Replacing A Kitchen

[LearnerNew]

I'm thinking about replacing a Council kitchen thats in my parents home. I want to keep the carcases and just replace the cupboard doors, worktops, and drawer fronts. I haven't measured the doors and stuff yet but i will do next time i go over in a few days. The question is, are most cupboard doors and drawer fronts a standard size and easily to find?

The carcases are only a few years old so i don't want to replace them. Is this a good idea?

[philprime]

Yes most doors an drawer fronts are a standard size an very easy to obtain from the likes to the big DIY sheds through to kitchen suppliers

[joinerjohn]

There are sites that supply new kitchen door and drawer fronts. Although most doors are standard sizes (eg 300mm, 400mm 500mm 600mm etc) The bit that really matters is the spacing of the hinges. Not at all standard between manufacturers. I replaced a neighbours doors and drawer fronts last year and measured the hinge spacing before ordering new doors online.

[speed]

Just make sure you measure the doors first,

I fitted a " council" spec kitchen in a school last year and the doors were 735 the std size is 720

If the hinge holes don't line up you will need to re drill the door of alter the hinge mount locations,
Bnq doors don't line up with howdens unit I found that out on a recent facelift job

[Handyman in Sussex]

Check every measurement first.
Width, Height and hinge spacing.
If possible take a door with you when you are out looking where to get replacements so the supplier can measure it.
I replaced a set recently for a client and went around all the big diy sheds first, none of them recognised the door size, style etc. I tried various builders merchants, and other suppliers and no-one recognised the size. Some had the exact same door, but say 5mm or 10mm difference in height, or with a different hinge spacing.
In the end the client remembered where they came from (a very small independent village kitchen shop) and I managed to get some replacements from him, but it wasn't easy to find the right size elsewhere... Worst case suppliers will make them to fit, but it's expensive. If it's only a few years old you should be able to find out where it came from without too much hassle. But check all measurements first. Show them a hinge too, it may help them recognise if they supplied it.
Jonty

[LearnerNew]

Thanks for the replies everyone, its been very helpful. I'm not sure how i would find out where the council got the kitchen from though.

[philprime]

I'm in Suffolk and my local council source some of there kitchen units throught jewsons but its probably not that same for all councils

[Handyman in Sussex]

Thanks for the replies everyone, its been very helpful. I'm not sure how i would find out where the council got the kitchen from though.

Give them a call, if it was only put in a few years ago they will have records.

Failing that, take a door off and go round the builders merchants, DIY sheds etc to see who recognises it. They'd be more likely to use a merchant than a DIY store I would think, as they probably buy thousands and have a deal in place.