Worktop and wall Gaps!

Discussion in 'Kitchen Fitters' Talk' started by Zooki, Jan 6, 2016.

  1. Zooki

    Zooki New Member

    Hi

    I am fitting my first kitchen.. It is an old house and the walls are bowed, so the kitchen units are not flush against the wall. They are however level from the top and meet together at the front.

    The Worktop starts flush to a tall unit and ends with a breakfast bar:

    2.jpg

    1.jpg


    If the worktop is pushed against the wall, there is a gap with the neighbouring tall unit:
    3.jpg

    If pushed flush to the neighbouring tall unit, then it comes away from the wall as shown, with around 25-30mm gap between wall and worktop:
    4.jpg


    My question is what is a good solution to this problem? scribing worktop to wall? If so, by how much?
    The worktop overhangs the unit from the front by 25-30mm. I am worried if it is scribed too much then the worktop doesnt have much overhang..
     
  2. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    Would it look and be completely wrong, if the tall unit was turned to sit square with the worktop?

    Mr. HandyAndy - Really
     
  3. One of these two options is the 'correct' one. And that is the one that'll keep the worktop overhang along the front even along the whole length of the units.

    So I hope it's the 'scribing against the tall housing' option as that is by far the easiest!

    Assuming your unit doors are 18mm thick, then the worktop - according to your measurements - will overhang the fascias by a further 7 to 12mm.

    Why the variation? Do the unit carcase fronts go in and out like the wall?! If so, it shouldn't do - they should be packed behind the wall 'hollows' so's they are dead straight along the front.
     
  4. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select

    The other way would be to cut the end of the worktop to match the tall unit, which would shorten the length(looks like) 10mm.

    Mr. HandyAndy - Really
     
  5. Don't forget that it doesn't have to sit perfectly along its whole length and end - there will likely be at least a ~5mm bead of sealant going along all these edges (certainly along the backs of the worktop) and I'm guessing you'll also be tiling the splashback? That's a goodly 8mm+ of 'cover' there as well if needed...
     
  6. Zooki

    Zooki New Member

    Tall unit is screwed into other units secured. It is square and level. It could be unscrewed, but that means unscrewing everything :)

    Scribing against the tall unit makes the worktop overhang by about 15 mm more on one side.

    The unit carcases touch the wall from the bottom and not the tops.. in hindsight I should have scribed the units back. The wall itself is bowed, so it comes out at the bottom by 1cm in places.

    I did not know this.. I could play with the worktop position and then run sealant and tile around. The worktop comes out around 30mm at the end though. Ideally the tiles should cover the sealant right? If I am adding extra 5mm bead of sealant it means I have more of a problem?
     
  7. Zooki.

    You say "The unit carcases touch the wall from the bottom and not the tops.. in hindsight I should have scribed the units back. The wall itself is bowed, so it comes out at the bottom by 1cm in places."

    Are you saying the the bowing in the wall is only along the bottom, and that this is pushing the middle of the unit run out by 10mm so that there's 1cm gap between the middle units and the wall?

    If so, you know what you really should do.

    There is no single solution to bowed walls - often a kitchen fitter will make it a blend of a few things, like partially scribing the unit backs, along with a wee bit of packing, perhaps even cutting in to the wall to allow the unit sides to sink in a bit if the wall is bumpy, and then perhaps a bit of scribing of worktop backs, or perhaps even fitting a worktop upstand along the back to cover a gap, or even adding a further layer of plasterboard in the splashback area before tiling, or even...

    Basically, tweaks to get the required result.

    But, there are some rules; the fronts of the base units really should be running in a straight line, and not weave in and out.

    If you are saying that your unit fronts are wobbling by 10mm, then I have to suggest that that is too much. Perhaps if that equates to only 5mm at each end of the run, and provided the worktop has a decent overlap anyway, then you will likely 'get away' with it. But if it's a 10mm difference, then I doubt you will.

    So: really you should get your unit fronts straight and as a parallel to the wall as possible. Then you sit the worktop on top and make sure that the overhang is even all along its length. Then you scribe whatever you need to to allow that to happen...

    (Again remembering it doesn't have to be 'perfect' as sealant and/or tiling will cover - ooh - 8mm, possibly more.)

    Straight fronts, tho'. Even overhang, tho'...
     
  8. CraigMcK

    CraigMcK Screwfix Select

    by pushing the worktop one way or the other you are rotating it around the bow in the wall. Slide the worktop away from the wall and, assuming your cabinets are square, push it towards the wall keeping it square to the cabinets. At some point it will hit the wall, that's the part you need to do some work on. You will hopefully find its not as much as you think.
    I would look at a bit of scribing on the worktop and the wall. If it looks like you can sort it by removing some plaster I would go that way as it's easier and less costly if you make a mistake!

