DIY Kitchens - HONEST REVIEW!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 ก.ย. 2024
- It’s time for a quick review of DIY Kitchens. This video is NOT SPONSORED. They didn’t know I was reviewing them at the time as I’d rather get an honest appraisal of the product and customer service. How did they get on? Did they get the Gosforth Handyman seal of approval??
Fan of the channel? Join the Member Zone for loads of extra stuff:
members.gosfor...
Join the Gosforth Handyman mailing list:
gosforthhandym...
Not bothered about extra stuff? Support the channel via Patreon:
/ gosforthhandyman
Official merch including Gosforth Handyman tape measure:
gosforthhandym...
TOOLS & PRODUCTS I USE: gosforthhandym...
INSTA: / gosforthhandyman
All content on this channel is exclusively owned by MacLellan Creative Limited. Copyright (c) 2022. All rights reserved.
#Kitchen #DIY #Kitchens
Kitchen designer here - based in a showroom on the other side of the river from you Andy! With corner larder units, if adjacent to another larder unit, I always provide an end panel (or an edged filler/blanking panel) to go in between them. Whilst it only provides an extra 1-2mm clearance depending on the range, it's enough for the diagonal angle not to impinge on door swing. In this kitchen's case, it would also provide symmetry and a 'frame' to the corner larder. Hope this helps - found your video insightful too, thank you.
if he were honest he'd say, 'thanks, but this is a paid placement and i'm just taking the money'
I thought your add was helpful, in any case 👍
note add, not ad - not misspelled lol
The corner larder unit is hinged opposite to your 3D image. Could this be the problem?
I fitted my kitchen from them over 10 years ago now. It looks as good as new. They also had a huge showroom next to the factory, which you can also tour. It's highly automated with some amazing robotic machines. Great value as well.
Mines been in 8 years now, agreed still looks great, good quality kitchens.
@@Hamish_A do you think a novice could fit one? Wouldn't mess about with gas, plumbing, electrics but wondered if I could do pre made or flat pack cabinets? I prob only need 12
We had a DIY kitchen 2 years ago and i would go straight back if we needed another. Despite getting a couple pieces of our order wrong they rectified it very quickly. The team on the backend managing issues were very good.
On the DIY kitchens website their "accessories" section has moisture barriers for plinths sold in 2.5m lengths. Thanks for your video, I shall be adding this to my order!
We've done ours in the summer 2022. I can't say anything wrong about the quality of the unit material however we've struggled a lot with our order. As you mention, there is an issue with quality control so a few of the issues and tips:
- the FIRST thing you need to do is to check everything when it arrives. DIY kitches gives you only week to confirm if all units arrived and if you are happy with the quality. If you're not able to confirm it within a week, call them up and ask for this period to be extended.
- Many of our units came damaged during transport. Yes, they will replace it but it may take up to two weeks
- They've shipped the wrong direction corner post. Unless you are a professional kitchen fitter (or a very smart chap) you are not going to notice it before you actually start installation. In our case it caused a week's delay.
- Please double-check if all the colours are right. We've ordered our kitchen in a 2 different colours (The island is Graphite and the rest is grey) and they have managed to mix those colours. Even the label stuck to the unit saying "Graphite" and the unit was grey. The driver was very confused when he saw that. - of course, another 2 weeks of delay.
- Some of the fronts of the doors were damaged (chipped).
Your experience with the customer service was really bad. They have lied to use multiple times saying that missing/replacement units will be delivered on a particular day and they were not.
The CS' response was - We don't know Why and WHEN. We are sorry and here is your £20 compensation.
In that particular case, we waited over 2 weeks for the missing parts to be delivered. That is not what you would expect when you are in the middle of your installation.
Overall, our kitchen was delayed by 6 weeks.
just a bit of constructive criticism from a full time kitchen fitter, when scribing your fillers and end panels you should add an additional 2 -2.5 mm to allow for the buffers on your doors, otherwise your doors and drawers are going to be further forward than the front edge of your end panels or fillers.
We have a DIY Kitchen that we designed and installed back in 2015, it still looks as it did when we fitted it. Our experience matched yours regards customer service and quality. I am a designer by profession, so sorting my own design was OK, and we self installed the units to receive a mix of solid wood and granite worktops, with no surprises or problems. Our only difficulty was getting the 3 corner base units through the door.
When it comes to larger units you have to judge the entrance and then decide if you want to assemble and glue the carcass in the room.
When it comes to large complex jobs you are better doing it on site.
The not-glued top cupboard could either have been a genuine factory oversight (e.g. shift change over), where it was assumed to be glued and wasn't, or it's to allow for easy disassembly to cut the cabinet width down. Overhead bridging units can frequently need cutting to get the base cabinet spacing to match as there are more end panels to fit in if you change from wall unit to bridging unit.
And if you ever need spare blum hinges, then the cheapest source I have found is Ikea. Their standard kitchen cabinet hinges (utrusta) are all blum hinges - with the soft close version selling at £8/2pack, so £4 per hinge.
