Kitchen design poser!

[Lobster]

Hi all Would be grateful for some input over a kitchen I'm designing (well, truth be told, *designed* and currently fitting, but hasn't worked out quite as I'd thought...

It's a narrow galley kitchen, with window at one end with sink under. Down the left hand wall I've got built-under fridge and freezer units (ie, freestanding 'slot under' models). - see ASCII art below. The drainer on the sink extends into the corner (no room for it to drain to the right).

This presents a problem with the joint in the worktop. If (A) I put the first length of worktop right across the width of the room, and butt the second worktop up against it, then one end of the second worktop won't be properly supported as far as I can see, and will be flapping around. Alternatively (B), if the first length of worktop goes the length of the room, it will bridge the fridge and freezer and be supported both ends, but then when the second length is butted up against it, the cut-out for the sink will have to be across the joint, which can't be good either.

At the moment I think I'm going to have to go with option A, and somehow contrive some support at the front for the worktop.

Any thoughts on the above?

Thanks David

___________________________ | ____________ |400 | | | sink: | |base | | | LH drainer | |unit | | |____________| | | |__________________|_______| | | | |fridge | | | | | |________| | | | | |freezer | | | | | |________| | | | | |oven | | | | | |________| | | | | | | | | |

[Ian Stirling]

What I did when joining two worktops at right angles was simply to take a 3mm*50cm*50cm bit of steel that I had lying around, drill lots of holes in it, and screw to that.

Alternatively. Get an 8*4 sheet of 15mm (ideally WBP) ply. Put this in place of the top bits of chipboard on the cabinets, so that it has a nice solid surface to work on.

[Lobster]

Thanks, yes that could work. There's very little space between the bottom of the worktop and top of the fridge/freezer units, but I guess I could fit a plate like that in there.

David

[John Rumm]

___________________________ | ____________ | | | sink: | | | | LH drainer | B | | |____________| | |--------\_________________| | | | | | | | | | | | | | A | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |________| | | | | | | | | |

I would go for worktop B going full width, and have A join it with a masons mitre (i.e. cut with a worktop jig).

Sink a few biscuits along the join, and then clamp up tight with three small dog bone connectors in rebates on the underside of the worktops.

That shold hold the loose end of A nice and firm.

[Lobster]

Yes, I'd have done the mitred joint method anyway (well, truth be told, I was going to get a joiner in for that bit!) but it would mean that the end of A would be held up by the biscuits and connectors only - because even with the inset bit, A wouldn't reach the top of the sink unit for support. Is that what you meant? ie, would that be adequate support?

Thanks David

[Owain]

I would do (A) to avoid the join across the drainer, with biscuits *and* a steel plate underneath (could be recessed into the undersuyrface of the worktop if not much headroom above fridge.

If you're really worried about support and as the worktop won't overhang the sink base unit, could you use a slightly slimmer fridge and put a leg under the end of the worktop?

Owain

[auctions]

The sink is presumably mounted on an 800mm or 1000mm base unit running into the corner. If you go for option A and mitre the joint (which is definitely preferable that close to a sink), the joint should just overlap the edge of this cupboard and be sufficiently supported. If there is room I'd stick an end panel (or piece of 18mm ply) between the fridge and the freezer to make sure the worksurface doesn't flex and stress the joint.

A

[Phil L]

I can't make head nor tail of these ascii things! use mspaint and tinypic..

[John Rumm]

In practice I don't think that will be a problem - the biscuits plus dog bone connectors will fix a to b almost as well as if there were one bit of worktop to start with, and B ought to be well supported by the unit under the sink.

The only complexity is making sure that there is enough depth in B to accomodate the joint without interfeering with the sink cutout.

[John Rumm]

That is because outlook express uses propotional fonts by default. If you use a fixed width font it looks fine:

[calums]

David I would agree with Johns suggestion, however it may be simpler than even that. My concern is that the dog bone joint will come beyond the apperture of the sink. If this is the case then dog bone side B and then just drill a 4mm hole and counter hole and use a standard M4 nut in the part of workop A rather than the nut that comes with the connector, this will also make tightening of the joint much quicker. Calum Sabey (NewArk Traditional Kitchens 01556 690544)

[John Rumm]

Yup, in fact you could take this a step further still. If it looks like that the amount of wood left in worktop B is going to be too narrow to fit the dogbones where the sink is, you could make the dogbone connection at the back, then cutout the sink recess, and now simply drill through the remaining bit of worktop from the sink hole and screw from the sink cutout into the edge of A. Use a waterproof gap filling adhesive in the join before you tighten up the connectors / screws.