    If the bow takes you past the plaster, then you would need to look at the worktop, but hopefully at that point it should be fairly minimal.

    Remember as said above, if you are tiling above it, you get some grace and don't need it to be perfectly tight all the way along.
     
    tore81 likes this.
  9. CGN

    CGN Screwfix Select

    All good advice. As DA said, the base units should be perfectly straight along the fronts so you will get a perfectly square corner(within a mm or so) where they meet your larder cupboard. The kitchen units themselves should be the reference points for your worktop being square and not the walls.
    Get something with a good straight edge( plinth etc to check).

    Prob best to spend some time sorting and scribing your base units and make sure they are as perfectly level and straight as you can get them before you do anything else. This is where getting a good worktop fit and tight joints is won as you're minimising -ve tolerances when you come to fit the tops.
     
  10. Zooki

    Zooki New Member

    They are all the same at the front, i managed to get them flush next to each other and at same height. It is the back of the units that do not quite touch the wall from the top.
     
  11. tore81

    tore81 Screwfix Select

    Sounds like you just need to scribe the worktop in. Like above mentioned make sure the front overhang is the same all the way around then an off cut of timber 5 mm to suit and trace around the wall on to the worktop.


    Or like above said if you can chip the wall away all the better.


    I'm not quite sure but your problem with fitting tight to the large unit now. You may have to cut off square. As by the sound of it the back should of been taken off that as that part is pushing things way out. That needs to come in. Difficult to picture it

    1st kitchen probably sounds like you have started with your hardest. Good luck
     
  12. proby

    proby Active Member

    It sounds like it's the wall touching the work top in the middle somewhere I would go as Craig said first and cut the plaster to try and get the level, if it doesn't work no harm done just fill it.
     
  13. Mr. Handyandy

    Mr. Handyandy Screwfix Select


    Surely, if the wall is out as you say, and to hold it square to the tall unit a gap of 25-30mm is opened up at the breakfast bar end, your overlap at the front of the worktop near the tall unit must be 25-30mm more than at the breakfast bar end, so that is how much you will need to start taking off from the back, working down to nothing at the bar end.

    Mr. HandyAndy - Really
     
  14. CGN

    CGN Screwfix Select

    Cabinets need to be fitted from breakfast bar end and backs scribed accordingly towards tall unit...unless you have deeper worktops to compensate for the run out when scribing.
     
  15. metrokitchens

    metrokitchens Screwfix Select

    Looks like a nice quality kitchen.

    25mm overhang from the carcass is fine. Make sure they are all in a straight line. Set the worktop parallel to them. Check the overhang and if you have enough to scribe to the wall do so and count yourself lucky. If you are tiling / up stands then you will get away with the top not reaching the wall. If you do not have enough overhang then whip em out and scribe em in properly. In fact you should do this anyway so you feel proud of your lovely kitchen for the next 20 years!

    Deep breath, man up, do the job right. Should take less time than you have spent procrastinating so far.

    Please let us know how you get on and a pic of the finished kitchen.
     
  16. Cool. As long as all the unit fronts are in a dead straight line (tested using a length of plinth as said above, or even the worktop itself) then that is your starting point.

    Blimey, in all my suggestions above the one I didn't mention now seems so obvious - cutting a shallow slot into the actual wall as Craig says :oops:.

    Zooki, with the worktop in absolute alignment with the front of the units - ie parallel along it's full front length - and the back of the worktop tight against the wall where it touches (this is in the middle?), then what gaps does the worktop have between it and wall to the left and also to the right of the 'touching' part?

    And what overhang does the worktop have at the front of the units? I see the doors are fitted? How much does the top currently overlap the actual door fronts? (And I'm expecting you to give us a single figure for this... ;) )
     
  17. metrokitchens

    metrokitchens Screwfix Select

  18. He'd better get digging then :D

    If he really has 4cm to play with, that's his problem solved right there. There will be more more bludy gaps along the wall, that's for sure... :rolleyes:
     
  19. tore81

    tore81 Screwfix Select

    This is interesting

    Having looked back at the photos.

    It looks as tho everything sits right with that gap being there the 2nd photo. So all he needs to do is scribe the work top in if he as a 20mm gap. Worktop needs to be scribed in 20mm from the other end. Providing he has enough over hang at the front. This maybe tight. He has to check if he has enough to play with.

    Am I wrong in saying there is nothing more he can do. The wall is going away?

    Has the OP done something wrong from the start, by not scribing the units.
     
  20. Will Zooki ever come back... :(
     
    Zooki likes this.

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice