Replacement kitchen doors

mas0282

Hi all.

I tried searching for a similar thread but couldn't find anything of use....

I'm looking to replace my kitchen doors. The units themselves are fine, but I want some new high gloss white doors. They only need to last a few years as I intend on selling my flat after that, so I simply want to do the cheapest job I can (without them completely falling apart, obviously).

B&Q would be the best choice but are out because I have some particularly high units that B&Q's standard sizes wont fit. I've looked online, and there are lots of places that will make doors to size, but most are almost twice the price of B&Q (e.g. I'm looking for a roughly 600mm x 950mm door, B&Q is around £20, most places online are £40-60).

The only thing I've found that is comparable is the 'Budget range' of doors at Lark and Larks (sorry cant post links as a new user - google Lark and Larks!). Does anyone have any experience of this company?

Alternatively, can anyone recommend a firm they've used for cheap replacement doors?

Many thanks.

mikey72

I did the same with the B & Q door range.
I used two doors, standard 600 at the bottom, then cut down another door, sealed the edge with white paint, and as the edges are square on the gloss white slab, butted them together and joined then with two battens on the back.
You can see a faint line, but as the bottom door is the same height as the others in the kitchen it isn't intrusive.
Even easier, use a freezer door, 1200mm, and take the bottom off. You could get B & Q to do it with their cutting service.

mas0282

Mikey

Thanks - to be honest I have been thinking about 'fudging' it a bit and going with B&Q, I just wasn't sure whether the doors could be cut without causing a lot of splintering etc. Presumably I can just use a jigsaw with the right blade to stop that happening (I fitted a hardwood engineered floor myself so have the equipment and shouldnt find it too hard to do).

The main thing is just that it looks fairly smart - I dont need absolute perfection, but obviously if it ends up looking like a cheap DIY job then I'm not doing myself any favours when it comes to selling.

Still be interested to hear if anyone else has experience of Lark and Larks or other door suppliers.

mikey72

I wouldn't use a jigsaw myself, I used a circular saw, no splintering at all, use either a batten on the back, or the guide with the saw and you'll get a good straight cut.

mas0282

So, the sample from Lark & Larks arrived today. It's not at all what I want - not really high gloss, just glossy. Plus the quality wasnt too great, they clearly just cut a piece of vinyl coated wood to size and then seal the ends off. Still. it wasn't expensive so perhaps shouldnt complain.

I am more and more drawn to B&Q and just fudging it a bit. The problem is that I have a few non standard door sizes. Mikey, in your experience, if you cut longer doors to size (I would get B&Q to do the cutting I think so it's perfect) and then seal them (I am thinking of using the iron on edging tape actually), how bad does it look? Not where it's been joined to another piece of wood, but just where it's been cut down. I wouldnt be cutting that many of the doors, and those that were cut would have the cut-end either high up (wall cabinets) or down low, meaning that it wouldnt be at eye level so not so visible.

Keen to go the B&Q route, just desperate to avoid it looking like a cheap DIY bodge!

Thanks.

Atelier

If you want a nice crisp finish then cut the door down so that it is slightly oversized and use a router to trim back the last little bit. Because it is cutting from the side and not in a downward motion you don't get any chip-out except at the one end where the rotation of the bit removes the last bit of material.

mas0282 wrote: »

Mikey

Thanks - to be honest I have been thinking about 'fudging' it a bit and going with B&Q, I just wasn't sure whether the doors could be cut without causing a lot of splintering etc. Presumably I can just use a jigsaw with the right blade to stop that happening (I fitted a hardwood engineered floor myself so have the equipment and shouldnt find it too hard to do).

The main thing is just that it looks fairly smart - I dont need absolute perfection, but obviously if it ends up looking like a cheap DIY job then I'm not doing myself any favours when it comes to selling.

Still be interested to hear if anyone else has experience of Lark and Larks or other door suppliers.

mas0282

Atelier - thanks. I'm not sure what a router is but I'm off to google it. Are B&Q likely to be able to do that as part of their cutting service?

Atelier

Unfortunately they won't do the routing.

You could ask them to do a test cut right at the very end of the door and see if the finish is acceptable without the need for routing it.

mas0282 wrote: »

Atelier - thanks. I'm not sure what a router is but I'm off to google it. Are B&Q likely to be able to do that as part of their cutting service?

mas0282

Thanks - I am going to try talking to them. No doubt if I ask them if the doors can be cut to size they'll give me the whole 'yeah yeah, suuuure, no problem' routine as the muppets working in B&Q in London actually know sweet FA about DIY. So I'll let them try it and if it doesnt work, its down to them I guess.

william_big

i used larkandlarks.co.uk and they were great, however i did buy a set of made to measure doors from there vinyl range. not there budget range!!

I tried all the diy stores like B & Q and wickes but had a night mare trying to get the sizes i wanted as i needed to have slightly custom sizes for my kitchen. also the guys in these diy stores are not interested anyway and dont really know much about kitchens where the guys who specialise in kitchens like larkandlarks know thier trade.

oz0707

Ive had housing assc jobs where i've had to renew the fronts. I got away with buying 1 door and using half a drawer front on each section. So for a 1000mm unit I had to buy 2 500mm doors and 1 500mm drawer then cut in half. Put cut edge upwards. Put it at the top and the door below, Looks fine aslong as all are uniform. Make a feature of it dont try to hide it. If your units are drawer line i'd drop the doors and still keep fillet at the top.