Fitting replacement kitchen doors - tips appreciated

loracan1

So I've got 14 doors to fit in my kitchen - mostly straight replacement. I'm not completely useless at diy, managed to fit a sink last year and I've fitted several skirting boards, any mistakes there and I'm a dab hand with the caulking but this is different and it's scaring me a bit. Just wanting a bit of input really.

How do I decide where the handles go? I'm thinking of long bow style handles (it's a plain white shiny kitchen door finish) is there an ideal placement for them? Do I need a template for where they go? Do I buy one or make my own? How do I do that - I've visions of me measuring over and over and still getting it wrong. Not sure it'll quite look right with dozens of holes in the doors. Do I fit the handles before fitting the doors, or do I just make the holes for them first?

Should I buy new hinges? Most of the existing ones are perfectly serviceable but should I be getting some self closing ones? On one cupboard I'm putting a door on that has never had one before, how do I decide where the fittings go - I imagine that is just a case of measuring, measuring again and then fitting the thingies.

And then there's the dishwasher & fridge, both integrated. I appear to have bought bog standard 600mm doors for these:o Have I done a very bad thing?

Any suggestions will be most appreciated.

premkit

where are the doors from? do they have the hinge holes drilled out?
can you remember whos units they were?

dont drill any holes for handles until they are hung, only the dishwasher and fridge.
are the hinges all metal or is there any plastic bits to them? can you see an name on them?

need to know a little more info, but is an easy job to do, just take your time.

where in the north west are you? i have lots of hinges

loracan1

The doors are from B & Q with holes for hinges already cut - on inspection (2 minutes ago) these aren't in the same place as the old ones! The original units are over 15 years old now, from a local independent and the hinges are just generic no-name metal ones. In fact the best pair of hinges are the B&Q ones I bought for a cupboard I 'made' last year.

Probably going to get new ones since they're going to need re-siting. And I think I might have meant soft-closing instead of self-closing but I'm not too clued up..

premkit

if the b+q hinges are the best that are on then they will all need changing.
there is a hinge hole jig on ebay that is only a few £ which helps set up the exact hole centers on the unit.
blum are the ones to look for.

savingsp

Just in the middle of fitting my kitchen, bought an ikea one, never fitted a kitchen before but it all seemed easy , until we got to the doors for fitted appliances, dishwasher and washing machine. Any tips?

premkit

if the instructions are not making sence or just confusing. i use double sided tape all over the appliance then align the door with the worktop and adjacent doors, push it on then open and fix with the screws provided. usually 1/34 but check that they wont brake through. yesterday i did a cheap currys there was 2 holes right at the bottom, can easily be missed. used 1/2 inch. the bosch ones you have to remove screws around the frame and replace with ones supplied.

loracan1

Is this what you mean by the hinge jig? I can see that being the thing to position how far in the hinges go but what method for positioning the height of the hinge fittings in the carcass.
BTW the old hinges are Blum, just very old standard ones (could only make out the name when I removed a door) as for replacement - are these the sort I'd want?

premkit

yes to both.

fit the hinge and backplate to the door, use a long straight edge and put it along the two hinges to make sure they are square with the door. then either measure, or place the door against the unit with the 5mm gap at the top and mark the top holes on both hinges, square them across and use the jig to mark the exact positions. drill 5mm holes 12mm deep with a depth stop as it is easy to drill through.

hope that makes sence

dander

Make a carboard template for the handles, make it so you can line it up with the two sides of the cabinet and make holes so you can mark the door through it with a pencil. Then you can get the handles in exactly the same place on every door. Drill from the front through to the back.