Simon F
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Hi Tim, found
your site which looks like kitchen Nirvana to novices like myself. Sorry fo the amount of questions which might be asked, some which have probably been asked already but anyway here
goes and apologies for any rambling…
I am planning a 2800mm galley kitchen along a wall which contains all the existing waste/supply water/electric services. To keep costs down I am hoping to buy factory made carcass’s
by mereway -have you heard of them, are they any good? Now along this wall starting from left to right I would like to have the following appliances.
At worktop level, which I was thinking would be a good quality white laminate -do they exist? First there would be a sink maybe only 50mm from the fra left hand end of the galley, top
mounted – but no draining board necessary. and further along towards the other end, infact, 300mm from the far end, a standard 4 burner gas hob. I think this complies with regs. By
omitting a draining board I free up a lot of space for food preparation. To me the most important aspect. But I could be wrong?
Now to the cabinets which seem to be beyond my limited scope and the thing that is making me constantly bang my head against the wall. Ideally they would all be on a 600mm module and
consistency of size is very important to providing an ordered look. Does this dimension refer to actual cabinet width? Ie are the doors are a little smaller ( I seem to remember 595mm
being a figure) and is that what gives us the shadow gaps between each unit? That would make 5mm between doors. I presume each cabinet is butted up against the next onewhen installed.
First there is a 600mm sink unit just to hold the sink. Next to this, I would like to put a semi-integrated dishwasher, just below where the draining board would have been . I believe
these D/W’s don’t actually have cabinets but sit on the ground and the door is fixed to the appliance. Is this correct?
Next to this I could either put a cupboard or a washing machine. The washing machine would probably be better as this moves this away from being underneath the gas hob, which is
further along to the right but I’m not sure if this is necessary or not. The problem really is, we have a freestanding washing machine. I could spend more on buying an integrated one
(does these sit in cabinets unlike the dishwashers?) which if thios solves a whole host of problems I would choose. The other option is to try and fix the freestanding machine in next
to the dishwasher, but I’m not sure now if I have a very large gap forming between the sink unit and the base unit under the hob and that it is too large. Alternatively I could put a
cupboard in next to the dishwasher and move the washing machine along to under the hob. By installing a freestanding machine I was told you need clear space either side to stop the
machine vibrating against the sides. Suddenly the space I am creating for the WM is becoming 630-640mm wide. Much larger than the other units and I have lost my continuity. I’m not
really sure where I would fix the hinges to cover the washing machine door to. Can they be fixed to an outer wall of an adjacent cabinet?
Finally after the hob, and the last base unit, I was thinking to put a 300mm draw unit.
sorry for any repetition but, just to recap the cupboard order would be as follows from left to right (looking at a front elevation –
600mm sink unit – 600mm SI dishwasher – Washing machine&cupboard – 300mm base unit.
Just realised how much I’ve rambled-
if you can find time to answer/explain any of the above I would be most grateful and sleep a lot better.
many thanks
Simon
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timfoley
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Kitchen Nirvana, Wow! this is indeed a compliment and what a great
website name. No doubt it won’t be long before it’s snapped up by some internet entrepeneuer.
Glad you like our site Simon and here’s my attempt at answering some of your questions.
You may have come across our surveys when browsing the website and I would point you in the direction of the answers given by Wentworth who are the retail arm of Mereway, the company
you seek advice upon. I am happy to say that they are a reputable company producing quality components and have been a well established and respected supplier of kitchens for a number
of years. They earn my own respect for meeting the cabinetry criteria I encourage people to look for over this website and secondly they were among the first to respond to a survey
that eight other invited participants decided against.
My advice regarding worktops is to also consider the alternatives to laminate which, although still the most popular surface is not the most resilient or durable counter for the
kitchen. Budgetry restrictions may play a part with many consumers and as with most components there are categories of laminate worktop suppliers that are renowned for their surface
quality. I have posted a number to look for in a private message to you.
My reason for stating this is that your configuration will mean all activity takes place on one elevation and a solid surface will greater withstand the chores on one surface than a
laminate will.
According to your dimensions regulations would not be breached by the distance between the sink and hob so this is not a concern and a drainer, which I would always advise in the
absence of a dishwasher, would leave a space of 1400mm.
You are correct in your assuption of cabinet and door widths and doors are consistently made slightly smaller than the cabinets for adjustment purposes and to allow for correct
closure. Again your description of integrated dishwashers is correct and they accommodate a door of matching size to your adjacent units.
To overcome the washing machine problem, have you thought of installing a deeper worktop in order to maintain the door flow? To clear up the confusion a little, integrated washing
machines are not the most adjustable of appliances and in my opinion are light years behind the improved and fitter freindly dishwashers available now.
