No room for standard Kitchen Worktop Upstand

[BruceM]

Having carried out a lot of refurbishment to our old kitchen we would like to fit an upstand around the back our newly fitted worktops.

Unfortunately there are electric points that are only 6 cms above the worktop, not leaving enough room for a standard size upstand.

In spite of this it would still add a more finished appearance to fit an additional strip, even if it was not matching the black granite effect of the laminate ' Everest ' formica tops.

A black strip of suitable material 6cms high 10/12 mm thick I have not been able to find. ANY IDEAS would be gratefully considered.

 

[speed]

buy the 100mm upstand and cut it down?

 

[BruceM]

Thanks for the reply speed - I had of course though of that solution but -

1. I wonder if the normal upstand will look OK cut-down ?

2. It would have to be very accurately cut to sit perfectly along the worktop such in long lengths without any undulations showing, and not an easy shape on which to work - 3000 X 100mm

Since it will be a narrower strip than usual, I wondered if a completely different look might be better suited. Like a plain black glossy rectangular strip against the matt and mottled worktop. I'm still wondering.

 

[gregers]

cut something similar done to the size required and offer it up.if it looks ok do as 'SPEED' has suggested but perhaps find someone with a bench saw or if your competant enough use a circular saw with a guide,bear in mind make sure you seal the cut edge before fitting or your hard work may be a waste of time if it gets wet.

 

[foxhole]

If I were refurbishing then I would move sockets to 300mm above worktops where they are also safer.









Most people try to accommodate errors instead of fixing them.

 

[BruceM]

Thanks for answering FOXHOLE. I did prefer that solution originally but the wall in question is a chipboard false wall added to the end of the room space inside the gable end of a kitchen partly in roofspace. Otherwis the roof slope would go almost to floor level.

When I removed the cooker point and box to see, the cabling behind is all exactly to length and run with cable clips every few centimeters securing the cables to studs.

So any moving of elecric points would seem to need extra cabling in a space where there is no access.

It was about this point I started to scratch my head!!!

 

[foxhole]

Easy to add new cable to existing at socket, cover over and fish a new cable a few inches up the wall.You kitchen wall made of chipboard?

 

[BruceM]

It is chipboard yes. The original fitters did a very professional job, and they used the heavy duty flooring chipboard for the partition.

I had thought that adding extensions to the existing points for the purpose of re-positioning would not be acceptable for safety reasons.

Re-wiring would be difficult and certainly very expensive, so I had settled for alternative Upstand.

Please enlighten me, I am very grateful for your input.

 

[foxhole]

I would not call chipboard walls a quality job and a fire hazard if not covered with plasterboard.

 

[BruceM]

Thinking about it I guesss you are right in that respect, I was thinking of of the workmanship more than the spec.

It appears to have been very well made, maybe before such considerations were regulated.

 

[BruceM]

I thought also, that if you add any cable for an extension at an existing point, you had to leave the old point exposed and covered with a plate.

This would not be acceptable on the wall about to be re-tiled.

Can the existing electric points be raised up the wall by extending in an acceptable and safe way?

 

[foxhole]

No requiremment to leave access, you can cover and tile over.