Shocking job by kitchen fitter

[dan1w]

After having spent the last couple of weeks getting everything ready for moving our kitchen into our living room, and having fitted all the base units in a mad rush to be ready in time for the 'joiner' to come and fit our worktops, I was devastated to come home from work this evening and see the job that he's done.

Amongst the mistakes I've noticed so far are a really poor mitre, a massively uneven overhang on the breakfast bar making it difficult to open the handleless draw and reducing the overhang on the seating side, a chipped edge and not only is the sink the wrong way around (he convinced my Mrs to do it that way as 'there won't be enough room above the dishwasher for the draining board") but the draining board is now beneath a plug socket and the cut out is in the wrong place for the sink to fit in the 600 base unit and the adjoining unit has been notched inside, even that doesn't give enough clearance to slide the worktop over far enough to cover the awful gap at the end.

I'm gutted, the situation is made worse by the fact the guy isn't just someone we called up but someone we're likely to see often.

Just needed to vent my anger at this. Mrs is gutted too as she thought work was fine and actually overpaid.

 

[HERTS P&D]

You need new worktops and a new fitter.

Andy

 

[Roger928]

A good bead of silicone will cover it up.

 

[HERTS P&D]

A good bead of silicone will cover it up.

Are you having a laugh?

Andy

 

[Deleted member 174758]

That's a bit gruesome, especially when you consider that he's using decent quality worktops (Duropal). Chip-out in picture 1 has been caused by cutting the worktop in the wrong direction (should have been turn over and sawn or routed from the underside), sort cut in picture 3 is just amateurish, whilst the mason's mitre joint in pictures 2 and 7 has just been assembled incorrectly an could have been corrected at installation time with a little bit of patience. I don't see why he couldn't have installed the drainer over the top of a dish washer (in a 38mm thick top), either, but I'm not in full possesion of the facts so I'll make no further comment. All in all, though, I've seen 2nd year apprentices do better jobs (albeit with close supervision). Not surprised that you're unhappy

 

[Tigercubrider]

Is that socket near a draining board?
Is that legal?

 

[Doggit]

The sockets have got to be 300mm away from the water, so it's just about legal, but definitely not good.

So having vented you're anger - well justified - what's you're next step. What did he charge, and what's the cost of the new worktops

 

[JohnD]

The sockets have got to be 300mm away from the water

Says who?

 

[Doggit]

Says who

Well in this case, says me, but if I'm wrong, just correct me rather than give clever smart arse replies.

 

[JohnD]

there is no electrical regulation regarding spacing of sockets and sinks or taps, not even in a bathroom.

Electrical accessories, such as sockets, should be suitable for their location, which IMO (though vague) suggests they should not be in a place where they will get splashed or dripped on.

There are, however, regulations regarding spacing of electrical accessories, away from baths or shower trays.

 

[Iamchamps]

From NICEIC website:-

How close to a sink can a socket-outlet be installed?

BS 7671 does not specify any minimum distance for socket-outlets to be from a sink.

Regulation 512-06-01 requires due account to be taken of all external influences. The Regulation requires all equipment to be of a design appropriate to the situation in which it is to be used or its mode of installation is to take account of the conditions likely to be encountered.

Accessories used in domestic installations are not designed to be splashed and therefore not suitable for installation close to a sink or draining board. The NICEIC recommends that socket-outlets and other accessories should be located at least 300 mm, measured horizontally, from a sink or draining board, where they are unlikely to be splashed.

Where circumstances require a BS 1363 socket-outlet or other accessory to be installed in a wet
location, a splash-proof accessory or an accessory having protection to IPX4 should be
considered. However, in a domestic kitchen, the industrial appearance of a splash-proof
socket-outlet is likely to be unacceptable and a standard socket-outlet located a safe distance
away is usually the preferred solution.

 

[JohnD]

"recommends" and "should" are not regulations.

 

[Doggit]

Thanks for that Lamchamps, I've obviously got it wrong, but I knew I'd read something to that effect somewhere.