A deeper top will offer you the ability to install your hinges in front of a freestanding machine to give you continuity.
I see hothing wrong with the configuration and it should fit comfortably into your kitchen.
I hope this helps and don’t forget to post back on your progress,
Tim
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Simon F
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Tim thanks for the response, I’ve just got a couple more questions.
If the order of the kitchen is 600mm cupboard under sink, Semi-integrated dishwasher – no drainer above, washing machine, 600mm cupboard under hob, 300 set of drawers, is 600 mm
enough of a gap for a freestanding washing machine that is 598mm wide? What kind of gap would you leave? Will the machine vibrate and knock tha adjacent cupboard walls, or is that not
an issue?
Should I fix the hinges for the washing machine door to the cupboard side(right) as the Dish washer has no side wall? Is it normal to fix the hinge directly to the adjacent cupboard
side panel outer face, or should I fix a 19mm thick batten to the side wall of the cupboard so as to replicate a normal carcase. This would have to be fixed in after the washing
machine is put in the gap as the hole is technically 19mm less than 600mm? THen when you come to the dishwasher side of the door, what stops the door from being pushed inwards, as
there is no side to panel to act as a door stop and I can’t fix anything to the dishwasher. How deep would you make the worktop and cabinets? By having the two appliances side by
side they are creating a large (1200mm)gap between counter supports. Should there be some kind of mid rail support? Or should I split the appliances up and put one of them under the
the hob?
Hope I’m not too fussy but it is all in the details isn’t it? 
ps can you recommend any installers in the North London area?
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timfoley
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Simon,
Many will disagree with me including some installers but I always leave a gap of 600mm for a washing machine and it has never presented me with a problem once it has been levelled.
My reason for this is that should you ever wish to give more continuity to your design at a future date you will have an effortless transition to an integrated which requires a 600mm
space.
To integrate a machine you are correct to fix a 18-19mm batteen to the adjacent cupboard after installing the machine and for the purpose of hinging the door. This should be the same
height as the cupboard minus the plinth recess, (normally 720mm).
Working with standard sized doors you have no choice but to use an alternative to an end panel on the closure of the door and I would suggest a magnetic catch affixed to the underside
of the worktop. A bespoke door size would allow you the support that would offer greater strength to the installation as well as allowing for continuity of design.
Improvising as I have suggested above, means that you will lose support at the front centre between appliances but it will prove sufficient if you compensate for this by fitting a
batten along the rear,
I would use a worktop depth of 680-700mm and would avoid locating either machine under your gas hob for appearance sake.
As for fitters in the North London area, we are currently in a process of developing an assessment scheme for those recruited via our site and are reluctant to pass on details until
we are certain of the capabilities of those who apply. Watch this space though.
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Simon F
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Tim
thanks so much for your very useful advice. It really has been a help. You mentioned a PM regarding Laminate surfaces – how do I access this? You also mentioned that Laminate has
inherent weakness. If you wanted a solid white worktop but didn’t want pay the price of Corian do you have any other suggestions?
Once again, many thanks, and I’ll keep you posted. Incidentally, how long will it be before you have that list of approved Installers – I’m recieving a certain amount of pressure to
get the thing done.
cheers
Simon
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timfoley
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Simon,
At the top of the forum you will see a link to messages. This is what you need to access after logging in.
There are a number of alternatives to Corian and my own preference lies with the synthetic stone surfaces such as Caesarstone, Zodiaq and Silestone.
Unfortunately, although there are cheaper alternatives of thinner core acrylics, I’m afraid the jury is still out on them so I am reluctant to recommend any at this time.
Laminates vary in quality and the list of manufacturers I’ve provided you with are in my opinion among the better ones and with proper maintenance should look good for many years.
I’m a little confused with your last comment as I assumed that you would be installing this kitchen yourself but to update you, we intend to develop a training centre in Coventry
that we hope, with the assistance of the new training initiative, will become an accredited centre for installer/designer training and assessment.
We have a large number of installers/designers who apply via our website
and it is my goal to offer the consumer the services of top quality people to undertake their projects.
To vet those who apply via the site would be a huge undertaking but with accreditation for the centre we hope to have among the first approved graduates of an approved training
scheme.
I know this may not be of help to you currently but you can appreciate that I am reluctant at this moment to offer you the services of an applicant in this area who we have not yet
assessed.
To update you further we are meeting with the CITB in this regard soon and will again update this post.
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Simon F
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Tim
When I click on the you have messages it says I have 0 messages. Am I doing something wrong?
Simon
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timfoley
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No Simon,
My mistake. Try again and confirm it to my e-mail t.foley@kitchensfitted.co.uk.
Apologies,
Tim.
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