Worktop Gap

[Jenny the novice]

I hope someone can give me advice. I've been reading this website for the last few months while doing up my flat and have got loads of tips so far but this is my first post.

My kitchen fitter left me with a (in places) 5mm gap between the worktop and the wall - his excuse number 1 was he thought we were going to tile (we were hoping just to paint with a glass splashback over hob). Number 2 was that a wall that sticks out into the breakfast bar is wedge shaped, wider at the front than the back, but he made that wall

Anyway, question is, what is the best option to fill the gap? Don't really want to tile but although my mum has some plastic beading I can't seem to find any anywhere.

Thanks in advance

[Wood Magnet]

Hi Jenny, try wickes,b&q, screwfix etc. they all stock what your looking for. And welcome to the forum.

[owen]

you can get upstands, about 3" high, to match some worktop finishes, these look quite good and would do the job.

as for the plastic beading you are talking about, i think my mum has the same stuff, but i don't think it is widely available any more.

last resort is to get some timber beading and paint or stain it a similar colour to the worktop, and glue in position.

[Jenny the novice]

I googled 'upstands' and that kind of thing would look good but we only have 10cm between the worktop and the bottom of the plug sockets. It's really hard doing all this stuff when you don't know what anything is called!

[Hoovie]

Hi Jenny, welcome to UHM.

I remember buying plastic upstands from some large DIY store or other at the same time I bought some worktops. They matched the pattern of the worktops, were concave in shape - bit like coving, and were maybe 1" (25mm) high. The base either stuck onto the worktop end with 3M tape or used little screws (can't remember) and the top trim piece pushed on top.
I used them for exactly the situation you are describing. This was something like 15+ years ago so it is possible they do not do them anymore, but a visit to B&Q or Homebase and the like might get you what you need.

[owen]

I googled 'upstands' and that kind of thing would look good but we only have 10cm between the worktop and the bottom of the plug sockets. It's really hard doing all this stuff when you don't know what anything is called!

the upstands i use are 3" i think which is 7.5cm, so would fit below your sockets.

where did your worktops come from?

[Jenny the novice]

The worktops were from MFI, laminate walnut. Could get walnut or just white to match the cupboards. Found some on B&Q now, may have to go there at the weekend (and get free energy saving bulbs as well!)

[owen]

well if MFI are still using the same worktops as Howdens (which used to the the trade part of MFI, but isn't anymore, hence the uncertainty) then you may struggle as i have just looked in the Howdens catalogue and they do not do the upstands in walnut.

So, you could try to find another worktop supplier that does upstands in a walnut that matches what you have, although i think you will struggle to match it.

I would get some normal pine beading and try to stain/varnish it as close to the walnut as possible.

If you had let the fitter know you weren't tiling (although he could have asked, i do) then he could have scribed the worktops to the shape of the wall so as not to leave a gap.

[Jenny the novice]

I fell out with the fitter over this! He asked me and my partner if we were having a splash back and we both said yes as we are going to have a glass one over the hob (I'm sure I told him this as well) but he assumed that mean we were tilling - which doesn't quite equal up to me - so he didn't scribe it.

He also messed up load more and left a general mess but I'm trying to forget about it and just get on with what needs doing!

[owen]

i can see why the fitter would have thought you were tiling if you said yes you were having a splashback, but anyway, like you say time to move on and get the problem sorted.

i would speak to MFI and see if they can supply upstands in walnut as a first option.

[panlid]

why not just do a bit of plastering where the gap is?
you will have to seal the worktop which will take up 3 or 4 mill.
so just fill out the wall a little bit. you could even spread a bit of filler in there and just sand it.
sounds to me like you said you were having a splashback but dint make it clear enough it was just the hob.
misunderstandings.

these happen!

[Teabag]

Im assuming the worktops have joints in, and are bolted together?
I havent seen anyone ask "cant they be removed and scribed" ?

guess you could use tile trim to hide the gap if need be, depending on the length of run... comes in many colours.

[dirtydeeds]

teabag

if they are "joined" with the aluminium salmonella strips it is possible

but with masons mitres the joints are glued, masticed, bonded or epoxied

all the other options about gap filling are covered

[Jenny the novice]

Thanks for all your suggestions.

The worktop has lots of joints, bolted together so can't remove it. We decided to order an upstand from B&Q, the colour is close enough to what we have and half the price of MFI. Hopefully it will go on without too many gaps (the wall is obviously not straight) but it wont be delivered until the 26th.

[Wood Magnet]

Thanks for letting us know how you are getting on Jenny, how about showing some picture's when you finish.