I’ve fitted my own kitchen in my last 3 houses, as well as lots of kitchen units at work for a work areas. The first kitchen I fitted was a Wickes off the shelf kitchen which was a bit rubbish, and since then have gone with IKEA kitchen units (especially at work as we have about 40 800mm units so ikea worked out much cheaper).
Then a friend of mine bought a diy kitchens kitchen and I was blown away with the quality, so much so, that when our purchase of our project house completes, we will be ordering a diy kitchens kitchen :)
I've fitted quite a few of them over the years. I always recommend them to the customer. So much easier than dealing with Howdens and Magnets etc. regards the design and I feel the quality is better
I fitted the same kitchen about 12 months ago. Been very happy with mine. I saved some cash by making all the fillers and plinths myself from MRMDF and getting a couple of litres of colour matched paint made up. I wanted more fancy end panels than standard so made my own.
I did the same with my DIY Kitchen, all end panels in T+G MDF painted in colour matched Farrow and Ball, saved me £100's, but cost me my time.
From where I'm at you've done a fine job.
Now for the corner unit, we offset it from the adjacent ones by 3/8", but we build them differently. We use a 135 degree hinge which allows better access.
The plinths aren't banded on all edges to make for easy scribing. You could apply a urethane finish for water resistance.
Now for the last thing, The hinges. Blum offers a hinge with soft close built-in.
For me as a company I'd rather save money on a different brand then offer a lesser value alternative like the bulky attachment.
For example: Salice, Blum and, Gräss all make amazing hinges but Salice is more affordable.
I don't know if I may be more picky than the consumer. 🤔🤣
Love the series Andy but really spooky when these kitchen videos started - we had a DIY Kitchen already in the shopping basket ready to buy, not only that it's Clayton Sage! Great taste, obviously. Glad your conclusion matches what we'd already heard elsewhere. It's arriving end of November so wish us luck - doesn't look like we'll need it though 😉
Cheers!
Ha, fantastic - enjoy yours!
Tom you've mad a good choice mate. Fitted a few kitchens from this company and seriously, hand on my heart, the quilty for the price is outstanding. You will get a few niggles, that's normal with kitchens, but DIY kitchens customer service is up there, spot on and they have always been good for me.
@@tilerman thanks! That's so good to hear!
@@tomwills918 No worries, and i meant made by the way, not 'mad'!
I have a diy kitchen, designed and fitted by me, having no kitchen experience but reasonable diy experience. We have the big corner unit and when we assembled and tried to move it the sides dropped down destroying the base, as the only thing holding them to the base was natty IKEA style cam connectors leaving about 5mm of chip to support all the weight. We ended up putting a load of brackets on and it getting it back together and it has been fine ever since (3 years). I hope they have sorted that design flaw though! We have panels on both sides of the corner unit and this prevents any door binding, but as you say the plinth won't fit after. I ended up cutting it in half and then gluing and painting over in situ. Would definitely use them again. Cheers for the review, love the channel.
I always recommend DIY kitchens to people I've been very impressed by the quality. The carcasses are made from Egger MFC which I would use for any bespoke stuff I make . Only thing I spotted which is odd is that they seem to be still using those horrible clip on softclose where most companies have been using the built in softclose Blum's for years 🤔
I have just taken delivery of the exact same type - Clayton Sage set of units from DIY kitchens for my Utility Room replacement. They are fantastic. Having paid through the nose for a large Howdens kitchen and paid to have it fitted without much change from 30k, I refused to be ripped off again. On time delivery, no damage and nothing missing for a 1/4 of the price. If only I had found them earlier...
Howdens units are 18mm, DIY K's are 22mm. The quality is second to none.
But never mind that, I found your post very informative and helpful. I'm no expert, no handyman either. So thank you for the insight. 👍🇬🇧
You can buy small plastic (see-through) strips for the plinths; you fit them at the bottom. they stop moisture getting to your plinths. But, I'm with you on the fact that this could have been done by the company selling the kitchen...cos those are really the weak spots of a kitchen cos they'll ALWAYS get wet.
Saw a tip video recently where yacht varnish was applied to all the chipboard edges. Instantly waterproof 👍
Not a kitchen fitter, just diy. I've now fitted 3 DIY Kitchens and they have been superb. Quality is 1st class. Also had quartz and standard worktops fitted and they have had no issues on deliveries. Bit of a pain if you live on an island as they won't deliver and you have to arrange to have it dropped at a 3rd party premises, but that is just a quirk. Agree entirely with the plinth sealing, I got around that by buying a plastic trim that fits under it.. Good review and very fair.
For anyone considering adding the plinth sealing strip, just make sure it will fit your plinth as some plinths are 19mm thick. The sealing strip only fits the 18mm ones I think.
I've had a couple of missed bits, and damaged bits. But, the essence of a company is how they deal with the issues, and DIY always responded quickly, and resolved all my issues... I'd happily buy from them again should the opportunity arise.
We installed a Wren kitchen around 1 year ago. Was cheaper than all quotes, including DIY kitchens and after watching this video, was actually higher quality too! Better quality hinges, proper softclose instead of ikea push on jobbies. Better wall spacers and fixings etc. The plinths even came with rubber sealant strips to make them all totally waterproof from the bottom!
