Bringing wall units forward

[OldKettle]

Hi,
I am currently having kitchen fitted and it turns out that the cupboards are not deep enough for the boiler we have selected.

The boiler guy has suggested that the kitchen fitter add battens to bring the wall units forward by 80mm, to provide room.

The kitchen fitter has said that this can't be done without leaving a gap, and also said something about "using foam" and "glueing the cabinets" and that bringing the cupboards out might cause them to come loose in the future, he also said that he would need to "buy a bigger panel".

To me, it seems simple. The cabinets are fixed to the wall, so you add battens, and fix the cabinets to them instead. Yes there is a gap to deal with at the bottom and the sides, but it should be possible to manage.

Communication with the guy is difficult, and I wonder if anybody can decipher the above.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

EDIT: Changed 800mm > 80mm

 

[JohnD]

it's likely that your kitchen company makes a "boiler size" cabinet specially for this problem. What size do you need?

If not, you can get them made to order (the cost of the cab is not very great, but there will be a delivery charge) and fit the door from your existing kitchen.

If the side of the cabinet is on show, you'll need a decorative side panel, unless you have the cabinet made in a board that is a good match for your doors. The kitchen company probably sells these, but you may need to buy one in floor-cabinet size and cut it down. This is the "bigger panel"

Post some pics of your doors and cabinet sides please

If the build has already started, you may have to ask the fitter to leave a space for the cabinet to be fitted later.

If you kitchen fitter is good at woodwork and has appropriate tools, he could make a cabinet, or cut down an oversize one. Kitchen units are just primitive rectangular boxes made of laminated chipboard.

 

[JohnD]

p.s.

if you need several wall cabinets, you could have them all made to the deeper size, it will look neater but cost more.

 

[OldKettle]

Thanks.

We have bought a flat pack Wickes kitchen, and the cupboards are only 307mm deep. The boiler we selected is 330mm but the boiler guy also wants to use a 50mm standoff kit, for a total of 380mm, hence the 80mm figure.

This is the unit that will be housing the boiler - http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Ohio-Wall-Unit-600mm/p/122800

 

[JohnD]

cheapest option would be to buy a 600m floor unit and ask your fitter to whiz his saw and cut the sides and bottom to the depth you need.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Ohio-Base-Unit-600mm/p/122781

sadly it is a bit taller. If you want to use your wall unit door, you could ask him to shorten the sides as well. It is self assembly. He can drill and screw the sides to the top if the cutting removes the factory fittings (if it was me I would glue in dowels which is neater.

Looking at the price of your units, a custom-built one would cost a lot more.

You could hide the exposed white edge of the side of the cabinet with one of these, cut to size (it will need two pieces) or by cutting a strip off your left-over door.
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Ohio-Appliance-Door-600-x-131mm/p/122790

The full-size décor panel is a lot more expensive
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Ohio-Soft-Cream-Decor-Tall-Panel-18mm/p/122931

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

What's the run of the wall units? ie is it just on one wall, are they in between two walls either end of the run or just one wall at one end or what?

 

[foxhole]

You could use one of these and cut the top off to match you unit size.

http://www.diy-kitchens.com/kitchen...ousing- --dry-assembled/wp10322/#.Wfx1JoXZ36Q

 

[OldKettle]

What's the run of the wall units? ie is it just on one wall, are they in between two walls either end of the run or just one wall at one end or what?

It is a galley kitchen. Internal door one end, external door the other, worktops and wall cabinets either side.

On the side with the boiler there are 4 wall cabinets in a row, from left to right - 600mm, 600mm (with boiler), 600mm narrow, 500mm - that is all the wall cabinets on that side of the room.

 

[Doggit]

You've got two problems here, and this may not work out as straightforward as anyone thinks I'm afraid. Assuming the boilers coming out 380mm then you actually want the boiler cupboard to be about 400mm to allow a gap behind the door. And if you use a standard wall unit, then you'd need battens or fixing points behind the cabinet, to bring it out to the required depth, but will the "battens" interfere with where the boiler is fitted. But if the boiler is in the middle of the run, then the cabinet can be screwed to the units either side as there's no real weight, so doesn't need fixing to the wall.

So, assuming that you need to bring the wall units out 100mm, then you need to build a frame on the wall, because as the kitchen fitter has suggested, if you just fit a batten at the top and bottom of the cabinets, then they will sag and drop over time, hence the need for vertical battens as well as horizontal ones so that fit tight to the frame. To hide the battens, you need to use a base end panel which will be about 580mm deep, and cut this down to 420mm (wall unit plus batten frame, plus door thickness), and that'll cover everything up. You'll also want some white MDF both on top and underneath the units, and that'll require cornice and plinth to cover hide that.

Now, having said all that, do you need to be able to remove the wall unit to service the boiler, or can you get one wide enough (that'll also fit in the allowable space) that will let the boiler main work on it without having to take it off the wall.

Now is it worth all that hassle, or could you fit the wall units up to the boiler, and then fit a larder cabinet where the boiler goes, and make it a useable feature, but looking at your unit run, can the boiler be relocated to the exit door end.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

There are plenty of solutions, if kitchen fitter was savvy and has some knowledge of cabinetry he'd have provided a solution and got on with it but with a cost to the OP. He's probably a crap fitter without a scooby.

 

[RichA]

Take the cabinet apart. Bin the top, bottom, back and shelves. Screw the left side to the cabinet on the left (but 100mm further forward - nb leave sufficient space for the door to close) and the right side to the cabinet on the right (again 100mm further forward). Then fit the door.

 

[Doggit]

I wouldn't go that far; I'd leave the base on as it's possible that you'll see underneath the cupboards, but you'd then need to leave a small amount of the top on to provid a bit of stability for handling it, but essentially, it's a reasonable idea.

 

[foxhole]

I simply fitted around boiler leaving no space at all as I left it fixed so it could just be lifted off for servicing.

 

[foxhole]

You've got two problems here, and this may not work out as straightforward as anyone thinks I'm afraid. Assuming the boilers coming out 380mm then you actually want the boiler cupboard to be about 400mm to allow a gap behind the door. And if you use a standard wall unit, then you'd need battens or fixing points behind the cabinet, to bring it out to the required depth, but will the "battens" interfere with where the boiler is fitted. But if the boiler is in the middle of the run, then the cabinet can be screwed to the units either side as there's no real weight, so doesn't need fixing to the wall.

So, assuming that you need to bring the wall units out 100mm, then you need to build a frame on the wall, because as the kitchen fitter has suggested, if you just fit a batten at the top and bottom of the cabinets, then they will sag and drop over time, hence the need for vertical battens as well as horizontal ones so that fit tight to the frame. To hide the battens, you need to use a base end panel which will be about 580mm deep, and cut this down to 420mm (wall unit plus batten frame, plus door thickness), and that'll cover everything up. You'll also want some white MDF both on top and underneath the units, and that'll require cornice and plinth to cover hide that.

Now, having said all that, do you need to be able to remove the wall unit to service the boiler, or can you get one wide enough (that'll also fit in the allowable space) that will let the boiler main work on it without having to take it off the wall.

Now is it worth all that hassle, or could you fit the wall units up to the boiler, and then fit a larder cabinet where the boiler goes, and make it a useable feature, but looking at your unit run, can the boiler be relocated to the exit door end.

Not a problem boiler cupboards are 450mm deep, see my link.