Nightmare kitchen fitting

[Mary1]

I've been having a really bad time trying to get my kitchen fitted, without boring you with all the details, kitchen fitter has left and stupidly been paid and I need to find solutions to what I am left with, which is a mess! Honestly am so upset with the ordeal, from leaking plumbing to chopped up flooring and botched worktops. First one is worktop joins, which are un level ( one side of join is higher then other)and rough around edges, please see pics.

Can anyone advise if this can be remedied without buying new worktops? Thank you in advance for any advice, really dint know what to do. The worktops are wood veneer, fitter daid sand them down!!?

 

[opps]

Veneered worktops?

Are you sure that they aren't laminated worktops rather than veneered?

Not wanting to seem condescending, but... chipboard worktops are normally laminated with plastic (which often has a wood type effect). A veneered top would be a core with a very thin layer of wood on top of it. The real wood veneer is typically about 0.6mm. If it were sanded it would then need sealing.

Are you sure that they are solid wood- if they are they could be sanded flat, but again they would need sealing.

If you have a laminate worktop. The standard fitting process would be to glue the joins and then use bolts to pull them together.

Unfortunately, you can't just undo the bolts, level the tops and then tighten the bolts.

One of the professional kitchen fitters here might be able to offer more advice but I would be surprised if you could part them without damaging them, sorry. Additionally, you might have further issues if the tiles have been applied.

Out of interest, how did you find the "kitchen fitter". Recommendation or one of those awful "we make money by recommending rubbish tradesmen sites"?

If you paid by credit card, you can get the credit card company to take up the claim on your behalf. If you paid cash or bank transfer you will might want to consider the small claims court. You haven't however explained why you are posting here rather than asking the "fitter" to rectify things.

More photos and details will help others to comment.

 

[Mary1]

Hi, thank you for your reply. yes definitely veneer, just checked and these are the ones I have bought; https://www.worktop-express.co.uk/laminate-worktops/oak-veneer-worktop-3000-365-38mm

I'm not sure If he glued them, he said he used biscuits and there are bolts underneath, dont know if that means they are or aren't glued?

Found him on the my builder site as already had bad experience and a half fitted kitchen, so just needed worktops and doors pelmet doing and quickly as had no sink or cooker. He had good reviews and could start quickly so I took a chance I suppose, in hindsight a mistake that will be expensive to rexitidy no doubt.

I paid him in cash the amount we had agreed and let him go. I haven't asked him to rectify it because I dont think he is capable, otherwise why do such a poor job in the first place. I'm just wondering what could be done if anything whilst I try to find somebody reliable to either fix it or replace with new.

 

[conny]

Using biscuits means he has cut slots in the edges of both worktops and inserted a piece of thin, but fairly strong, wood between the slots.
He should have used glue on both the biscuits and the full length of the edges but there is a chance he didn't. Look very carefully along the joint, both from above and below if possible, to see if there is any trace of excess adhesive that may have been squeezed out and not cleaned properly. Best chance of finding any would probably be underneath and may have dripped down the side of any carcass beneath the joint. If he has used glue the chances of separation without damage is very small.

Have you tried to get in touch to get him to rectify the faults? Does he have a landline number and address or is it just a mobile number & website? Depending on how you feel about any other work he may have done I think you should consider giving him a chance to rectify the problems.

 

[Mary1]

Using biscuits means he has cut slots in the edges of both worktops and inserted a piece of thin, but fairly strong, wood between the slots.
He should have used glue on both the biscuits and the full length of the edges but there is a chance he didn't. Look very carefully along the joint, both from above and below if possible, to see if there is any trace of excess adhesive that may have been squeezed out and not cleaned properly. Best chance of finding any would probably be underneath and may have dripped down the side of any carcass beneath the joint. If he has used glue the chances of separation without damage is very small.

Have you tried to get in touch to get him to rectify the faults? Does he have a landline number and address or is it just a mobile number & website? Depending on how you feel about any other work he may have done I think you should consider giving him a chance to rectify the problems.