The hinges supplied by DIY kitchens are Blum (as are the IKEA ones). I believe Wren use Grass hinges. They all do the same job. IKEA have actually switched to using the Blum blumotion hinges with integrated soft close which can be switched on or off. I’ve had the integrated and clip on soft close fail. Had to replace the hinge with the integrated failure, with the clip on, just that part.
DIY kitchens also have the option of the sealing strip (it is in kitchen terms trivial), but that is your choice. However if they are the clear type over time they can change colour and can make plinth look dirty. I prefer if the unit carcass is colour matched to the door, I prefer to use the carcass material edged with 2mm ABS.
Wren make a decent kitchens and there are some features that they have which others don’t but getting to the best price takes longer than it should in the showroom with their sales technique is reminiscent of MFI/Moben/Magnet. Glad you got the deal that worked for you.
Fitted a Wren kitchen a few years ago. After paying full price for a set of carcasses in our annexe, Google told me to negotiate hard on price for the full kitchen...I did....it worked. Biggest issue with the Wren carcasses was (a) great they cam pre-assembled, (b) not great they weren't all square, and I was past the 2 week return date. Took me ages to figure this out.
I've just about finished fitting our DIY kitchen and have been equally impressed with the quality. I had a bit of an issue with my 3 corner units, after adding them from my design to my basket and even after the plan was checked by them, all 3 units came as right hand blanks instead of left hand blanks. Fortunately I was able to flip 2 units but the third needed to be replaced. I had a little bit of back and forth with their CS, because I couldn't understand how such an issue could happen especially as they signed off my plan. Anyway the service was great and we agreed to split the cost of a new unit which was sent out a week later. All in all very impressed.
I've just fitted my own small kitchen from DIY kitchens, the fact they are preassembled, packaged so well for delivery gave a good sense before it was even unwrapped. The last kitchen I installed was from MFI so that's a throw back, circa 2001 but I remember the tediousness of having to build from flat pack. Also all doors come in a protective film so you can keep it on until you've finished installation and not risk scratching it. You do have rhe option for a moisture barrier for the plinths, I added it to my order as it seemed a no brained fir the little extra cost but would help the longevity of the plinth. I didn't get touch up paint though, didn't notice that as an option. I chose a Petrol blue contemporary design, I did buy handles but decided against the ones I ordered and will source my own. Was amazed at the price you stated for all your units, was expecting you to say just over £5k to be honest. I'm pleased I saw this video and all the positive comments, I was happy with the service from DIY kitchens and the quality, would use them again, or recommend them, but well, I hope not to have to fit another kitchen in my lifetime 😀
I think price must have included appliances
Speaking as only a labourer for many tradesmen…..
I worked on similar kitchens with a similar situation, with a corner cabinet (separate base cabinet under worktop, and wall cabinet)!
On one occasion, we trimmed an extra 1.5mm off the back of the end panel, which looked OK! On another, we put a slight chamfer on the edge of the door(s)! This was OK, but was done & edged on site! Would’ve benefitted from being prepped either at manufacture, or in the workshop! It was unnoticeable, when the doors were closed, but I do wonder, 15 years later, did it stand the test of time & use? 🤷🏼♂️
Great stuff! Can't chamfer these doors due to the ABS edge banding. 👍
Yeah, back then, everything had an edge band glued on! And often those horrible metal strips where the worktops joined! Things have definitely improved@@GosforthHandyman
Fitted 4 DIY kitchens so far .
Surprisingly the only four kitchens I didn’t have to do a return visit because of parts not being delivered , yet I’ve been doing it for 15 years.
It’s so straight forward to install , I wonder why some people hire a kitchen fitter
Only thing I could pick on would be the gap between doors on tall units
People hire kitchen fitters for the worktop install. That is basically what you are paying for.
Are you a kitchen fitter , if you don’t mind me asking
Floor still looking good! With regards to the hinges, I really dislike the piston soft close Blum hinge, always buy my Blum hinges from trade hinges with a built in soft closer which you can turn off if the weight of door doesn't need it. Like others I get a plastic foot for the plinths from Howdens which gives you the confidence that no moisture should be soaked up. Saw a grohe tap in one of the drawers, did you not fancy a boiling water tap? Makes tea much quicker.
I've never fitted a DIY kitchen, but on Howdens Belfast sink units, sometimes you've got to put a packer between the carcass and the end panel, due to variability in the sink casting. I'd probably do something like that on the tall unit to make the gap a bit bigger and get the door over a bit!
The pots on the touch up paint are not terribly air tight, at least not for the highly volatile solvents in there. Keep an eye on your paint as over a course of a few months it will thicken quite considerably.
I keep my pot in a cool place and give a shake every now and then, when it starts to sound a bit thick I add a little cellulose thinners to thin it back out and stop it drying. So far it has survived perfectly well for about 5 years doing this and still does it's job of touching up perfectly when needed.
