The following section will give you some general advice, information and tips on planning, designing and fitting your new kitchen.

Skill

There are many different aspect and skills involved in fitting a kitchen so it is more suited to the more advanced DIYer. Among the skills needed are carpentry, plumbing, tiling and electrical, therefore it would pay to have a good knowledge of these. Despite the time and work involved, the results are very gratifying and you will save a significant amount of money in eliminating the professional fitters.

Safety

Like with any DIY project, you must be aware of the hazards and consider safety first. Check for water pipes and electrical cables before drilling into walls. These can be detected using a pipe and power detector. When using power tools, be sure to use an RCD protection. Check that all power tool leads are in good order and that you are wearing sufficient safety equipment.

Tools/Equipment

Below is a list of what you will need for the project: -

Plan it!

There are a lot of aspects to consider when designing and planning your new kitchen. Your lifestyle and needs are of crucial significance when planning your kitchen. It is important that your kitchen is safe, easy to work with and unique to you.

There will be three main areas in your kitchen: cooking, preparation and washing up. With this in mind and thus using ergonomics, you can create a practical and easy to work with kitchen. For example, form a triangle between your cooker, sink and fridge (with these areas at the triangle’s corners) to make kitchen tasks easier. This will also lend to you moving freely between appliances and avoid them being to cramped together. If you are considering an eating area in the kitchen, ensure that the seating is not too close to any of these key areas and this may obstruct your workspace.

The layout of your kitchen is obviously determined by the size and shape of the existing room, and the position of permanent features: doors, windows etc. However, plumbing and electrical works can be relocated so these won’t hamper your design.

You kitchen will probably fall into one of the four common categories. The basic designs are: - a single line of cabinets, a galley kitchen (double line of cabinets), an L-shape of cabinets or a U-shape. Imaginatively placed and combined, cabinets can completely alter your kitchen to suit your home and your life perfectly.

The following are points you may wish to consider:

• Don’t try to put too much in the space you have. Be realistic with the size of the room.
• List your requirements for a kitchen and prioritise these.
• Use this opportunity to eliminate aspects of your kitchen that are not useful to you or you dislike.
• Remember to include and/or enhance any aspect of your kitchen you particularly like in the plans.
• List all (old and new) appliances, which will be in the new kitchen and include them in you plans.
• Compliment you home and lifestyle in your choice of design.

The easiest and most visual way of deciding on your design is to draw your kitchen on a grid of squared paper. Using the cabinets you wish to buy fit their dimensions into the grid drawing (your kitchen) appropriately. An even more creative idea is to cut out the cabinets to scale and lay them on the grid, this way you can move them about freely to come up with the best design.

Get Started!

Measuring your Kitchen

Your kitchen should be measured in centimetres, in a clockwise direction, starting from the door. Be sure to note which direction the doors open in.

While you are measuring, it is important the following are done:

• Measure the ceiling height at several points in the room.
• Check that the room is square by measuring diagonally across the room.
• Take time and care to note the location of existing power points, air vents, windows, sills, radiators plumbing and gas supply etc.
• Check what the kitchen walls are made of to ensure that you buy the correct fixings for your cabinets.
• Consider the amount of space you appliances will need
• Finally, always double check dimensions.

Do's & Don’ts!

The following hints & tips are guidelines, to maximise space, style and safety in your new kitchen.

Do's

• Positioning a sink under the window gives you a view while washing up.
• Try to position electrical sockets a minimum distance of 150mm above worktops.
• Position extractors or cupboards a minimum distance of 750mm above hobs.
• Use heat or fireproof cable on cookers or hobs.
• Place dishwashers and minimise the distance that hot pans are carried.
• At least 300mm of clear space at each side of the hob should be allowed for protruding panhandles.
• Extractor fans should be on or as close as can be to outside walls.
• Allow adequate space surrounding freestanding appliances for ease of access for cleaning etc.

Don’ts

• Never position a cooker or hob beneath a window as the curtains may catch fire and it is dangerous to reach over to the window, across a hot hob.
• Do not place a wall cabinet above a hob without installing an extractor fan.
• Do not place a hob next to a wall or tall cabinet. There should be no space restrictions at either side of the hob.
• Do not put an inset sink next to worktop joints.
• Do not plan for you cooker or sink to be next to opening doors.
• Do not box in boilers of other gas appliances as these require and air flow to function correctly and safely.
• Do not put the cooker hob under or too near electrical sockets.
• Do not position cookers next to fridges/freezers.
• Never block up air vents if there are gas appliances in the kitchen.

