flatpack kitchen - to glue or not to glue

sm_jamieson (sm snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com) wibbled on Tuesday 25 January 2011

Yes

I glue all flatplack furniture and it is stronger for litle extra effort...

You will never take it to bits anyway.

Seconded

Colin Bignell

I only glue when its of some advantage, and I dont think thats true for kitchen units, which are far sturdier than standalone flatpack items. Ability to dismantle & move is occasionally useful.

NT

There is nothing to stop you moving a kitchen unit as an assembly. It saves the time of disassembly and reassembly and one that has been glued will survive a move quite well. The only reason they are sold as flat packs is that it saves warehouse space for the manufacturer and vendor.

Colin Bignell

I wouldn't not for kitchen floor units anyway. Get a leak and if it's all glued together you can't just remove the damaged bits and replace. Properly installed the units aren't going anywhere as they'll be screwed to the back wall, floor, and worktop.

I could certainly seal all exposed chipboard edges. What would be the best thing to use - a thin varnish ? Simon.

But you're unlikely to be able to get spares anyhow, unless it's a really expensive kitchen. Do the plumbing properly and not likely to get a leak.

I pretty much always glue flat pack to give it extra strength.

Carcases are pretty universal, unit height and widths are standardised...

Most leaks in kitchens are from appliances or the connections to them not the fixed plumbing. Or spills.

But a kitchen unit doesn't need any extra strength, it'll be fixed to the wall, floor and worktop it's not going anywhere. A free standing book case on the other hand might need a bit of assistance.

I have found that heavily loaded i.e. tins, utensils, etc cupboards which are at the end of runs, are inclined to spread at the bottom and would certainly think it's worth the extra effort, but I would use Araldite, not PVA. Also I added support between floor and the centre of lower shelf, also a bracket under the front of the upper shelf, onto the central support. It really depends on how much life you want from them.

Are the pre-buit variety glued, or do they rely on factory fitted assembly screws for their "integrity"?

Phil

There's little point. A glued butt joint in end grain has negligible strength. This is still the case for end grain chipboard / MDF.

If there are biscuits or dowels in use, this can make a better arrangement for gluing.

Personally I wouldn't bother - ours has been in place for nearly ten years and hasn't moved yet, and it wasn't a posh one either - just a B+Q cheapie.

If you absolutely must, then where they fail is at the screw-holes - run something runny like thin superglue into the hole first to harden the wood - but don't put the screw in until it's set.

I only glue when its of some advantage, and I dont think thats true for kitchen units,

----------------------------------------------------------------

They may be true for base units that have a flipping great weight on them keeping them "solid", but I don't think it's true for wall units

tim

I'm sure the expectation is that you don't glue, as otherwise these "door replacement" companies wouldn't be able to replace the matching end panels (which they seem to expect to do).

But I always glue

tim

As someone looking to replace a unit, to fit in a dishwasher, in my new (to me) property, I can assure you that they are not.

tim

There's little point. A glued butt joint in end grain has negligible strength. This is still the case for end grain chipboard / MDF.

---------------------------------------------------------------

It doesn't need to have much strength.

All it needs to do is to stop that little "wobble" that has a tendency overtime, to undo the "cam and bolt" type fittings that seem to be common nowadays.

tim

Hot melt glue works well.

Colin Bignell

Indeed, this afternoon I've been putting Danish oil on the oak edgings of a home-made carcas 'cos you can't get one to fit otherwise.

I've needed to disassemble a unit a couple of times. If it had been glued, it would have meant a whole new kitchen. Since there's absolutely no need to glue, the units are fixed to the walls and solid enough, I dont.

NT