Kitchen Arrived

[Steve Walford]

Thanks for the advice given previously

Flatpack kitchen now here

Two items I dont undestand what to do with

A large bottle of superglue and activator

A roll of Scandiwood heat resistant paper

Many Thanks

[tim.....]

Well obviously it's for sticking something together.

What have you got that could need sticking together?

It certainly isn't for sticking units to the wall or the hob/sink into the worktop.

It could be for sticking end strips onto a worktop (if you have one that needs them), but usually these are "iron on".

tim

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Usually for mitres on pelmets etc.

To go between iron on edging and the iron?

[ericp]

The glue may be for sticking any hardboard cupboard backs into their grooves in the back of the cabinets, particularly sink bases.

[The Medway Handyman]

Thats what I would have thought.

Most edging strip I've come across lately is either self adhesive or just plain.

[js.b1]

Heat resistant paper may also be for the underside of a worktop over an oven. Not everyone puts the hob over the oven for example.

I'd be more interested in "tanking" the kitchen sink cupboard. Any leak in there basically destroys the cupboard in short order and if your floors are not solid welcome to a mess. If your floors are solid, you can marvel at the stupidity of woodlice trying desperately to eat slightly moistened tile grout - energy expenditure versus energy intake is of illogical proportions but suggests they are powered by a yet unknown and unharnessed energy source. However if your floors are wood you can marvel at how little joist is actually required due to tongue-&-groove floor construction to actually hold the remaining floor aloft until your cabinets finally begin to succumb to the weak gravitational force. If you are lucky enough to have Barret type chipboard flooring, the word "aloft" will merely become a memory so much more quickly, considered normal, "they all do that". Rubber type tanking up the cupboard sides with a "plumbed-in" drain & flap is not overkill, on the contrary accidents are a misnoman, they are inevitable, destiny. Alternatively line with something that will act as a mould release and create a simple fibreglass tray from a kit (maybe add a sheet of kevlar to prevent cracking when whatever ornament is dropped in there). Alternatively replace the carcass with a mesh reinforced concrete version with appropriate tanking and mosaic tiles, glass frontage can be added for viewing whatever leaks occur when the door is opened to the exclamation "how did that happen?". I say this because essentially some people use a sink like a wet room and where the presence of a drain within it is somewhat redundant - so little water makes it down there that a more suitable location for the drain is on the floor behind you. The concept of "splashback" is taken as meaning the kitchen worktop has become a wet room, whereupon worktop construction turns into cupped wood of washboard proportions or progressively separating particles of wood held together by a now promise of once glue which has long succumbed to dissolving in water. Wood particles meanwhile succumb to the dark woodlice force being the perfect size and now mushy consistency for them to feed & breed upon like rabbits kept in check by spiders limited in size only to that of the kitchen's physical dimensions. Garage spiders eat your heart out, you will never achieve the status of being named Mr "Argh, Look At The Size Of That B@st@rd!".

Fit 1/4-turn isolators for taps etc so you can change the tap or isolate stuff as need be. There is a floodcheck remote stopcock available now which is another useful idea on the shopping list; it could prove a useful "get-the-b@st@rd out the shower" device. Alternatively it could be used to control a kitchen tap located above the front door, since their water output is "omnidirectional", so avoiding nuisance callers.

If you are on a shared water supply or can't easily fit a water meter outside, ensure you design for it inside. The location requirements are immediately after the stopcock, before any branches, not behind a washing machine; so that's me ****ed.