We designed and fitted our own kitchen from them, we chose a farrow and ball colour traditional style, it saved us thousands and was and still is an amazing high quality kitchen, could have cost twice the price, always recommend them and would absolutely buy again 👍🏻
Thanks for the detailed video. I see a lot of builders preferring Symphony Kitchens, also from Yorkshire, now. Not sure how they compare with DIY kitchens but they certainly seem expensive.
A year or so later and I've just finished fitting DIY Kitchens units in my youngest son's utility room. Must say, I was impressed with the quality. There was one cock up with one of the doors (it was a non-standard fitment) but this was sorted without fuss. Will be using them for my utility room re-fit.
2mm packers on the unit front and back, top middle and bottom then fix your end panels on . When the door is on you can't see the gap and that would give you enough for door clearance. Also you can cut your tall end panels off at the height of the bottom of the base unit and back around 4" so your plinth will run through and not up to an end panel.
There's already quite a big gap when you look head on - wouldn't want it any bigger.
Fitted two DIY kitchens in my kitchen and utility in my extension completed in 2020. Company is quite local to me and did get to the showroom. Brilliant company to deal with - had a few issues / mishaps (mainly my fault) but they really helped out! Kitchens look great - had solid surfaces fitted the company that they used were first class! I’ve now been commandeered to fit the in laws a new kitchen and sister in laws too - both being currently bought from DIY Kitchens. Cant recommend them highly enough!
Use transparent plinth strips that should give you peace of mind for the plinth. It's common to use on hardwood floor at any value of kitchen for the same reason
👍
We got our kitchen from them coming up to 5 years ago, got to say it has stood the test of time really well. All the doors and draws work as well as when we got it and we've not had any issues with moisture ingress on the plinths so I think you'll be fine there
When I got it they didn't have any software but that wasn't a problem as I've fitted lots of kitchens so I knew what I wanted, but it must of been in the pipeline as they asked me if I wanted to be a beta tester for it
With regards to the carcass I had the option of choosing any of their colours so we went for the same colour as what the doors where so that it all matched
We needed to touch up a small chip earlier this year and the paint they supplied had dried up, when we got in touch with them they sent out another pot.
👍👍
I fitted a DIY kitchen to my previous house. The 22mm handleless j pull doors work well. Much nicer for fat fingers than 18mm j pull doors.
My criticism would be that my units were not very moisture resistant. Within 6 months the doors and plynths started to split. My plynth wasn't moisture resistant mdf. Overall, the kitchen looks great but I wouldn't use them again purely because the longevity.
Hi Callum, which range did you buy please?
@@iangale4482 hi, it was the Strada 'J pull' style I purhased. I expect the frames are made with very similar materials on other versions. The issue was the lack of moisture resistant MDF. Maybe I just got unlucky with a bad batch?
@@callumdavies-russell8894 Hi Callum, That's brilliant, thanks for letting me know :)
Ours came from Wickes, self assembly so easier for us to store, quality good. Their stock control must be poor as they sent us 2 of some things like drawers, doors and panels. We had a corner unit with double doors, one side can hit the corner of the worktop when opened, they are massive and we struggled to get it upright after assembly but they store so much and its accessible so include one if you can. 4 years on no problems. Think you need to be a competent diyer to fit a kitchen well, I had all the right tools but purchased a track saw for cutting down some panels. When I started DIY we only had electric drills, if you owned a jig saw you were a pro, mitres were cut by hand, circular saw was an attachment on the drill. The cheap cost of proper tools now makes life much easier. Great video enjoyed it.
Beauiful kitchens, fitted a few DIY kitchens over the years,no complaints,wide choice of units,great quailty,very impressed.Have recommend DIY kitchens to many people.
To fix your corner issue with the doors, I would place a shim/spacer between the cabinet and end panel. Use tape, and layer if needed. This will give you more adjustment on the doors.
I'm about to purchase my second kitchen ( moved house ) I was so impressed with the quick delivery, the fact the kitchen came completely assembled the only thing I had to do was fit the handles which was so easy and excellent customer serive. We ran into one problem, I could see a flaw in one of the base doors so called ditkitchens and had a very good customer service operative who made sure I had a new replacement as soon as possible.... 3 days and I had a new door, absolutely fantastic. I couldn't recommend enough. I'm not 100% sure but I've heard that diykitchens supply wickes store with 75% of there kitchens that wickes charge an astronomical amount of money for. This video is brilliant and a very good likeness of the real product.
I wonder if the screws for the plinth bracket intentionally prevent the clip from sliding on/off. The idea being that you screw the one side of the bracket in place, slide the clip on then screw the other side. The clip is then held in plade with a small amount of play. I say this because I have some similarly shaped Ikea clips that are not restrained and they always slide off the bracket whenever you attempt to move/remove the plinth.
I was thinking the same for the same reason, so must be a regular occurrence.
