confused about ikea kitchens..any advice?

Feanor

Im just about go to to our local Croydon ikea store. They dont have kitchen planners but instead have the computers to design it yourself..so im gona have a go.

I am confused about integrated appliances..if we dont want to get the appliances through ikea, is it ok to buy standard cupboards/doors and then hope the appliances will fit inside? If we wanted an integrated fridge, would we still need the carcass of the cupboard, or just a door??

Also, when you buy a worktop...and your gona fit it yourself..how do you could the hole in the worktop for the sink?

HELP! Thanks

bengal-stripe

All built-in appliances sold today, are standardised to metric kitchen units (usually 600 mm wide, internal width 562 mm). Just check the measurements.

If you don’t know how to cut the hole for a sink into a worktop (the sink will come with a paper template and you cut the hole with a jigsaw), you should not attempt to do the work yourself.

Feanor

Thanks for the reply..

I think we can manage to cut the hole, i just had no idea how it was done! This is money saving afterall, and thats why we are going to attempt this ourselves! Especially after reading the threads on here about how easy ikea kitchens are to install..

Thanks again

Errata

Feanor wrote: »

Thanks for the reply..

I think we can manage to cut the hole, i just had no idea how it was done! This is money saving afterall, and thats why we are going to attempt this ourselves! Especially after reading the threads on here about how easy ikea kitchens are to install..

Thanks again

Good luck, don't forget the golden rule. Measure twice, have a cup of coffee, measure again.....................then cut.

jordylass

We have just fitted a kitchen from Ikea. I love it but my partner is not not so happy with it.
Things to bear in mind are that the units go right back to the wall. From other places there is a gap at the back for pipes. If you have any sockets, wiring or plumbing that will be above the gap at floor level the cupboard will need to be cut out to accommodate them.
He also thinks they are pretty flimsy and that the piece of hardboard in the back was what gives them the strength. I think all cupboards in this level B&Q, MFI are of a similar build quality.
The wall cupboards don't have a bracket to hang them to the wall and are held by a screw in each corner. I would assume that Ikea know they are going to be filled with heavy items and take that into consideration, but just in case we have put a batten along the bottom of the wall cupboards.

Workbench - phone around a couple of saw mills and see if you they have it and will cut it for you. If not they may be able to tell you who can. The lowest price we had was £500 from retailers but got the bench for just over £290 doing it this way. We paid a joiner to cut the mitres, this was expensive around £50 per cut but the result is beautiful.

The holes for the sink and hob are easier, there is a lot of tolerance and any slightly wobbly bits will be covered by the sink or hob edges. You need a jig saw and special blades with downward teeth, they prevent the laminate on top from chipping.

We measured our kitchen accurately along all the worktops and planned it. When it came to fitting we were 2cm further away on the top cupboards compared to bottom, this would not have been a huge problem if we didn't have a tall unit in.

Our measuring was right, but our walls are bowed, so we had less gap at the floor than we did at bench height, and we had not accounted for this.

They are all supposed to be standard sizes, but Ikea units come in 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800 and 1200. There is no 1000, and they don't do drawers for the 500, which I didn't realise until after I'd bought it. We've put our sink in the 1200, but it would probably have fit the 800.

I didn't want the carousels in the big 1200, which is their corner cabinet, but this is the only option, there are no shelves or other options for that size cabinet.

What I do like about it is the adaptability. If I decide in a couple of years I'd rather have drawers where I have a cupboard I can buy a drawer pack and take the cupboard door off. If I fancy drawer line. I can change the size of the cupboard doors and put a drawer in above.

HTH