Framing in/around IKEA PAX wardrobe

greensalad

Bendy_House said:

You wish to match the surround to the PAX and not the other walls?
If you go to a proper painter shop - Dulux, Johnson's, etc, they'll have swatches of more variations of white that you can stir a stick at. Mind you, they'll all be made-up in the shop, so a bit more than off-the-shelf I guess.

Surely it's emulsion paint you are after, and not for wood? (Tho' emulsion will go on there too).

No the architrave trim I’ll paint the same as my skirtings (Dulux Satinwood “Timeless”, I use it everywhere) but the trim that is going to cover the meeting points of two carcasses, the plinth, and the 18mm filler piece I want to match to the wardrobe colour so it looks part of the wardrobe. 

greensalad

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to tidy the raw plasterboard edge from the exposed corner in my design? My plan is to have the face that greets you as you walk in be full across, but I don’t believe you can mitre cut plasterboard so would need to be a raw edge. Is this something achievable with the plasterboard tape and filler I’ll be using for the other joints? I guess it doesn’t have to be spot on perfect as it’s only visible from the side but still needs to be painted.

Bendy_House

Yes, you overlap the p'board, which will mean a raw edge showing, but the paper tape - the fold in the middle type - will go over this.

The slightly thicker ridge that runs down the middle of the tape will - once folded - act as the new crisp corner, and you just apply the thin skim of filler this edge as your guide. Feather the skim on to the board either side - it will just be a thin layer, just enough to cover the tape.

I think I'd PVA the tape in place - easy, clean, and no additional thickness added. I'd also first PVA the p'board overlaps together to prevent any movement.

As always, do a 'dry run', so you are happy how the tape sits before then adding the PVA and sticking it down. Allow the PVA to dry fully before applying the skim of filler.

Bendy_House

Try a Google for "white used on Ikea pax". There are some useful answers, tho' I haven't seen one to do with a known UK brand.

greensalad

Yeah I haven’t been able to find any UK suggestions. Bought one Dulux tester as it was only £2. Also have my “Timeless” to test. 

Just built the 75cm x 35cm wardrobe, and fixed the corner pieces to the wall. Got one more to build and both of these will need to be dry fit and then we can start putting up the timber. 

greensalad

All 4 are in! 

I need to see in the daylight, but this is Dulux “White Cotton” and it feels pretty good! Let’s see how it looks with the sun on it. This is a matte tester so the mid sheen would hopefully look better.

The shallower wardrobe seems to sit flush and perfect next to its counterpart but the other side is a different story.

Very clearly uneven floor here! 

Going to clamp them together, maybe with some glue, and use the coupling bolts I bought to marry them up. Will have to stick a shim under the back corner, and check the tilt isn’t too many degrees off. It’s a 75cm with so I am hoping the drawers, rail etc won’t be terribly wonky if this carcass in  particular is propped up.

Bendy_House

greensalad said:

All 4 are in! 

 It’s a 75cm with so I am hoping the drawers, rail etc won’t be terribly wonky if this carcass in  particular is propped up.

Getting on well

It WILL be wonky UNLESS the carcase is propped up. Each unit MUST be upright, square, level on its own. Then you screw them together.

It is really tempting to screw them together first, and this closes up the gap nicely and make it look great. BUT, if the units aren't individually level and square on their own, then screwing them together will almost certainly pull them out of square as well, so doors, etc, won't align properly. Also, because the gap between the units will have been 'artificially' pulled together by screwing them, it'll be very hard to tell by looking at the units whether you have then got them actually level and true.

So, it's worth getting each unit standing spot-on by themselves first, and then screw 'em.

Don't forget that an accurate way to test for squareness is to compare diagonals - this will reveal any out-of-trueness.

These two units are very close to being spot-on, but at least one of them is begging for a thin wedgie under its bum to get it perfect.

Use a good spirit level on the sides of each unit on its own, whilst it's sitting in the correct place. Use diagonal measurements to check they are also 'square'. Slip in a contrived wedge, bot front and back, in order to get each unit level on its own. Measure the thickness of this wedge, and cut/trim/layer some spacers to match that thickness. Then panel-pin the made-up spacers to the bottom edges of the units as required, front and back. Stand the unit up, and check that it's done the trick. Pat yourself on the back if it has, and move on to the next unit. Repeat.

Then screw them all together :-)

greensalad

Thanks for the tips on levelling them, I will do that today!

Paint match ended up being pretty much perfect in the end. Without the light shining on it it’s hard to even see where it ends. So will be buying the Dulux “White Cotton” paint.

greensalad

Wickes has delivered the plasterboard, trim, and a giant piece of MDF. I ordered 1.2m.x 60cm and was going to patch two pieces together to make the filler panel, but perhaps they were out of stock? They've just delivered a piece 4 times the size. In some ways annoying because it's going to be harder for me to cut, but also means I can cut the wardrobe-height strip from one piece instead. 



Also I had not realised that the plasterboard would have a papered finished edge. So if I cut that one piece with the reveal using this edge then I should have it really neat for finishing. Can just do the seam joint and not have to worry about raw plaster exposed.

Today's job is going to be getting the units all levelled and then making my first markings for the timber. OH is working today so might be able to help with cutting (his domain) this evening, so if I can get it all marked we can get the first timbers up this evening.

Bendy_House

Oh the cross we have to bear!

Yes, once you cut p'board, you'll end up with a raw edge. That doesn't matter in practice, as it'll be taped and filled over. Just treat it like any edge, but trim off any fluffed paper edge.

You know how to cut p'board? Score one side with a Stanley knife or similar, do it lightly a few times whilst you become familiar with the feel, and you only need to go - ooh - a third/quarter of the way through. Then you lift the board (carefully) ideally so the score is vertical, and you gently fold the board like closing a book, with the score line on the outside - it'll snap cleanly along that line.

Yes, if you have a choice, have the papered edges at joints, but don't worry if they are not.