Thanks for your reply. I've just checked and he has used glue.

I cant have him back as he caused other problems too, the plumbing was left leaking even after coming back to fix it, I've now got someone else coming to sort that, he also broke washing machine leg and couldn't get it into the space between units he left for it when it clearly fitted. To be honest he just wanted the money and did a rubbish job, so totally no point in getting him back.

Problem is how to solve this mess as he's the second guy I've had in who I've paid out for poor work. Parr6 of me is considering giving up and leaving them as they are but I've got to plaster too now , as he ripped all my tiles off without checking with me and all the plaster came with them, dont want to tile and find I have to change work tops in a month because water has got in the joints. Just dont know what to do. Does it look like the joints will be water proof do you think or are they likely to not last given how they aren't level?

 

[Burnerman]

Personally I don't think those tops are particularly suitable for butt jointing in that way.....how high is the step?
John

 

[Mary1]

Hi John, thanks for your reply. Its probably one mm, difficult to measure. Could you explain why not suitable, what would have been better. Thabks

 

[Burnerman]

The conventional way of joining worktops at a corner is to form what's known as a 'bishops mitre ' but tops like yours with an ironed on end veneer aren't the easiest to do and can give a rough edge if cut. Personally I don't think that job is easy to cure.....you can sand down and seal but the veneer is very thin and you risk breaking through. At least the amount of glue in there should resist water penetration.
John

 

[Tigger90]

Do you have a left over piece of worktop so you can see the thickness of the wood veneer on the top? The link says it has a 3mm veneer so you might be ok to sand a little off?

 

[Mary1]

The conventional way of joining worktops at a corner is to form what's known as a 'bishops mitre ' but tops like yours with an ironed on end veneer aren't the easiest to do and can give a rough edge if cut. Personally I don't think that job is easy to cure.....you can sand down and seal but the veneer is very thin and you risk breaking through. At least the amount of glue in there should resist water penetration.
John

Thanks for explaining I really appreciate it. I'm tempted to give up on trying to get anyone else to fix it I'd you think they should be watertight. I will get used to it and it wont bother me eventually. I might try sanding down but I wouldn't want to do more damage. Such a shame was supposed to look great

 

[Mary1]

Do you have a left over piece of worktop so you can see the thickness of the wood veneer on the top? The link says it has a 3mm veneer so you might be ok to sand a little off?

Hi, yes I do and I can clearly see the top layer. It looks about 3mm. I'm worried if I try sanding I will make a mess of it...

 

[Tigger90]

Hi, yes I do and I can clearly see the top layer. It looks about 3mm. I'm worried if I try sanding I will make a mess of it...

I would give the off cut a sand to see how you go. Do you have a sander?
If you did it on the worktop the only issue you would have is that you don’t want to sand across the grain of the lower piece of worktop. Not sure if it would work but could protect the good side with masking tape?

 

[Mary1]

I would give the off cut a sand to see how you go. Do you have a sander?
If you did it on the worktop the only issue you would have is that you don’t want to sand across the grain of the lower piece of worktop. Not sure if it would work but could protect the good side with masking tape?

Good idea I could try that first. No not got a sander , is a block of wood and sand paper ok or do I need sander? Yes could protect with a couple of layers of masking tape even.

 

[Tigger90]

Good idea I could try that first. No not got a sander , is a block of wood and sand paper ok or do I need sander? Yes could protect with a couple of layers of masking tape even.

I would use the block of wood and sandpaper, at the back so not so noticeable to start with ?
I made this oak table for my daughter and had to do a bit of sanding where the breadboard ends met!

 

[Mary1]

I would use the block of wood and sandpaper, at the back so not so noticeable to start with ?
I made this oak table for my daughter and had to do a bit of sanding where the breadboard ends met!
View attachment 168704

Wow, that table is beautiful! Sorry do you mean start at the back of the worktop?