I've been asked to fit my first wren kitchen and wondering how they compare with Howdens regarding fitting? Do they have a fitters manual? Thanks
What type is it? The units are generally fairly decent, strong and square. If its the milano infinity that you are fitting, go and have a look at the showroom because one or two things can seem a bit odd upon first impression
I generally fit around ten Howdens kitchens per year and recently fitted my first Wren. Much of a muchness to Howdens I found. The main differences I thought were: The base cab backs are very flimsy and benefit from a few 90 degree brackets screwing on before positioning them for levelling up. The decor end panels are fairly high density and screws really bite into them. The worktops seem to be of a lighter core compared to Howdens. Router cutters last a bit longer but beware when bolting them as the lighter core can cause some deviations along the top laminated edge. It's hard to explain but don't overtighten the zipbolts. The plinths are cheap and nasty and the laminate on them is carp. Overall it was straightforward enough and not too dissimilar to Howdens.
Morning, I've found this post interesting. Can I ask all of you what do you consider the Best Buy for the money when it comes to fitted kitchen units or put another way, what would you fit in your home that you think is worth the money.
I would be happy enough with Howdens or DIY Kitchens. I did a bit of a comparision between those two and actually found DIY prices slightly higher than Howdens. Depends massively on the range though and I'm sure each company will constantly go on about why their doors are better etc... One thing I don't like about Howdens is the seemingly poor sealing of the bottom edge of the worktops. Although saying that I don't recall any of them swelling over the years. For convenience and speed I use Howdens. Last DIY I fitted had a damaged tower unit and had to wait two weeks to get a replacement, with Howdens I could probably get something the next day. Similar with Wren - getting extra bits or replacement bits is slow going.