop she used were quite happy to fit granite worktops onto the old units as they agreed they were very sturdy.

Hi,

Please take some detailed pictures in 12 months time and post them on this thread. I suspect quite a few doors will have gone out of line and other issues would have showen up by then.

Meepster

I think it boils down to what you call "bog standard"

The standard is currently an 18mm MFC carcase. however an 18mm carcase varies from supplier to supplier depending on the quality of the MFC. The load a low density MFC can take is a lot less than what a medium or high density MFC can take. Also it depends on if the carcases are held together using cam and dowels, glued, pinned or dowel and glued.

Some companies have started to use 19, 20 or 22mm MFC carcases, but are made from a low or medium density material. The actual strength increase over an 18mm carcase is neglidgable.

Most german kitchen manufacturers only use a 15mm MFC carcase, however these are made using one of the highest density MFCs available and is actually STRONGER than most 18mm carcases. Typical german effieciency. Why lose 6mm on the internal width of the carcase if you don't need to and it wont effect the strength...

Kitchens are like cars and houses, there are so many different types, that it is impossible to set a standard...

matt_boro

why would you want a kitchen to last 20 years?

do you think you are going to have the same taste in 2030?

Meepster

matt_boro wrote: »

why would you want a kitchen to last 20 years?

do you think you are going to have the same taste in 2030?

I'd certainly want the carcases to last for 20+ years. Then all I need to do when I want to change the style, is change the doors, worktops, handles, sink, tap etc.

If it has been planned correctly, then the layout should never need changing...

Doozergirl

matt_boro wrote: »

why would you want a kitchen to last 20 years?

do you think you are going to have the same taste in 2030?

True. I read that people move house on average once every 7 years.

If I moved into a house with a 7 year old kitchen I think I'd change it. Fair enough if they've left me a Poggenpohl though

Fire_Fox

CKdesigner wrote: »

Hi,

Please take some detailed pictures in 12 months time and post them on this thread. I suspect quite a few doors will have gone out of line and other issues would have showen up by then.

When I say 'just' it was last summer so it's coming up for twelve months now. But I do promise to report back if there are any problems further down the line.