I've been fitting kitchens on and off for about 15 years now and it's refreshing to watch someone else doing it using their own tried and tested methods. There's always something you can learn. You have some really great tips and tricks from many years of experience. You do a fantastic job and very down to earth. Thanks and keep up the great work. Phil
Hi Philip. I'm not actually a kitchen fitter, but I must have fitted many over the years👊Its pretty much as close to carpentry as you can get I reckon🤔Thanks for your kind words and for watching😎Cheers Del
👍🏻 Part way through fitting my new kitchen. Have watched your series on this subject. Invaluable, thanks! Base units, upper units, and worktops are rock steady and straight as a die after following your detailed advice. I hadn't intended to do all the work myself, but the trades in my area are pretty poor. Even the costlier guys are unreliable, cut corners, don't tidy up, and have unmanageable egos. I'm maybe not as fast and make mistakes, but I make it right, and the end result is something I'd happily pay for. Noticed you've begun a series on fitted wardrobes, so I'll be tackling this job next. Brilliant work - keep it up.
Just wanted to say a very big thank you for your videos. We had to take out all our units after a real bodge it and run episode! We decided to re-fit the units ourselves and your videos gave us confidence. Our electrician helped us too and he really liked the tip about hanging the spacers between the base units so you can just concentrate on getting the protruding edge the correct width. Spot on - wish you'd been fitting our kitchen in the first place!
Hi Kaeren🖐Sorry to hear that your kitchen was made a hash of by the first installer, but glad that, with the help of your sparkie and a couple of my videos, that you were able to get it the way you wanted it👊Thanks for your comment 😎 Cheers Del
I like the wall unit fixings / adjusters. Much better than those stupid plastic boxes in the corners with the Chinese Cheese Metal screws that round off within coming in site of ANYTHING you use to turn them! Am I the only one who always expects to hear a crashing sound the minute I walk out the room after fitting wall units? Great video! 👍
I know the ones you mean Mark, and they are particularly awful😣, like you say, a good slam of the door and you worry they will fall off😬 Great comment and thanks for watching😎
Really love the tip about using the tabs on top of the wall units to act as an extra levelling hand. The kitchen I usually fit have solid backs rather than adjustable hooks, so they’re screwed straight through the backs into the wall. Th8s can make it tricky to line them up/hold them etc and I usually cut some props to size that space them off the worktop at the correct height. I like the use of the top tabs through. Only issue I can see is they don’t usually have cornice so they’d have to be removed and space may be limited to do this. One to ponder 🤔 …..
Hi Darren. Solid backs sound great, and really handy for extra fixing flexibility👊You're spot on about the tabs when no cornice is fitted, and it's something you need to watch out for👍Great comment and thanks for watching 😎 Cheers Del
Whenever I fit a kitchen with a long run of base units I always put a straight edge along the top front edge of base unit carcasses to check how straight they are especially on older houses with bellied/uneven walls and adjust the units accordingly.then the worktop overhang margin will be the same all the way along.
Great tip Ian👊and I do the same, and this also keeps any cavities for built in appliances square and parallel👊Thanks for watching and your comment😎Cheers Del
@@thetallcarpenter no worries I have subscribed and your vids are very helpful, just have one question as I’m fixing wall cab brackets tomorrow at my own place, unfortunately the walls are concrete and the SDs drill bit goes all over the place and never lands on target! So I end up with random bullet holes, any suggestions as how to and what could improve accuracy? Cheers in advance
@@masa4936 The only thing I could suggest is to try with the hammer function off, (just drill/rotary), as the SDS action causes quite a bit of, 'bounce', which wont be helping keep your position.👍 Cheers.
As others have said always interesting to see how other people do it good content, thank you. How about one when all the walls are not plumb and corners out of square. We've all been there but can always learn from others.
Hi Robert🖐If the walls are badly out of plumb and straight, I'll just pull the whole run of base units off the wall before packing straight and fixing back. The wall units are a bit more tricky, but I'll pack the lower edge out at the back or pack behind the fixing bracket at the top to suit. Out of square corners is easy with single units and a corner post, but not so much with 900mm corner units. If the corner is more than 90° when using a rigid corner unit, I usually will have to leave a small gap at the front of the adjoining units and, hopefully, be able to adjust the doors over a bit to even out the gaps. I'd be interested to know how you get over these problems if different to me👍Cheers Del
@@thetallcarpenter much the same pack out where needed sometimes nip a bit off the back edge of the cabinet, a you say leave a little gap here and there. As long as the worktops fit and the illusion works. I'm not sure there is an exact right way.