Despite our sink being a Franke with frozen-food-2pk-failed-separation- attempt-dents it has the rigidity around the taps of a lettuce leaf . The aforementioned taps are poor (non-Franke) and tend to rock on the tap-to-sink topside-gasket despite very large brass backing washers on the underside. The idea of rigid copper pipe is to improve rigidity of the pipe to tap interface, at the expense of turning the thread interface it into a point of failure with future "drip-drip" slowly destroying the carcass. Might be worth investigating some more rigid bracing - like why haven't the makers done something by now? It would only take a couple of tabs welded onto the underside to turn the area around the tap-platform into a "box-section". Either that or wall mount the taps so at least they remain in roughly the same place no matter what she does to her hair in the sink. Alternatively just fit a shower above for her hair and integral pressure washer for dishes since whilst the mess appears the same, the amount of water used will be environmentally less. A dishwasher can be used, but unless of the 2 foot variety can be unreliable and subject to random f@rting and dishevelled nagged appearance. Dishwashers whilst avoiding the former present their own risks, namely failing when asked to actually do anything out of the ordinary capacity (somewhat like the other half) and having no user serviceable parts readily available (again, somewhat like the other half).

Talking of drains, it might be worth sleeving the hole through any cavity. It would not be the first time that movement at the elbow due to insufficient insertion of the pipe has resulted in weepage. It's fantastic when this happens with a soil pipe because you really have not lived until you find your cavity is full of ****. With quarry tile solid floors you can be assured it will migrate efficiently inwards with its delightful effluent aroma rather than taking any alternative route which would be far too much to ask. The cavity is full of so much brickie **** that the outer wall is almost impermeable anyway, it can only migrate inwards. The problem is usually insufficient insertion into the pipe - personally I like to see "pipe" exiting the wall slightly whereas some kitchen fitters seem to want the elbow half buried in the wall to hide their disastrous Cut & Mangled Junction. If you suspect this, ensure the pipe is properly lubricated by ramming it far up the kitchen fitters @rse and then inserting it into the elbow (pipe fitting elbow). If you are not sure how far to ram it up the kitchen fitters @rse then as far as the elbow seems a reasonable distance considering anthropometric variation.

If your kitchen is not particularly well insulated you could insulate behind the units to the wall. That stops a cold-point which often gets mould on it, the insulation need only be cheap PUR rather than PIR. It makes a difference at the calf/ankle level - and when you open the cupboard doors you are not met by "The Day After Tomorrow" freeze as the cold rolls across the floor. Insulation can also be added into the back of recessed cupboards or even inside. It avoids the back of the cupboard getting closer to the dew point in a steamed up kitchen prior to cooking or during - filling the cupboard entirely stops the other half filling it with so much **** anyway.

Returning to kitchen sinks, realise the middle sink will be used by males to wash dirty water off dishes, females will merely use it to dump various solids, child body parts, nappies, plant material and of course hair. Pressure washer capability is useful for cleaning the middle sink's plastic tray, because holes are *exactly* sized to snare & retain indefinately any grain of rice. If you so much as show the middle tray a teabag, even dry, it will immediately blush to the same colour in contentment.

Another idea is to run 1-2 runs of 25mm flexible conduit behind the kitchen units, particularly for any obscure MEB or cable requirement in the future. Alternatively it can be damn funny just to confuse the next electrician who comes along with the cable moving at both ends as one, but each end having completely different conductor size. Such opportunistic installations are normally limited to kitchen fitters installing lighting, which to date, are indicative that they have finally moved on from car alarm installion. Car alarm installers are filtered out at kitchen fitter level if they carry their autonomous nervous system "stick probe through every wire" trait over to domestic wiring, typically becoming NHS surgeons instead.

Work on getting a very good seal between the splashback and the worktop - the sink is an area where splashes are regular which does not help the wall or grout if tiled. Most grout is porous, worktop seals inevitably leak. I have never understood why the splashback is not integrated into the sink - a splashback lip that essentially overlaps the sink with underlying rubber seal. We seem doomed to have low lip sinks (so as not to impinge on wrists, a play to the wetter health & safety crowd), but at the rear the importance should be minimising splash so the lip could be somewhat larger. Cunningly this may be an attempt to convince people the worktop is in fact a wet room where at least the bulk of mount vesuvial water flow will at some point make its way to the sink, in some forelorne hope. Some taps are hell-bent on spraying water everywhere - perhaps a very oversized "sprinkler head" would resolve matters, volume without the velocity so the entire output of the tap & local reservoir on hitting the inevitably self-locating spoon does not create a perfectly formed reversal all over you resulting in a scene reminiscent of a water fire extinguisher having been set off (wet everywhere but where you want it).