The only thing which makes me nervous about DIY kitchens is the what if I mess up and need another unit. If I could buy from Howdens they have a store a mile away where I could pickup a new unit, B&Q\Wickes maybe 10 miles away, with DIY kitchens it'd be weeks and a hefty delivery fee. If I was paying for an installer I can see there being extra charges if there are any issues, as they'd need to return
Yup, although still probably works out cheaper... as long as you're not in a rush. 😁
DIYk are used to customers forgetting that panel or unit you got wrong. Just use the online help tool and using same order number they create a basket for you to add that single panel you forgot👍
Brilliant, I’ve been considering buying a B&Q or Wickes kitchen but this has really changed my mind and perception. My kitchen is a single wall and a larder on the opposite side, I may also box in my stand alone fridge freezer like to one here, but I’m trying to keep the cost down. Thank you so much for this. Mike
I fitted my own DIY kitchen in 2017 and it still looks as good today as when I finished it.
We bought a DIY kitchen last year, Clayton Carbon Black. The great thing was the computer design, we spend something like 2 weeks preparing different kitchen layouts, that is something other kitchen companies do not give you. The price was of course much lower. One broken door which was replaced a few weeks later.
One thing I forgot to mention, you can buy examples of the kitchen doors in your chosen colour, £5 per door and you get reimbursed when you buy the kitchen.
Yup - we were on the designs for ages! 😁
Hi great video and appreciate the honest review . I am looking to install a diy kitchen and would like to ask your advice. I intend to fit a laminate floor after the kitchen is installed and this includes a stone worktop . To allow for the expansion in the floor how when the feet come level with the plinth do you allow for an expansion gap without it being seen , think just the thickness of the plinth wouldn’t work . Keep up the informative video Chris
Could you have the pantry door opening the other way, so that the hinges are on the right? The knobs would also meet together on the left which would look nice.
Needs to be that way so you can put stuff on the bench when you're in the cupboard. 👍
Really helpful video which bears out the internet reputation for these kitchens. Personally it would turn on price as they seem on a par with Howdens
I am in the middle of designing my Kitchen using Kitchen DIY. Mine so fate is coming up at over 6k, that does included handles and worktops. I may upgrade the hinges to soft close that don't have those horrible piggy back pistons. I used Blum Hinges on a Bar that I built during lockdown that has small switches that turn the soft close on or off. We are going for the Stanbury Range. I have had hours of enjoyment using the online software. I'll be looking at your install video once again as I remember there was some very hand tips and gizmos that will make fitting the kitchen easier, than ones I have fitted in the past.
I've just gone a DIY kitchens at home. The kitchen itself is great! However the quality control has been terrible. I've probably had more than 20 replacement doors/cabinets/fillers etc. It's a real shame given the quality of the kitchen itself. I'm still having issues with drawer front being drilled too low so they don't line up
Fitted lots of diy kitchen kitchens and I always point customers to them quality is top notch especially like the feet more substantial than the thin cheapo one supplied by others. I do fit magnet howden and band q ( if I have to). But diy is fav
Done a few B&Q and they're OK but this defo trumps it on quality. 👍
Neighbours must love you after a year of renovations. Surprised someone hasn't reported it to the council yet.
Im just measuring up for one of these right now.. Visited their showroom a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed. NO HASSLE BY SALESMEN!! (Take note Wren...) I'll be buying when I get completion on my next property. One question - do you fit the new flooring before the units so the kick panels sit on the new floor? 😊👍
Ideally, fit the floor after the kitchen, as the floor could be damaged during kitchen install. If you know the finished height of the floor, install the cabinets at a higher height to allow for this. Having the floor go under the kick-plates and decor panels is far neater.
Depending on the kitchen design, the top of the kick-plate is not seen, so a small gap here is fine. Do not forget to allow for the waterproof bottom edging, which his bought separately. Finally, if all else fails, you can always cut the kick-plates a bit narrower.
A good idea is to also extend the finished floor under the appliances right to the wall. It makes taking them out for repair far easier. A little more faffing, but you will be glad you did when trying to drag out a heavy washing machine or cooker without chipping the edge of the flooring.
Fitting the end decor panels after the floor also looks far neater, no need for bodgy silicone sealant or if laminate flooring, no horriblr quadrant nailed round the edges.
Cabinet designer here. With a corner unit, due to the angle of the door in relation to the returns you will always need to add an end panel on both the left and the right of the unit to allow for unobstructed swing of the door.
This is where speaking to a proper design professional pays dividends!
My partner has just bought the same Clayton in a creamy colour. For the corner cupboard / end panel,:
1) Could you scribe the end panel and set it back a couple of mm?Just so the corner of the door is a half hair proud of the end panel?
2) space off the end panel from the carcass by a washer width? You have aprrox 50mm of filler panel to the adjacent drawer that might need the equivalent planed off.
Either are compromises and you may have to make an equivalent compensation in the cornice to wrap around the corner. Only you would know and nobody else would notice
Have you decided on the big question. Which one is the junk draw?