I hope this isn’t a dumb question; but why do you spin the level after every mark and movement to continue the line? Shouldn’t the bubble always be level?
Great question TW, with a simple answer🤔 If the level bubble is slightly out, any line you mark will not be level, and if you just kept moving the level along the line you mark would get lower and lower, (or higher and higher), as your line got longer. Turning the level means, that, if the bubble is slightly out, your overall line will still be level, although the line will go up and down each levels length👍Hope that makes sense🤩Cheers Del
Maybe i have missed a comment in another part but your electrician looks spot on with cables on wall units. Is this by careful planning, psychic linkage or just luck ? 🤔
Hi there. Yes, we do get together with the sparky as we set out what goes where in the kitchen as we are building the walls👊Thanks for your comment and for watching😎Cheers Del
I'm fitting my own kitchen soon so I'm watching all your video's. I'm trying to get the wall units to line up with the base units but kitchen fitters are saying it doesn't really matter if you have a 600 wall unit about a 400 base unit. It's not always achievable what's your opinion fella.
Hi there🖐Its a tricky one to answer and depends on the size and layout of the kitchen🤔 I think most designers try to match base and wall units where they can, but as I say, it can depend on other things😉Cheers Del
Hi bud🖐If a run of wall units, either fixes to a corner unit or a tall unit, I don't fix the bottom back, but if it's a run of wall units on its own, I will👊Cheers
Hi Dave🖐I make a wooden frame for the lip of the sink to sit in that is just below the top carcass line👊 I'll cover it in ore detail in a future video👍Cheers Del
Hi, thanks for the tips. Quick question, when I hang my corner wall unit om the brackets, it swings back because of the centre of gravity being towards the corner, how can I stop it from happening?
Just about to do my wall units (first time kitchen fitting) any fixing advice for someone who has 600 centres and three plasterboard layers to go through? (12.5, 12.5 and 18!) Was thinking maybe toggle bolts would be an idea as they would actually be long enough to make it through :D
Hi RC🖐I might be tempted to use metal, hollow wall anchors, as you can get them in the right length to suit your wall thickness. Either that or sprung toggle fixings, again, you can use the right length of screw to suit your wall👊Cheers Del
You've obviously been there Rob!😬 Really lucky that I managed to drop it enough to get in the little recess at bottom on of the dishwasher back.👍 Great comment. 😎
@@thetallcarpenter Indeed i have! Plumbers are the bane of our lives, if they're not hacking out great chunks out of floor joists there're setting pipework in the wrong place! Beautifully finished kitchen by the way.
I must of said it a thousand times to plumbers, builders and homeowners, please make sure you don't have any pipework behind the appliances because they won't fit. They all prefer to learn the hard way.
Hi there🖐 Corfix(expensive). Dryline Pro(good value if you need a lot), and then M8x80mm frame fixings which is what I mostly use as they hold well in light blocks and work out super cheap👊Cheers Del
How do you plumb wall units on old plastered walls ? Just fitted a kitchen in a 1940s no fines whimper house and had an absolute nightmare due to uneven hard to fix to walls . Shame they don't have a big enough service void at the back so they can be scribed to fit .
Hi Peter. Its not so difficult if the wall falls towards you at the top, as you can pack the bottom of the unit of the wall at the bottom. If the wall leans back at the top then there is only a certain amount that the adjustment brackets can compensate for this. In this case, (and on most of the units I fit), you can cut, (of scribe), a little out of the backs at the bottom. If its really bad then I would have to put some small batten up first behind where the wall brackets go but this can lead to all sorts of aggro if in corner run scenario.👍 Cheers.
The best ones I use are called 'Dry Line Pro' and are excellent but not cheap 😬 I have also used M8x80mm Frame type fixings which help stop the bracket crushing into the plasterboard, and are pretty cheap👊Cheers Del
Hi Brian. That kitchen was probably three days work all in. It obviously took much longer due to various factors out of my control. 🙈 I tried to train a couple of lads, but they were more interested in updating their social media status throughout the day than learning the trade. 😬 I've given up with that now, and instead am trying to pass a few bits and bobs on through UA-cam. 😎 Cheers
@@briansearles7342 I hear you Brian. Its not like it used to be when I was 16. (the building industry or the keeness of youngsters to learn). Cheers bud. 😎
hi there, may I ask you a question? If some one asked you to re do some pre stalled wall and floor units that some one made an attempt but messed up , would you do it or not? If you did would you charge a daily rate or a fixed price?
