Warped Units

[adders21]

Hi All,

About a year ago we had a pine country style kitchen fitted from a local bespoke company.
After about 3 months we noticed that some of the doors were warping slightly. The gap between two opposing doors was now wider at the top than the bottom. Some doors seem to now bow outwards.
We got in touch with the kitchen company who came out and replaced some of the doors and adjusted others.
They have now been out to us 3 times. On the last visit they politely pointed out that this was to expected from timber kitchen and this is part of it's charm!
Now a year into ownership and a one of the new doors is again showing an uneaven gap from top to bottom.
Is this normal?
Am I being to picky?
Thank you for your input and advice.
Ian
from Derby

 

[JohnD]

show us some pics

how humid is your kitchen?

 

[adders21]

Hi John, I'll take a few pictures and post them.
I don't think our kitchen is any more humid that other kitchens.

It has solid floors. We have had a new extension, hence the new kitchen. Size is 5mt x 5 mt. It has a door to the hall, lounge and utility.

 

[adders21]

Hope you can see the picture.
There is a 4mm gap at the top. At the bottom the doors are nearly touching.



//media.diynot.com/146000_145912_26716_22744922_thumb.jpg

 

[JohnD]

I don't think I can see a warp there (click the pic)

door

• adders21
• 1 Oct 2010
• 1

is it just the gap between the doors that tapers? it can be adjusted at the hinge. what about the hinge side gap?

 

[big-all]

assuming they have normal kitchen type hinges they are easily adjusted and is not a fault just maintainance that they arnt responcible for

 

[adders21]

Hi Big All,

The hinges are not the type you see in normal kitchens but the type you would find in other furniture. There is no adjustment.

JohnD,

The doors appear to have swelled! and closed the gap at the bottom.

If any one knows how I can adjust standard furniture hinges to adjust them please let me know.

thank you all.

 

[KenGMac]

If I understand the question correctly, You have kitchen unit doors that have hinges similar / identical to normal pass door hinges fitted?

That is the hinge, is probably fixed to the inner surface of the kitchen unit door. the hinge is also fixed to the inner face of the carcase of the unit?

If this is the case then you can undo the screws that attach the hinge to the carcase, insert a thin "packer" to both top hinges of the doors in question, then re-attach the hinges to the carcase.

The $64,000 question how thick should the "Packers" be? in this situation fairly thin "Packers" will be needed to move both, not just one door into true alighnment. if you only adjust one door then the gap between the two doors and the top will go out of sink with each other.

Carefully measure the difference in gap top to bottom of the doors, split the difference, deduct the clearance at the bottom of the doors then you have the total difference you have to account for. THEN halve the difference again and Hey Presto you have the thickness of "Packing" needed to fit between both door hinges and the carcase.

On second thoughts, why not get the firm that installed a, I presume. top of the range all singing and dancing "expensive" kitchen back, yet again to make good? Why, because you have shelled out a serious load of money for a "Bespoke firm" then I for one would assume that these experts should have used a very "stable" material to construct your Kitchen from?

 

[big-all]

are the doors flush mounted on the surface or recessed
recessed doors smaller than the opening by 5mm per pair with the hinges on the edge off the door

surface mounted around 2" bigger than the opening with hinges on the face
picture off the hinge on an open door please

 

[adders21]

Hi KenGMac,

Thank you for the reply.
I am thinking of getting them out again. The company have politely said to me in the past that the sort of movement and gap distortion is normal and acceptable for a bespoke kitchen made from a natural material.
Some of the movement has been that bad that the catches have broken because the doors no longer close in the same alignment.

Big-all,

I will take some more pictures and post them on here.

Thank you all for replying

Ian

 

[big-all]

cheers

 

[adders21]

Here are a two pictures of the hinges and two pictures of door gaps.
The pictures don't seem to show the gaps that well, trust me though they are there!

Hopefully the hinge pictures will help with adjustment advice.

On a previous occasion the fitters replaced some of the doors as they had bowed outwards.

Should the timber used in kitchens be seasoned so as to avoid this?

 

[adders21]

and here are the pictures!

bottom

• adders21
• 4 Oct 2010
• 1

top

• adders21
• 4 Oct 2010
• 1

outer

• adders21
• 4 Oct 2010
• 1

inner

• adders21
• 4 Oct 2010
• 1

 

[KenGMac]

Adders, hi.

I do not know what response you will get from other "contributors" BUT, I for one am singularly un-Impressed by the quality of hinges used.

These hinges are [in My opinion - - everyone is entitled to My Opinion? ? ?] are not what I would expect to see on a piece of "Bespoke" "furniture" whether it be a cabinet, or a kitchen base unit.

The hinges used are "skeleton" type and B&Q sell them at just over a £1.25 for a pair. this in my [tiny] mind sets the alarm bells clanging

It is my opinion that the hinges used are , and I apologize for this in advance, cheap and nasty.

The degree of distortion that you have described, given this Kitchen is form a "Bespoke company" is simply not acceptable. The timber used should have been very stable, having been either kiln dried or Air dried and as such treated so as to reduce the worst effects of the climate changes within what is a fairly harsh environment of a kitchen.

I would begin to make enquiries as to how many other complaints this Company have generated, goggle the name, contact local to you trading standards Etc.

Bottom line is that you have shelled out shall we say "well above average money" for this kitchen, it is not performing as one would expect. go back time and time again to complain to the supplier, and if they are a member of a trade body get them involved as well.

Probably not what you want to read, Sorry about that, other contributors may have different ideas, pile in everyone PLEASE. I have stuck my neck out far enough on this?

 

[big-all]

i wouldnt expect those hinges on a cabinet off more than £100
you can adjust them if they are on the face by filling the screw hole/holes with a match stick/slither off wood

the doors are screwed and pluged so no real craft involved
a lot off time and money seems to have been wasted by using stick on mouldings rather than using a router/ spindle moulder

the only way you can adjust those hinges is with 0.5-1mm plastic slithers on the opposit bottom hinges on the door to be least obviouse

having said that iff you want your doors to stay within 2mm you have to pay a hefty premium

how much more than a standard b&q kitchen was your bespoked kitcken ??