Laminate butt worktop trim

[Blue Mermaid]

Just had a look and this is what it says: Melbourne Thick Decor End base 20mm x 4, Melbourne Thick Decor End Wall 25mm x 6 Melbourne Thick Decor End Tall 20mm x 3. They don't sound like the ones with the frames do they? I wonder why he ordered us plain ones if they should have the frames.

[prem]

the wall end panels are right, its the light rail that is put on wrong.
with this range you can have traditional cornice or flat modern, like the pelmit only they have put it on its longest length. it should go flat 25mm deep then the wall end can be cut to suit the traditional cornice or left at its length 795mm and have the cornice and pelmit butting up to it,both flat. 25mm each leaving 5mm top and bottom.
cant see in the pic if the oven has the panels either side to keep the walls and base in line.

[prem]

Just had a look and this is what it says: Melbourne Thick Decor End base 20mm x 4, Melbourne Thick Decor End Wall 25mm x 6 Melbourne Thick Decor End Tall 20mm x 3. They don't sound like the ones with the frames do they? I wonder why he ordered us plain ones if they should have the frames.

not sure if this range has the framed look on the base end panel ( think its only the heritage range).
the 20mm base end panel is the cheepest well not cheep for a panel. this is where the money is made in the sundries, just finished a job where the customer paid well over 2k for panels. half the time it is overlooked as it is all in the price of the kitchen, only when paying for them individually you see the rip off price.

[Blue Mermaid]

Hi Everyone

Popping in for another update:-

Wickes is refusing to swap the decor end panels for the in-frame ones. I went to the showroom and sure enough, they had the in-frame ones on the Melbourne range. I spoke to the designer and he said we should have told him at the point of sale if we wanted those. I argued that he didn't tell us there was a choice between those and the plain ones and that he just ordered the plain ones without explaining to us or giving us the option. He then said we should have checked them before letting the builders put them on and we could have exchanged them. He does have a point there I suppose but we left it to the builders to check everything. Again, we didn't know there was a choice of decor panels and just assumed we would get the same as the display.

I phoned customer services and they said the same thing. We shouldn't have put them on if they weren't the ones we wanted. So, we're stuck with the plain ones now, unless we pay for the in-frame ones. My parents aren't worred about having the plain ones. Again, it's me, the perfectionist who minds and feels angry with the designer, that he didn't ask us before ordering the plain ones.

Also, I did notice the pelmets still aren't right. The builders need to cut the decor panels, so that they're not hanging below the pelmets, which they turned round to the narrower part of the pelmet. I said today to the designer that if we'd had the in-frame decor panels, I bet they would have fitted and not needed cutting down to size. He said they would have still needed cutting.

We hit a dead end with the worktop problem again as well. We can't find a 3 metre breakfast bar in our worktop design. Benchmarx did 3 metre ones but not in Bahia Granite. I've just sent a sample somewhere else (a place called Modern Laminates but I'm not very hopeful they'll be able to get one either). Wickes contacted Wilson Art for us but they couldn't supply 3 metres either. Everywhere we've tried only does 2 metres.

I then had the idea of maybe having a breakfast bar coming out from that join and then having another 2 metre one as a worktop to cover the 40 mm gap. I asked the designer about that today but he doesn't think that's a good idea with our kitchen. My dad wondered about have two 2 metre ones side by side. I didn't like that idea and the designer said it would look messy.

So, unless Modern Laminates can source a matching 3 metre breakfast bar, we're back to the horrible stud wall idea and tiling over that. Unless any of you wonderful people have any other ideas for us?

Btw Colour Republic, everyone (ie the builders and the designer) said your idea was an excellent one. If only we could source the 3 metres! Every time I think the problem might be solved another obstacle gets in the way.

[royaloakcarpentry]

PMSL at the designer thinking the idea of using a breakfast bar was a good one....................it is a standard solution used that the designer should be well aware of. In fact I hope the designer did not do a site visit to your fathers house as he should have picked all this up at that time.

Think your builders and the designer have well and truly hung themselves as far as lack of experience or knowledge are concerned.

If you can't obtain a length of work top, then another option is to bring the units in line up to the new extension and then step the units back. Not ideal but doesn't look cack either.

Forget about adding a bit of worktop to the back of existing or a bit of ply and tiling it...............both will look awful.

[Blue Mermaid]

The designer did do an initial site visit. Came to measure up before we bought the kitchen. Builders say it was his measurements that have caused a lot of the problems. For example, he didn't see we had the gas metre in a cupboard and the gas pipes behind, (where the broom cupboard, washer and dryer are now situated) and lots of other things he missed or measured wrong. He spent most of the time talking about his life and then spent what felt like just a few minutes measuring up before he left.

The builders blame his measurements for the problems and he blames the builders, saying like some of you have said that they should have spotted the problem with the walls before they installed the kitchen.

The designer has come here a few times but is never much help.

I'll tell the builders your idea. Thanks for that.

[Blue Mermaid]

Oh yes, the designer said their fitters could come over for a couple of days and finish everything off but it would cost around a thousand, so we won't be going for that.

[royaloakcarpentry]

The designer does have a point...............the builders should have checked everything before they even touched a unit.

It is called setting out and this is first thing done, as I have said before. Builders only have themselves to blame.

There has only ever been one kitchen designer that I could trust and she used to design the hand made kitchens I used to fit..............Funnily enough though, the first thing I ever did when starting a kitchen was to set out and double check what she had done.

[Blue Mermaid]

I think we and the builders will have learned by our mistakes in all this but I don't think the designer will have. Far too full of himself.

[prem]

lets have it right the shed designers are salesmen/women. they are no way designers, which i dont blame them as they are on a commission for every item they sell.
the builders have done there best. which is all you can ask. the lesson learned is have it fitted by a kitchen fitter who is familiar with the product.

[Blue Mermaid]

Modern Laminates couldn't get the 3m breakfast bar either. I finally persuaded my dad that the best way forward to solve the problem once and for all and without it looking horrible was to get new worktops. I took it a step further as well and persuaded him to use the guy Modern Laminates recommends to fit the worktops. He's coming over tomorrow with samples and should be able to fit them next week. So, hopefully, things are finally going to work out. The builders are fine with it. They've got a few little bits to finish off on Monday (and they're bringing a tiler) and are going to take off the old worktops (I say old but they're the old new ones!) ready for the worktop guy to fit the new ones. Modern Laminates do 3m and 4m breakfast bars and have over 500 designs of worktop apparently. Touch wood the new guy will be excellent at fitting worktops!

Personally, I do think the blame lies with either the designer or the builders and really one of them should accept responsibility and pay for the new worktops to be done. My dad's already paid out far more than he should have done. We all just want it finished now though and will put it all down to experience and know better next time.

[thescruff]

Don't suppose I meed to remind you to protect the worktop before they attempt the tiling.

[Blue Mermaid]

Don't tilers know to protect the worktops before they tile? Worry, worry, worry!

[Blue Mermaid]

While I'm here can anyone recommend a good bin that fits in an undersink cupboard please? I thought I'd found one that didn't have bad reviews like some of the others but it's difficult to measure whether it would fit with the pipework under the sink and builders haven't been here this week to show them it.

One of the Brabantia ones has good reviews but I prefer the type where the lid comes off automatically.

[thescruff]

Don't tilers know to protect the worktops before they tile? Worry, worry, worry!

Don't think I would trust anyone connected to the builder, so if the tops come wrapped in cardboard save it.