Extras

When you have decided on your cabinets and doors, why not check out our stunning range of finishing touches and accessories like plinths, pelmets, cornices and gorgeous handles.

Finally, if in doubt, check with a plumber about the positioning of a dishwasher or sink and always consult a Corgi registered fitter regarding air vents and an electrician about electrical work. It is always worth double-checking these important aspects with professionals to avoid repair costs in the future.

Removing The Old Kitchen

It is highly advised that you do not dismantle your existing kitchen until you have everything you need for the new kitchen, including the appliances and all the cabinets/doors etc.

Preparation

Most importantly, turn off the kitchen electricity and water supply, then disconnect all lines to the sink and drains. Then disconnect all appliances, perhaps keeping the toaster and kettle to hand! Next, clear out all cupboards and work surfaces.

NOTE: By law, gas appliances should only be connected and disconnected by someone with CORGI registration. Always take care with electrics and call an electrician if in doubt..

Removing Cabinets

Strip the cabinets down firstly, by removing doors and drawers. Next, remove the worktops, the attachments to the base cabinets can be found by looking underneath the worktops. Remove all fastenings, screws etc and gently ease the worktop off the cabinets. You may require a crow bar if the worktop was glued down, taking care not to damage the wall with the crow bar. A scrap piece of wood placed between the crow bar and the wall is sufficient.

Once the worktops have been removed and the cabinets stripped, simply unscrew the cabinet shells and detach. Wear eye and hand protection when removing cabinets and always get the help of another person when removing wall cabinets.

Repairs

Consider doing any repairs, tidy-ups or preparations in this stage. This is the perfect opportunity to get the room ready for installing the new kitchen. If you have painting to do or laying a floor, do this now so that the canvas is clear for the new kitchen. This is also a good time to call in the plumber/electrician for professional help and advice.

The Grand Finale: Assembly & Installation

Fitting should commence in the corner of the kitchen, starting at the highest point in the floor; a level line should be transferred to the walls marking the finished height of your cabinets. In order to do this, use the spirit level to check that the floor is level, if not, mark the highest point of the floor on the wall. Using this as your starting point, measure up 870mm for the height of your base cabinets (this includes 150mm to allow for plinths or legs). Next, make a level line for the top of the base cabinets. The wall/top cabinets should be placed at a height to suit you. Therefore, at this point, mark level lines for the top and bottom of these cabinets. Double check these lines to make certain they are straight and level. Doing this will ensure that your cabinets are straight, even if the walls are not level.

Assembling the Cabinets

All cabinets will come with assembly instructions. This is a simple task but you are advised to read through the instructions before commencing the assembly so that you have a good idea of the process.

Points to Consider:

• Make room in the kitchen for the assembly and storage of the cabinets. The job will be easier if you have no obstructions.
• Always get help when carrying or moving large, heavy boxes.
• Work on one cabinet at a time, only opening the box you need, in order to keep all parts together.
• Work on a carpet or a spare cardboard box to prevent scratches and dents on surfaces.
• Pair up the assembled cabinet with its door by labelling each with the same number.

Installing Wall Cabinets

Fitted Kitchens UK recommend that when installing your new kitchen that you begin with the wall cabinets. This is the most orderly method. Again, starting in the corner with the first wall cabinet, you can work outwards in both directions. It is advised that you have someone helping you with this part, steadying the cabinets whilst you check levels and fixings. It is not safe or effective to do this alone.

Begin by marking the height of your wall units. Measure from the highest point of the floor and transfer a line marking the top of your cabinets, with the pencil, around the walls on which they are to be installed. This will guide you when levelling the cabinets. The height of the cabinets will depend on the height of the cook and the size of the wall cabinets but a general rule is to leave a space of 500mm between the worktop and the base of the wall cabinets.

If you are installing a full height cabinet then its height will determine the height of all the other cabinets, as they should be in line.

Wall Bracket Positions

The next job is to mark where the wall brackets should be positioned. Unpack a wall cabinet and hold the bracket under the cabinet hanger. Whilst doing this, measure form the top of the cabinet to the centre of the fixing holes in the wall bracket. This measurement is then to be transferred to the wall, measuring down from the line that already indicates the top of the wall units. Using these lines as a starting point, measure 22mm in and place the wall bracket so that the fixing holes are central over the horizontal line that marks the drilling points. Mark each hole with the pencil. Repeat this for each wall cabinet.

Drilling

The next step is to drill the walls. While drilling, angle the drill downwards, this will strengthen the fixing and prevent the screws from loosening. It is recommended that you use 2 ½” x 10 Gauge Screws for the securing of the brackets to the wall.