Hi there🖐Its not something I would entertain now, but I have done many times in the past👍 Its no different than fitting a second hand kitchen, and as long as the units are not butchered, it shouldn't be too big a job to reset them in right. People are always very wary of going in behind someone else's work, has the minute you do, the jobs and any of its problems become yours😬 Cheers Del
@@thetallcarpenter Hi yes that is what I was thinking. After a day of reflecting and noticing things like 2 lines of wall cupboards not inline and so on plus kitchen gas units, sink installed and so on, I have a feeling things are going to be a pain in the back side. I make cabinets I may so go and get a kitchen fitter to have a go. Thanks for the advice :)
Love the vids, but your pencil technique is making me anxious. You tend to scribe back and forth making your lines thick. Better to have a sharp softer pencil (HB) and scribe only once. Also when squaring to a point, put your pencil on the point and bring your square gently up to the point. I know you know this, but your vids don't always show it. Maybe useful to have a 'Handtool Technique' section in some of your vids as there is much to know and learn.
Hi there🖐I have spoken many times in videos about my pencils and the importance of keeping them sharp👍I buy HB pencils and 'disposable' sharpners and always tend to have a nice sharp point on them👊I guess I must have reverted back to my lazy appreciate days on this kitchen😬 Great suggestion for tool technique videos though🤩Cheers Del
I've been fitting kitchens on and off for about 15 years now and it's refreshing to watch someone else doing it using their own tried and tested methods. There's always something you can learn. You have some really great tips and tricks from many years of experience. You do a fantastic job and very down to earth. Thanks and keep up the great work. Phil
Hi Philip. I'm not actually a kitchen fitter, but I must have fitted many over the years👊Its pretty much as close to carpentry as you can get I reckon🤔Thanks for your kind words and for watching😎Cheers Del
Very helpful, and well presented and very professional. Thanks matee...
Appreciate your comment Alan🤩and thanks for watching 😎 Cheers Del
👍🏻 Part way through fitting my new kitchen. Have watched your series on this subject. Invaluable, thanks!
Base units, upper units, and worktops are rock steady and straight as a die after following your detailed advice.
I hadn't intended to do all the work myself, but the trades in my area are pretty poor. Even the costlier guys are unreliable, cut corners, don't tidy up, and have unmanageable egos. I'm maybe not as fast and make mistakes, but I make it right, and the end result is something I'd happily pay for.
Noticed you've begun a series on fitted wardrobes, so I'll be tackling this job next. Brilliant work - keep it up.
Hi there🖐I'm glad your finding my videos helpful👍Thanks for watching and your comment 😎 Cheers Del
Just wanted to say a very big thank you for your videos. We had to take out all our units after a real bodge it and run episode! We decided to re-fit the units ourselves and your videos gave us confidence. Our electrician helped us too and he really liked the tip about hanging the spacers between the base units so you can just concentrate on getting the protruding edge the correct width. Spot on - wish you'd been fitting our kitchen in the first place!
Hi Kaeren🖐Sorry to hear that your kitchen was made a hash of by the first installer, but glad that, with the help of your sparkie and a couple of my videos, that you were able to get it the way you wanted it👊Thanks for your comment 😎 Cheers Del
When marking hanger plates put a scrap piece of carcase material alongside hung unit and mark perfect everytime.
Hi Chris. Great tip.👍 Thanks for watching and your comment.😎 Cheers.
I like the wall unit fixings / adjusters. Much better than those stupid plastic boxes in the corners with the Chinese Cheese Metal screws that round off within coming in site of ANYTHING you use to turn them!
Am I the only one who always expects to hear a crashing sound the minute I walk out the room after fitting wall units?
Great video! 👍
I know the ones you mean Mark, and they are particularly awful😣, like you say, a good slam of the door and you worry they will fall off😬 Great comment and thanks for watching😎
You made that look nice and easy as you obivously preplanned things like your noggins in the begining, good on you it makes life so much easier!
Cheers Kevin😎 Thanks for watching👍
You made all of that look super easy, what a pro! A really useful video for an amateur like me thinking of fitting his own kitchen 👍
You're too kind Martin🤗Cheers Del
Really love the tip about using the tabs on top of the wall units to act as an extra levelling hand. The kitchen I usually fit have solid backs rather than adjustable hooks, so they’re screwed straight through the backs into the wall. Th8s can make it tricky to line them up/hold them etc and I usually cut some props to size that space them off the worktop at the correct height. I like the use of the top tabs through. Only issue I can see is they don’t usually have cornice so they’d have to be removed and space may be limited to do this. One to ponder 🤔 …..