Ha yes and it's already full!
for the end panels i just pack them of an eigth and silicone to hide the gap seen when opening the door I also cut the end panels so i have a continiuos plinth you can get covers to hide the ends if they are seen
Whoever decided to run end panels to the floor has never been in his mums kitchen when she's trying to clean the floor, or run around with a heavy push toy. Not one of my clients has hesitated when I offer to chop them short. (I clean my own kitchen sometimes)
@@pedanticsmith5613 same here when i show clients they all want a continious plinth Looks the part
There's already a 6mm gap when you look head on so wouldn't want to make that gap any bigger. 👍
I fitted one last year from DIY kitchens as the client had already ordered one (I usually build my own). For the most part they were good but be aware that if you buy a framed kitchen, the frames are fixed on with tiny L-brackets and not very many of them. The frames were also not flush or square in any sense. The paint was quite nice on the ash frames but the touch up paint wasn't the best match. I ordered a few panels to build a custom fridge housing and had to touch up a couple of spots where they were damaged on delivery. All in all I would highly recommend them for the price. If I was to use them again, and you may think I am a bit crazy, I would go around all the units and add pocket holes to fix the front frames on better. The client chose stone worktops and the guys turned up with lasers to template them and then installed them about a week later which was very fast.
I did a DIY Kitchen admittedly my first kitchen and although I consider myself fairly handy with the patience of a nat it was all very easy and seemed good quality
Make the right side panel shorter in depth , it is the only way to go back by 10 mm to the backwall. For me the only compromise.
You see the carcass I would have thought.
Speaking of the right side panel why did he not trim it so the plinth was continuous without the blocker? So annoying for ocd hhaa
Better just to shim the panel a mm or 2 away from the carcass & give the door a bit more room. Oak sealant down the corner & it'll never be seen
NO don't do this!
Should have made that end panel with less of an overhang instead of it being out 18-20mm make it 14mm and the cupboard should have been slightly deeper to accommodate for bench top overhang due to the panel not sticking out as far
The 2 options I'd think about for the end panel are
1. Put a (perhaps 1mm) full height spacer between the cabinet and the end panel. You could use the touch up paint to cover the face of the spacer if you've got ocd.
2. Plane a mm or 2 off the back of the spacer so it sits a bit further back... Not sure that would work cos I'm watching this in my phone so can't really see the details.
Look great though... Good luck with it👍
Cheers! 1. would make the gap too big when looking head on and 2. wouldn't really work as the end panel needs to align with the drawer fronts. 👍
@@GosforthHandyman so a third option would be to shave an angle from the back of the door itself, where it makes contact with the end panel... Suppose that depends on how good you are with a router, how good you are touching up paint and whether you'd want to try that on a brand new kitchen. Not something I'd attempt but I've seen how good you are at other stuff and maybe it might suit you to try it. Otherwise I'm out of ideas, sorry
@@GosforthHandyman I wonder if BLUM make a hinge that makes the door move away from the unit before it actually swings out? I know they make several hinge types. It seems that it's the back edge of door that clips the end panel as it swings out. If that is available, then a thin spacer between end panel and carcass, would allow for a bit more adjustments for the right door edge against the adjacent cupboard,
Hi Andy, a great honest review. Surely you should go back to DIY Kitchens about the clearance issues with the corner units.
I said it on a previous kitchen video but I used some (left over) 18mm fascia board for plinths with the short side on the ground. I did each run in a single piece including ends by marking the corner positions on the rear of the fascia’s, cutting the foam away at the rear but leaving the front skin intact then bending to the required angles followed by glueing the joints. These worked perfectly and are still good years later, plus NO moisture problems.
You can use anything for a kicker/plinths as long as you like the look of it. You can even use natural wood if you so desire.
With regard to the plinths, DIY sell plastic plinth protectors that sit between the plinths and floor to prevent moisture wicking up. This is an example of the pitfalls of buying with them - unless you knew they existed you probably wouldn’t have gone and looked for them. I feel like they should be added automatically in the same way that the planner adds the plinths themselves and cornices etc.
I was about to mention these too, however, they were "recommended" or "things you may also need" when I selected the plinths, so I do feel they are covering the customer and giving the option. Unluckily they missed them off my main delivery and at 3 metre length was an additional cost for them to ship out separately. I added them as it seemed to make sense to do what you can to protect this type of investment from premature damage caused by moisture.
Either paint adges with PVA or rub on clear silicone leave to dry, both work well.
Lovely job Andy and a very objective review😀👍 I wonder on the tall cupboard (on the angle) if the door edge could have been specified with say a 10-15 degree relief angle?
On the larder door catching on the end panel: if it was me I would take off the end panel - realise thats a pain as its big and heavy, and then use the tracksaw to trim off a few mm next to the wall to pull it back a little bit. Clamp back in place and re-use the screw holes on the inside of the larder cupboard for securing. Fitted a Wren kitchen a few years ago - all of the gloss white end panels were oversize and had to be trimmed down.
Love the cat and mouse game at the end…
Hi Great video thanks! We were so close to ordering from B&Q but have had a look at DIY kitchens and they seem very good, we'd never heard of them! How are you finding the kitchen after a year of living with it?
We have a Magnet Kitchen which my son fitted (he is a carpenter by trade). The plinths come with a clear plastic channel that slips over the edge I think you could get the same for yours.
Great video. I've only fitted one Crown Imperial and one Ikea kitchen to date. The latter was an experience as they're not packaged / labelled to suit DIY installation!
