fitting my kitchen ( going to attempt!!!!!)

[hotspot007]

Can anyone give me some good advice on what tools I will need before starting my kitchen.
My list of jobs is as follows
1, Lay underfloor heating in the conservatory on tile backer boards ( mat type)
2, Lay floor tiles throughout conservatory/dining/kitchen....large quarry type
3, fit kitchen
I got the usual diyer tools but need to know the tools that get you out of trouble and save a lot of time/hassle etc....
Any help please or advice......never fitted kitchen or lay floor tiles

 

[Steve]

If it's a large area, you may need a seperate circuit for your underfloor heating. Check the rating of the total area of matting needed. If it's more than 3kw (13A), best to put it on a seperate circuit.

Is the conservatory seperated from the kitchen by a door? You may want to have 2 zones of heating.

What floor surface are you laying the tiles on? If there is a transition between concrete and wood, you may want to use flexible grout or a wooden transition strip interrupting the tiles on the threshold, or the grout will crack. On wooden floorboards, you may want to lay chipboard over this, as it is more stable than floorboards and there will be less movement. Also use flexible grout on wood anyway.

 

[nstreet]

I got the usual diyer tools but need to know the tools that get you out of trouble and save a lot of time/hassle etc....
Any help please or advice......never fitted kitchen or lay floor tiles

The tools to get you out of trouble are a telephone and yellow pages and a pen to write down the number of a good kitchen fitter.

I think of myself as reasonably competent when it comes to diy and have tackled most jobs over the years. A few years back I thought the same as you and started fitting a new kitchen. In the end I got a man in, the walls were way out of square and plumb and fitting the units single handed was an absolute nightmare. It took far to long and the missues was moaning like hell. In the end I did all of the elctrics and plumbing and let the 'expert' fit the kitchen and tile. End result job done in 5 days and missus happy

 

[FMC]

I fitted my kitchen my self over 3 weeks and as much a pain in the arse it was ,im glad I did it.It saved me over £1000 they wanted to fit it.

 

[hotspot007]

with regarding my floor:
The underfloor heating comes in at 10 amp so it is on the lower floor ring main, however the spark has taken the kitchen off this ring and it now has its own!
the kitchen and conservatory is open plan with the kitchen being a concrete floor and the conservatory has a concrete screed 50mm below the kitchen floor. So I have a question: I was going to put in 50mm Marmox tile backer boards, laid straight down on the screed tightly cut and fitted, however is it best to put the boards down with adhesive if so i will need to put 40mm boards + the adhesive to try and level the floor?

Im still going to try and fit the kitchen myself........what have i got to lose!!!! apart from a week or so of my life and nagging from my wife......but used to that anyway!!!!!!!

Weve plumped for 600mm x 600mm slate tiles.......are these easy to lay???

 

[brightandsparky]

I had to wait for weeks to have my kitchen at home fitted because of missing parts coinciding with fitter avavilability and visa versa
Made me realise I could do it myself and did so indeed TWICE it took a while but it was worth the experience o yeh good tip
DONT remove old kitchen until all parts have been accounted for (this includes opening ALL boxes even the the taps and sink) Have a Magnetic stick handy and purchase B&Q kitchen door handle grit (use mine for a variety of jobs) well worth the money.
Good luck

Im still going to try and fit the kitchen myself........what have i got to lose!!!!

 

[69er]

Tools required

Router and jig for worktops

chop saw for cornice pelmet

mitre glue

 

[69er]

Must say i see alot of people that fit their own kitchens and are quiet proud of them selves. I get asked what I think .My reply "if I fitted the kitchen like that you would not pay me"

Alot of diy`ers think they are good but are no.The same can be said for a kitchen fitter as there is a lot of rubbish out there.

 

[brightandsparky]

I have seen fitted kitchens which looked worse than the ones I fitted myself and in all honesty my second kitchen looks much better then the first one as with the first one I made a mistake with cutting the sink out of the worktop ( I could be forgiven as I did not have a template which does make all the difference) I am all for quality so would not recommend doing it yourself if you are not patient. Take your time as that is a requirement .Measure twice cut once. I also have the added pleasure of no square walls which eats time but YES IT WAS WORTH IT

 

[PFE]

I fitted my kitchen last year - was pleased with result took a while may not be perfect but I have certainly seen worse fitted by 'professionals' (and its a million times better than what was there before)
My tip - get a chippy in to fit the worktop.
By the time you take into account hiring/buying a router and jig, the £200 quid or so I paid him was money well spent.

P

 

[FMC]

Thats what we did with the work surfaces as they were expensive and it only cost £100 for the guy to fit it.

 

[empip]

I fitted my kitchen my self over 3 weeks and as much a pain in the a**e it was ,im glad I did it.It saved me over £1000 they wanted to fit it.

Ah but ... for a plumber on £70k annum that 3 weeks = £4038 .. cheaper to let 'they' do it properly ..

 

[Mick Leek]

I fitted my own kitchen. and everyone who looks at it is quite impressed... also plastered all the walls and fitted a new suspended celling, designer radiators and knocked a new door through into the new extension i am building..

Did over 4 weekends.

Here are a few pictures

www.phenomenalfireworks.co.uk/house.php

 

[Peter Mac]

The kitchen does look really good. I'm suprised you managed to do it in just 4 weekends!

 

[Mick Leek]

Took 4 weekends 8 days to fit everything BUT i have to say that the base units where the sink is are the old ones facelifted.

Everything else was replaced. The door you can see wasnt there before. that is the door we made into the new utility room of the extension i am building at the moment.

there was a door opisite to that one that led into the dining room. Now blocked off to create more cupboard space and work top area.

The ceiling was Pine, now laminate white ash flooring fixed to the ceiling