Hi Darren. Solid backs sound great, and really handy for extra fixing flexibility👊You're spot on about the tabs when no cornice is fitted, and it's something you need to watch out for👍Great comment and thanks for watching 😎 Cheers Del
Great I feel better now watching this thanks
Hi Albert🖐Glad you found it interesting 😀 Cheers Del
Some great useful tips noted in my head for future use cheers ! 😁👷👍👍
That's cool Alex🤩and thanks for watching 😎 Cheers Del
Whenever I fit a kitchen with a long run of base units I always put a straight edge along the top front edge of base unit carcasses to check how straight they are especially on older houses with bellied/uneven walls and adjust the units accordingly.then the worktop overhang margin will be the same all the way along.
Great tip Ian👊and I do the same, and this also keeps any cavities for built in appliances square and parallel👊Thanks for watching and your comment😎Cheers Del
Very good technique! I always dreaded fixing my wall brackets because of my dodgy measurements but not anymore 😎👍
Hi Mas. Thanks for watching and glad you found it interesting.🤩 Cheers.
@@thetallcarpenter no worries I have subscribed and your vids are very helpful, just have one question as I’m fixing wall cab brackets tomorrow at my own place, unfortunately the walls are concrete and the SDs drill bit goes all over the place and never lands on target! So I end up with random bullet holes, any suggestions as how to and what could improve accuracy? Cheers in advance
@@masa4936 The only thing I could suggest is to try with the hammer function off, (just drill/rotary), as the SDS action causes quite a bit of, 'bounce', which wont be helping keep your position.👍 Cheers.
@@thetallcarpenter I see , ok I shall try, thanks again
@@masa4936 👍
Nice to see you turn your level round when you take a datum round the wall 💪
Great spot Paul. 🧐 Turning the level is just a good habit to get into.😎 Thanks for watching.👍
@@thetallcarpenter , 🤣👍, didn’t spot it….just expected it. Wasn’t disappointed.
@@paulfurness8597 Cheers Paul.🤩👍
As others have said always interesting to see how other people do it good content, thank you. How about one when all the walls are not plumb and corners out of square. We've all been there but can always learn from others.
Hi Robert🖐If the walls are badly out of plumb and straight, I'll just pull the whole run of base units off the wall before packing straight and fixing back. The wall units are a bit more tricky, but I'll pack the lower edge out at the back or pack behind the fixing bracket at the top to suit. Out of square corners is easy with single units and a corner post, but not so much with 900mm corner units. If the corner is more than 90° when using a rigid corner unit, I usually will have to leave a small gap at the front of the adjoining units and, hopefully, be able to adjust the doors over a bit to even out the gaps. I'd be interested to know how you get over these problems if different to me👍Cheers Del
@@thetallcarpenter much the same pack out where needed sometimes nip a bit off the back edge of the cabinet, a you say leave a little gap here and there. As long as the worktops fit and the illusion works. I'm not sure there is an exact right way.
@@robertparsons8849 'if it looks right it is right' 😉
I hope this isn’t a dumb question; but why do you spin the level after every mark and movement to continue the line? Shouldn’t the bubble always be level?
Great question TW, with a simple answer🤔 If the level bubble is slightly out, any line you mark will not be level, and if you just kept moving the level along the line you mark would get lower and lower, (or higher and higher), as your line got longer. Turning the level means, that, if the bubble is slightly out, your overall line will still be level, although the line will go up and down each levels length👍Hope that makes sense🤩Cheers Del
You really are amazing.
You're too kind🤩Thanks for watching 😎 Cheers Del
Would a laser level help to ensure all the wall units were all lined up?
Hi Dommer. Yes it would, but I tend to prefer to use a spirit level for this.😎 Cheers.
Maybe i have missed a comment in another part but your electrician looks spot on with cables on wall units. Is this by careful planning, psychic linkage or just luck ? 🤔
Hi there. Yes, we do get together with the sparky as we set out what goes where in the kitchen as we are building the walls👊Thanks for your comment and for watching😎Cheers Del
Great work as always. No need for a ladder for you then.
Hi SA🖐I'm fortunate that I can reach most things🤪Cheers Del
I'm fitting my own kitchen soon so I'm watching all your video's. I'm trying to get the wall units to line up with the base units but kitchen fitters are saying it doesn't really matter if you have a 600 wall unit about a 400 base unit. It's not always achievable what's your opinion fella.