If you haven't, buy a spare cutlery drawer front, drawer-tray etc. Certain members of the opposite sex like to slam those for reasons I can not possibly fathom which over time has been known to break the draw into various pieces which are then meticulously re-assembled as an exquisite romanesque mosaic - with earthquake damage. Worse, never leave a glue like evil-stik around whereupon all cracked or broken objects within a mile radius (irrespective of the suitability of said glue) can be found to have had it applied in a "brown-gunge-line". This is because you didn't do it when asked for the 47th time, because you did not actually HAVE the right glue - but this application criteria information is deemed irrelevent in other people's eyes because all glue's are in fact "glue" by virtue of their name. Any attempt to suggest otherwise is treated as mere obsfuscation with the argument that all alcohol, whilst differing, makes you silly and fall over if used in sufficiently large quantities and thus the same with "glue". If enough is used it will hold anything together. Note to hide the hot glue gun, otherwise the universe as we know it might just... stop.

Cables, you can identify them now or alternatively wait until fixing cupboards - most kitchen fitters rely on the later, with replacement cables taking on a route akin to a taxi driver left to their own devices. Obligatory chocolate block and masking tape applies, Part P refers to testing the sink & CW tanks.

You can actually glue the cupboards to the wall. The best way to do this is use an epoxy mortar liberally, strip the screws from the threads, then tile around on three sides with irreplaceable italian tiles of utterly crap strength with an epoxy grout to ensure maximum retention of the cupboard. In short it requires a turnbuckle pulling upwards to a eyeplate screwed to the wall above & cupboard below, various inserted levers and about 6 months for the bond to eventually break. Whereupon you can marvel that you didn't damage the gas meter & fixtures inside, but now sob uncontrollably on the floor on finding you still can not get the cupboard off the wall because - yes you guessed it - someone changed the layout of the meter & pipework since the cupboard was molecularly integrated into the wall and the cupboard will no longer pass over them. It is at this point you consider applying the Fein/Bosch to your throat, the cupboard, or any passing kitchen or gas fitter. Evilone cupboardnobe.

Oh yes, of course, if you are a lover of pyrex cooking ware & worktops, the day the two have a heated encounter the result is a blistering love affair with the worktop laminate. Thereafter it will become a focal point of where to place any object irrespective of it being sopping wet as it "hides it". So provide a suitable "tray" for heated objects. Realise the opposite sex, despite having the entire floor to drop anything on, despite the pyrex being of little monetary replacement impact, will choose the built-in, fitted, sworn at, sweated over, considerably higher monetary replacement *worktop* to place it on.

Now, considering Sweden's general obsession with safety, design, who exactly at Ikea designed that wall cabinet fixing system? Sort of a single-think by a prison inmate given nothing to work with in an "Apollo-mission" to fix an object to a wall with the result that the only limited adjustment is haphazard friction lock in two dimensions only and completely negates any adjustment to a wall not of perfectly flat construction. Alternatively was the kitchen sufficiently assembled for the second Swedish expression to be taking over, as clothing & wall cabinets got deposited on the floor?

[Chris J Dixon]

[snip fascinating experience-based stream of consciousness]

So, how do you feel about that?

Chris

[Andrew Gabriel]

I was thinking it might be to protect the face of iron-on edging.

If the worse happens, a replacement cupboard carcuss was well under £20 (I forget exactly how much) when I was buying my kitchen. Although that was 7 years ago, I can't believe the cost makes it worth trying to protect one. Furthermore, the odd water spillage doesn't do any harm (done that several times) -- it's a long period of soaking which damages them, such as a flood.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Don't see how you could 'tank' a cupboard with opening doors. Besides, all it would do is put off the point where the leak was discovered, if you don't use the cupboard much. Better to make your pipework properly so it doesn't leak.