That corner unit maybe you could (in hindsight...) have fitted it an extra 5mm off the wall (pulled out towards where the fridge is). With the end panel where it is now touching the wall of course.
That might have given you the clearance and I think would have still looked as good.
I'm surprised by your Ikea kitchen experience. I built my own DIY Ikea kitchen. It was quite a big kitchen.
I found the instructions to be simple and easy to understand and definitely DIY friendly. I was so happy with the result.
I'm having a house built in the Caribbean currently. I'm going to be shipping quite a lot of things from America, and there will be an Ikea kitchen in there.
@@rabbit3212010 Whoops I meant the former! The IKEA was very straightforward!
Plints are not edged because not all floors are level. Scribing the plint to the floor would remove the edge. 18 mm Plastic trim can be found and fitted to bottom of plinth or a small bead of clear silicane between the floor and the front edge of the plinth will stop water ingress.
Just edge band one side!
Try fitting an Ikea or B & Q kitchen then you will realise just how good these units are.. I was shocked how good they are & the costing is amazing.
Great review… I’m guessing the plinth clip screws are correct head size, as when the clip is slid on to the bracket and screwed on, there is no chance of the clip sliding off, which they very often do.. equally, still looks to be enough side to side movement to allow for slight inaccuracy of positioning?!
Also in regards to the panels (sorry I’m commenting as watching) you would put another end panel but cut it out to allow the plinth to run continuously round, I hope that makes sense
Yeah, I think that's the solution. End panel on both sides of the corner unit and notch the bottom. 👍
Love the video ending, made me chuckle and great bit of editing on the music :D
5:15 it is fully painted, yes, but then they have glued a plastic strip at the edge, which is exactly the same as if they had glued melamine or acrylic foil to it, it can delaminate if/when the glue fails.
Corner larder. Check your door size and indeed circus size. Sometimes you can find with made to order that the door can be 1 mm to big at 598 and indeed the cabinet can be 1mm too small. Next check I'd you have set the end panel in too far as these you have 22mm doors and have stepped it in this will have reduced the overall width. If it was an 18mm door the panel would have 20mm rebate line giving you a wider opening. To combat it. You could shim your decor panel off the cabinet and and caulk and re edge with 22mm edge band the cabinet. Reduce your filler on your draw unit to maintain range centre and space
Hi, I make handmade kitchens up in aberdeen and we’ve sussed over the years that we need to make our corner larder units 1010x1010 for a 600mm door. The reason for this is we make our unit carcase gables 570mm deep. This extra 10mm in depth allows on the gables allow the doors on the units either side to sit perfectly either side and keep that 5mm gap between the doors. Bit of a head scratcher but it you take the time to draw it out to full size you’ll find it works perfectly. Keep the videos coming as your meticulous and caring approach to every project is fantastic to watch
Interesting - cheers for the info! 👍👍
The Blum soft close adaptors should preform
Better when the worktop is installed. As the air cannot escape out the top of the carcass. But they will also weaken with age.
22mm doors are the reason you are have issues with your door margins. Thinner doors would create bigger margin between the 2 larders.
Hi. I see ur video I decided to go for diy kitchen. I think on tall unit issue u mention. U should make the depth of whole end wall panel few mm shorter. I am confident it will resolve catching door on the panel.
Is the screw-head intentionally oversized to that the screws centre the clip? put one screw in...put the clip on...then put the other screw into hold it? Just an idea...i haven't used it.
it could also be deliberately oversized so that the clip doesnt slide sideways off the mounting plate
might be a bit tricky, as you'd not be able to get bit straight on to the head I think
fitting the first screw is easy enough but how would you screw the second in?
@@DrunkenKnight71 easily as the semi circular clip bit is stepped away from the plate. Watch the video carefully and you will see what I mean.
@@iantaylor6538 thanks for the reply, ok i see what you mean now...i originally thought the clip was covering the screw holes.
From Canada - really enjoyed your review and commentary but had to laugh out loud at the end when, sitting on a hardwood floor your last and seemingly major concern (you mentioned this issue several times earlier in the video) was how well the MDF plinth would stand up over time to many years of water on the floor. My hope for you is that you don’t experience continual episodes of large amounts of water spilling on those floors, which will cost far more than the plinth to replace. Anyway looks like a nice kitchen and the video was informative.
Can you scribe 2mm off the end panel and push it towards the wall to give a little more clearence for the door.
With regards your issue for the tall larder unit end panel catching on the door, would a solution be to plane off just 2mm or so from the back edge of the end panel and refit? Just means the end panel sits back very slightly. You're taking off so little you probably wouldn't notice the difference, and would hopefully clear the door a little better?
Just an idea
Those corner tower units are supposed to have end panels either side that are flush with the cabinet and not the doors to allow for the travel on the door.
I am not a pro fitted bit have fitted a few kitchens. I can highly recommend the DIY kitchens. My missus and I went to Yorkshire from Mid-Wales to see them, about 4 years ago. We made a list of what we wanted on their system and they said they would hold that price for a year or more if necessary. There was no hard sell and they didn't even want a deposit.
