Minimum tolerance level when measuring for new kitchen units

My new kitchen units arrived yesterday to be installed, only to find that tall units do not fit below ceiling as the floor to ceiling height has been reduced from 219cm when originally measured to 213.5cm as a result of underfloor heating being installed as part of a new extension - floor was dug out and new concrete screed laid over piping). Previously I had been told there would be no increase in floor height.

The architect says the kitchen supplier should allow a minimum tolerance of 5.5cm when measuring up for kitchen. The supplier says it would expect to allow a tolerance of maximum 2cm.

Does anyone have any views on this?

To be honest, 5cm sounds like an extremely generous tolerance.

Regardless, you're of course now faced with either cabinet modifcation / reconstruction or some means of lowering the cabinet height.

Do the units have height adjustment on support legs?

i take it they dont accept that the flooring hight is at fault!!!

you cant blame the kitchen as it fitted to your measurements although you could argue less than an inch is tight over 2 inches is a bit slopy

can the problem not be sorted by adjusting the bottom cabinets!!!

did the origional floorer know how tight the clearence margins where!!!

i would have said with such small margins everybody should have been warned!!!

Yes, but reluctant to lower worktop height as makes it harder to use. Plus, the fridge freezer (American) cannot be lowered any further - and at the present time the wall unit above it will no longer fit unless fridge installed below finished floor level (which then means unable to remove without dismantling wall unit).

I think the architect is possibly trying to cover his back as he has since revised his tolerance to 4.5cm - probably because 5.5cm was in excess of the amount the gap has been reduced!

55mm over 2200mm is way too much tollerance. When I am making bespoke units I allow 10mm for scribing to wall/ceiling and always check them at time of measuring to see if they are excessively out and allow accordingly.

Was the UFH an afterthought or was it known to be going in at the time sizes were given to the Kitchen company. Also were floor finishes known at the time and if so what allowance was made.

Interesting that the architect says that the allowance just so happens to equal the change in heights, bit of a coincidance

There is no easy way around it, lowering worktop heights will have implications with applances as well as not feeling right. Tops of all tall & wall units will need reducing and doors to match

Jason

Jasonb said:

There is no easy way around it, lowering worktop heights will have implications with applances as well as not feeling right. Tops of all tall & wall units will need reducing and doors to match

Jason

Click to expand...

i concur.