[js.b1]

Yes sink carcasses are cheap, about =A360-100 now. However getting one out is not always easy - it depends on plumbing, whether it is a corner unit etc.

Leaks can come from several areas. Tap - do proper plumbing or use flex-pipes with shutoff ball-valves. Avoid low height taps as their limited ability to get receptacles underneath merely invites "bang flexion" against the pipes. Water hammer can be (or become) a problem if you get new water mains - along with pressure drifting up to extreme levels. Replacing w/m flex pipes with new or better quality can help.

Overflow - in replacing some overflow chain the overflow "cup" must be retightened correctly, otherwise it will weap continually with splashes unseen often for years.

Drain - rare, but sloppy workmanship can create a damp area.

It is the unseen leakage that causes the damage, not the odd "spill". Putting even a garden centre "large shallow tray" is sufficient to catch it and spot it, small weeping leaks get missed until the bottom of the carcass is mushy. The opening door does not present a problem to "tanking", you just put a very low height baton across like some carcasses already have (B&Q spring to mind). Practical "tanking" is just a simple tray.

[dennis]

8<

That may not help, I opened the unit under the sink yesterday and found it to be full of pale pink foam. The strawberry body mousse tin was empty so I am guessing it is from there.

[PeterC]

Also single-lever mixers can be bad if the mechanism stiffens up, as there's a lot of leverage on the sink and moving of the tails.

I'm intending to get a pair of bibtaps (with upstands)

although my sink is better than almost all modern ones (40yo stainless steel one) and OK with pillar taps, it'll have a bit of 16ga stainless under the deck, as wide as it'll take.

[Andrew Gabriel]

I set the tap into the worktop behind the sink, which means having the sink set as far forward as it can, but that's also most comfortable for using it.

[Owain]

Most people keep cleaning stuff under the sink.

You wouldn't want to pick up the Vim by mistake would you> ;-)

Owain

[The Medway Handyman]

Dennipoo's - strawberry body mousse? You seem like such a nice boy.

[Frank Erskine]

On Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:10:19 -0700 (PDT), Owain had this to say:

Can you still buy Vim? Ajax? Or Pulvo? In many respects they were better than modern purely surfactant type cleaners, with their ubiquitous 'aqua' and 'parfum'.

[Derek Geldard]

One of them had blue specks. (not spectacles)

You forgot "Mirro".

Generic abrasive detergent powders sold in cardboard tubes with metal perforated end are for sale in the janitors section of places like Makro.

Derek

[PeterC]

No worktop here, the sink has a 3cm lip up to tiles - much more civilized. Not long after the sink was fitted I put a st. st. end on the open draining board (the other one goes to tiles), with sealant in the joint and st. st. pop-rivets. My Father wanted the cooker next to the sink(!) and I wouldn't do that unless he couldn't sluice water in to the cooker.

[John]

Leaks can come from several areas. Tap - do proper plumbing or use flex-pipes with shutoff ball-valves. Avoid low height taps as their limited ability to get receptacles underneath merely invites "bang flexion" against the pipes. Water hammer can be (or become) a problem if you get new water mains - along with pressure drifting up to extreme levels. Replacing w/m flex pipes with new or better quality can help.

Overflow - in replacing some overflow chain the overflow "cup" must be retightened correctly, otherwise it will weap continually with splashes unseen often for years.

Drain - rare, but sloppy workmanship can create a damp area.

It is the unseen leakage that causes the damage, not the odd "spill". Putting even a garden centre "large shallow tray" is sufficient to catch it and spot it, small weeping leaks get missed until the bottom of the carcass is mushy. The opening door does not present a problem to "tanking", you just put a very low height baton across like some carcasses already have (B&Q spring to mind). Practical "tanking" is just a simple tray.

I think IKEA do metal inserts for base units for this very purpose.