A year later our kitchen was delivered by them and I duly installed it. We had one faulty door which was replaced with no quibble.
My only issue was when I was uncertain how to fit a fridge freezer into a cabinet. I didn't like cutting it so rang. The rather unhelpful lady asked if I was a a pro and seemed unhappy to help when I said I was self-fitting. I asked her what name her company was and then explained what the DIY meant! I was fed up with her attitude so I rang later in the day and got a different lady who couldn't have been more helpful and restored my faith in DIY Kitchens!
The kitchen lo9ks great and has lasted well.
Hi I've fitted DIY kitchens, really good ,,have to design your own though !!
I was looking forward to this video, as during your install video I was impressed by what I saw. Had a look in the usual DIY shops at their kitchens and I was not impressed with the quality. Which is way I was going to build my own till the Wife put the brakes on that one due to how long it would take me. I think I will defiantly have a look at their range and see what we can do with our kitchen using their planner.
Yeah, building your own would take a long time and you need a pretty big workshop, not to mention painting etc. 👍
The kick board or plinth should be sealed to the floor with sealant like chalking a skirting board after painting. This stops and thing going under the plinth and seals it from fluids like when mopping the floor.
Shim the end panel with 2mm window shims glued onto the end panel, just next to your screw locations. Not ideal but better than it catching
I just love the ending !!🤣🤣
I ordered my kitchen and utility room units from DIY kitchens. Interestingly our kitchen, I think, is the same custom colour as you (Breakfast room green?) but our utility was a standard colour. The plinths for the custom colour were the same as you got just painted. The plinths for the standard colour had a hard plastic edging like the end panels and generally a better quality finish. Shame really. I've only just got round to fitting the plinths and noticed the difference. The way the custom coloured plinths were finished made it difficult to fit the plastic strips at the bottom without chipping the paint or damaging the edges. For a long section I had to cut the strip in two and slide in on from both sides. The friction was too great to do it in one length.
lovely kitchen if you cut the back of the end panel of the larder back a couple of mm it should allow the door to close
Great video as always, I do a lot of kitchens and like the product, with the screws in the plinth clip that’s to stop the clips coming off, output the clip together then screw them on, so many times I’ve gone to fit the plinth and the clip has flicked off ! Really annoying
How do you get the screws in after the clip is slid on to the bracket?
I also fitted my first kitchen (a DIY Kitchens kitchen) a few months ago; I found the painted doors in our style (handleless matt) chip very easily; in fact 5-6 doors came already chipped and had to ask for replacements; it’s like the paint and the white undercoat don’t bond together
Other than that we found some of the units didn’t have the side panels at the same height relative to the top surface (but as I had never fitted a kitchen, maybe that’s normal)
Our plinth was MDF wrapped and painted on 3 sides so we just needed to seal the ends
We also bought the quartz worktop from them and were able to add a backsplash and window cill after placing the order (the worktop templating and installation is subcontracted to a different company); there was a defect on one of the surfaces and they came to fix it
Interesting! Wonder if it was faulty paint? This paint seems solid. 👍
Sadly we have had a pretty bad experience with this company. Many of our units arrived damaged and as you say, it wasn’t on the wagon but QC must be pretty weak. I think they rely on kitchen fitters to correct this as they go and the customer probably never finds out. Real shame as they are the strongest units by far.
My review as a kitchen fitter. I have just installed my Howdens kitchen which was satisfactory. Recently my friend asked me to install a kitchen from DIY kitchen, I couldn't believe the difference in quality was on a different leave than Howdens. I would Highly recommend DIY KITCHEN TO EVERYBODY
For the diagonal unit side panel you could maybe just offset the angle a little bit which will bring back the fouling edge of the side panel. Otherwise just shim or similar to create a standoff. All you can do really.
Just fitted a Wren DIY kitchen at my sons house. Not massively impressed. Shipping damage was atrocious! Shelves are just stored in the bottom of the units so if anything is upended - crash major damage. In fairness they did sort without fuss but as I was travelling from London to North Tyneside to assist my son it was a big bleed on site time. Great video - thanks.
Cut the lower part of the plint at an angle so less of the area is touching the floor (the shorter part on the back of course). Also the corner storage, shim the side panel a mm or so. So you get some "wiggle room". Just my two ce...pence.
Regarding your diagonal larder unit. Your wall is probably not square so the decor panel will need scribed (from the back so the edge banding is undisturbed from the front). Scribe it about 2-3mm and you shouldnt have the same issue! From a kitchen designer 😃
I was thinking a similar thing.. maybe the wall is straight but taking a bit off the back end of the panel would give the room you need for the door not to rub.. The panel may be a bit oversized to account for people who need to trim based on their walls... not sure if you just screwed the side panel in or if you also glued it as that would make a difference on how easy it is to fix the issue..
I agree with the above, just take a couple mm off the decor panel and the door will have the space to open, if this sits the panel behind the front of the shorter unit then do the same for that unit if you don't have tolerance to just move it backwards.
It's already scribed to the wall, but can't be set any further back as it needs to align with the drawer fronts. 👍