Decor end panels - Howdens!!!

yumyums

Hello everyone. I've got yet another kitchen question for all you experts out there.

I've just been looking over our Howdens quote and realised that the decor end panels for our small, galley kitchen make up almost 25% of the whole kitchen quote at £850 inc VAT.

They've allowed for end panels at the end of each run (ie where the unit meets the wall) and on exposed sides of wall units, eg either side of the cooker hood (fair enough as we wouldn't want to see the carcass of the unit)

Do we really need this many panels? I think there are 17 in total! They've applied a 78% "discount" by the way.

phill99

As somebody that buys a lot of Howdens kitchens, they are very good at adding the extras and you need to just get them to take them out.
There are certain panels that are necessary, as you ave identified. Some ate advisable. If you don't have them where a cupboard meets a wall, the door may bind on the wall (note MAY), so an end panel may be needed. However, if that is the case, you don't need a whole panel - it's only the front edge that is seen so your fitter will be able to cut one in half lengthways and get 2 'hidden' ends from one panel.

Remember also that if you don't use them, Howdens will take them back and give a full refund.

keystone

yumyums wrote: »

eg either side of the cooker hood (fair enough as we wouldn't want to see the carcass of the unit)

and from a fitting perspective you'll need an end panel (cut in half as per Phil's post) to be fitted in the run of floor cabs either side of the hob (which I'm assuming is directly under the hood). If you don't it won't all line up nicely.

Cheers

fluffpot

they may have included them to 'make up' space if the units aren't a perfect fit.
As said - you can take any unused ones back at the end

yumyums

Thanks for all the replies. We got an extra 2% off and will be asking the fitter to cut panels in half so we can send extras back. I'm not sure all the panels will fit anymore as the kitchen has been boarded and plastered since the plan was done. He hasn't allowed for this even though he's been round to remeasure. I hope it doesn't look all out of line if we can't fit them in.

cyclonebri1

keystone wrote: »

and from a fitting perspective you'll need an end panel (cut in half as per Phil's post) to be fitted in the run of floor cabs either side of the hob (which I'm assuming is directly under the hood). If you don't it won't all line up nicely.

Cheers

Can you elaborate please KS.

Let me explain, phill suggest cutting a panel in half vertically so adding 15/18mm to the allowed gap of the upper units?

And you are suggesting the same at low level, ie, the base units?

I'm not getting this, I thought Howdens end panels replaced the standard "bland" ones, ie, added nothing in width?

My thinking is of course based on the age old MFI standards that Howdens took over.

keystone

Of course. In any kitchen you need the cabs to line up vertically for visuals. If the cabs line up then so will the doors. The hood will require a 600mm gap. To avoid the unfinished ends od the wall cabs being exposed they need a decor panel fixed to them If the decor panels are (say) 12mm thick that means that the wall cabs concerned are separated by 600 + 12 + 12 = 624mm.

The hob cab will also be 600mm. If the wall cabs and their corresponding floor cabs are to be lined up there will now be a gap between the hob cab and the floor cab either side of 12mm which will be unslightly. Fill those spaces with a cut down decor panel and it all looks tiddly.

Does that make sense? I know what I'm trying to say but not sure if I've expressed it well enough.

Cheers

plumb1_2

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Can you elaborate please KS.

Let me explain, phill suggest cutting a panel in half vertically so adding 15/18mm to the allowed gap of the upper units?

And you are suggesting the same at low level, ie, the base units?

I'm not getting this, I thought Howdens end panels replaced the standard "bland" ones, ie, added nothing in width?

My thinking is of course based on the age old MFI standards that Howdens took over.

No the end panels will add a extra 18mm??? to the width of the unit, so any panels you add to the base units will have to match up with the wall units. And visa versa for the wall units.

keystone

plumb1 wrote: »

No the end panels will add a extra 18mm??? to the width of the unit, so any panels you add to the base units will have to match up with the wall units. And visa versa for the wall units.

Right. So post 7 didn't make sense then. My bad.

Cheers

maintenanceman

I have to agree with the original O/P that the price of end panels, for what they are, are extortionate. For this reason I don't buy from Howdens for kitchens anymore. They have made some effort with the introduction of oak coloured carcasses which slightly match a particular range of theirs, so reduces the cost of end panels.

Furts

yumyums wrote: »

Hello everyone. I've got yet another kitchen question for all you experts out there.

I've just been looking over our Howdens quote and realised that the decor end panels for our small, galley kitchen make up almost 25% of the whole kitchen quote at £850 inc VAT.

They've allowed for end panels at the end of each run (ie where the unit meets the wall) and on exposed sides of wall units, eg either side of the cooker hood (fair enough as we wouldn't want to see the carcass of the unit)

Do we really need this many panels? I think there are 17 in total! They've applied a 78% "discount" by the way.

My suggestion to anyone with a panel query -be it end panel, or shelfs or back panels etc.

Many of the kitchen companies buy there carcass panels from Egger. Egger are a reputable UKand European panel manufacturer. An enormous range of colours and textures are manufactured. These panels can be sourced through specialist suppliers at a fraction of the price of kitchen showrooms.

There will be other manufacturers - just a case of asking and doing the research.

The panels are approx 2800x2000(this varies), can be pre cut, supplied with edging rolls and then fitted by the kitchen fitter.

I recently bought a panel, pre cut to all my requirements, with a roll of edging to iron on and use where I required. The price was well under £100 - picked up at a nearby merchant.