Hanging the Cabinets

The final step for the wall cabinets is fitting them to the wall. The majority of wall cabinets have fully adjustable hangers that come in a variety of configurations. These generally adopt a similar principle in that two adjustment screws can be accessed from the front of the cabinet with a pozi drive screwdriver. This allows the installer to adjust levels both inwards and upwards or if necessary, outwards and downwards. The Golden Rule again…starting with the corner wall cabinet, raise the cabinet above the brackets, sliding it down until the cabinet hangers connect. Using a longhand screwdriver, tighten back to the wall ensuring the cabinet remains plumb. Now adjust height to the pencil line indicating the top of the wall cabinets. Repeat this process for the remaining wall units.

If you have a corner post to install, this is done in the following way; connect this to the correct corner cabinet using angle brackets or half blocks and after hanging and levelling the other unit, connect the two, again using half blocks or angle brackets fixed to the corner post.

Please maintain levels for all dimensions throughout.

Connecting the Cabinets

For the connection of the cabinets, use clamps on the inside of the cabinets to adjoin the units both top and bottom, making sure that the front and top edges are flush. When clamping, protect the cabinets by using hardboard cut-offs or similar material behind the clamp jaws.

Points to Consider:

• Use cavity wall fixings to attach cabinets onto plasterboard walls, if the fixing positions do not coincide with the wall studs.
• Check neighbouring cabinets are level and even before moving onto the next cabinet.

Finally, fix the bracket to the wall, hang the cabinet and then adjust the screws that affix to the bracket to ensure it is level and as close to the wall as possible. Use the spirit level for this.

Installing Base Cabinets

For this task, begin in the corner under the first wall cabinet that you installed. Make sure you position the cabinet to match your plan and correctly in relation to the wall cabinet. Again, make sure the first cabinet is level, even if the floor isn’t. Using a spirit level, ensure that the cabinet is plumb and level. Continue the above method with all neighbouring cabinets and clamp together making sure all edges are flush and level. Do not affix the doors and shelves until you are happy with the position of the cabinet, as it will be easier to adjust the empty cabinet.

To connect cabinets together, use the clamps inside the cabinets to adjoin the cabinets both top and bottom, ensuring that the front and top edges are flush. As before, protect the cabinets while clamping with off-cuts of wood.

Finally, when you are happy that all cabinets are in position they are to be fixed to the wall. This only needs to be done at alternate gables. Hold a 25mm right-angled bracket to the wall and against a gable interior. Mark through the bracket with a pencil to the wall and drill at a downward angle. Insert a rawlplug and fix to the wall using a 50mm screw. Fix the bracket to the cabinet gable using a 16mm screw.

Points to Consider:

• Only screw the cabinets tightly to the wall after the levels of the adjoining cabinets have been checked.
• Drill the pipe holes before installing the sink cabinet. This will make it much easier to work with the drill rather than restricting movement when the cabinet is on the wall.

Decorative Cabinets

For aesthetic reasons, decorative cabinets (plate or wine racks) cannot be fitted in the same way as other wall cabinets, as they have no brackets. They can however be connected in the same way to neighbouring cabinets by concealing the fixing points behind hinge back plates or shelves. In order to strengthen the fixing, use metal angle brackets fixed into the gables at the top of the cabinet. Fix these to the wall as above.

Sink & Taps

Begin this task by measuring up, marking out the sink outline – a template is usually provided with the sink. Remember not to cut to the full width/length of the sink as a lip around the sink will hold it in place. When the shape has been marked, carefully cut out with a jigsaw.

Putting the sink on its face, seal around the rim. Fitting the securing clips to the sink ensures that it is securely attached to the worktop. In order to fit the taps, follow the instructions that accompanied them.

Points to Consider for Mixer Taps:

• Make sure the hot pipe is on the left when you are facing the sink.
• Read and fully understand all instructions before commencing the job in hand.

Installing Appliances

An important factor in installing appliances is getting the hob lined up with the extractor (see below for extractor installation). This is crucial for the efficient function of the extractor.

Remember also that if you are fitting integrated appliances you must leave a space between cabinets at the front and back. This also applies to fitting cabinets either side of a free-standing or range-cooker.

Extractor

In order to install an integrated extractor, you must leave the appropriate amount of space between the wall cabinets. If the extraction is to the outside, use the dimensions of the extraction outlet on the appliance and transfer these to where it is to be fitted on the wall. Finally, drill the wall, ensuring that the ducting is appropriately sized in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.

Installing your Worktops

The following guide is based on the widely used laminate worktops. For fitting other materials such as Corian or Granite, this will be a useful reference, however these materials should be fitted by specialists.

Tools:-