Hi there🖐Its a tricky one to answer and depends on the size and layout of the kitchen🤔 I think most designers try to match base and wall units where they can, but as I say, it can depend on other things😉Cheers Del
Del do you ever fix the bottom of the wall units as well as the top hangers or are the top hangers sufficient enough to hold the weight.
Hi bud🖐If a run of wall units, either fixes to a corner unit or a tall unit, I don't fix the bottom back, but if it's a run of wall units on its own, I will👊Cheers
How did you set your undermount sink in that cab? Great videos by the way, I've watched the whole kitchen fit, now I feel like I want to take one on 😂
Hi Dave🖐I make a wooden frame for the lip of the sink to sit in that is just below the top carcass line👊 I'll cover it in ore detail in a future video👍Cheers Del
Great video. What screws did you use to fix the hangers to the wall. Thanks
Hi there Damo. I just used 4x50mm screws straight into the timber noggins👊 Thanks for watching 😎
Hi, thanks for the tips. Quick question, when I hang my corner wall unit om the brackets, it swings back because of the centre of gravity being towards the corner, how can I stop it from happening?
Hi there🖐There should be a bracket and hanger in the back corner to stop the unit from dropping as you describe🤔
Just about to do my wall units (first time kitchen fitting) any fixing advice for someone who has 600 centres and three plasterboard layers to go through? (12.5, 12.5 and 18!) Was thinking maybe toggle bolts would be an idea as they would actually be long enough to make it through :D
Hi RC🖐I might be tempted to use metal, hollow wall anchors, as you can get them in the right length to suit your wall thickness. Either that or sprung toggle fixings, again, you can use the right length of screw to suit your wall👊Cheers Del
As soon as i saw that waste pipe in the DW space I said to my self "thats gonna be a problem!!"
You've obviously been there Rob!😬 Really lucky that I managed to drop it enough to get in the little recess at bottom on of the dishwasher back.👍 Great comment. 😎
@@thetallcarpenter Indeed i have! Plumbers are the bane of our lives, if they're not hacking out great chunks out of floor joists there're setting pipework in the wrong place! Beautifully finished kitchen by the way.
@@RobNorman08 Sometimes you just have to take a deep breath Rob.😁 Thanks for your comments.👍
I must of said it a thousand times to plumbers, builders and homeowners, please make sure you don't have any pipework behind the appliances because they won't fit. They all prefer to learn the hard way.
@@jrsuk1170 Its sometimes hard to believe that I've been telling the builders/plumbers about this for over 20 years, but it still happens. 😫 Cheers
what is the best fixings for thermailte block walls with dab plasterboard?
Hi there🖐 Corfix(expensive). Dryline Pro(good value if you need a lot), and then M8x80mm frame fixings which is what I mostly use as they hold well in light blocks and work out super cheap👊Cheers Del
Top man, thanks for the advice and top videos
@@thetallcarpenter
@@bigkieth23 My pleasure🤩
How do you plumb wall units on old plastered walls ? Just fitted a kitchen in a 1940s no fines whimper house and had an absolute nightmare due to uneven hard to fix to walls . Shame they don't have a big enough service void at the back so they can be scribed to fit .
Hi Peter. Its not so difficult if the wall falls towards you at the top, as you can pack the bottom of the unit of the wall at the bottom. If the wall leans back at the top then there is only a certain amount that the adjustment brackets can compensate for this. In this case, (and on most of the units I fit), you can cut, (of scribe), a little out of the backs at the bottom. If its really bad then I would have to put some small batten up first behind where the wall brackets go but this can lead to all sorts of aggro if in corner run scenario.👍 Cheers.
@@thetallcarpenter thanks for taking the time to reply ,much appreciated 👍
@@peterfido8735 No sweat Peter.👊
Got this problem myself right now :) Wall leans toward me at top. What would you recommend to pack out? Something like glazing spacers? Thanks!
What fixings would you recommend to fix wall units to dot and dab ?
The best ones I use are called 'Dry Line Pro' and are excellent but not cheap 😬 I have also used M8x80mm Frame type fixings which help stop the bracket crushing into the plasterboard, and are pretty cheap👊Cheers Del
@@thetallcarpenter I've seen a lot of videos for corefix fixings, have you tried these ?
@andy15959 I've seen them, but they are expensive and the Dry Line Pro fixings are simpler and cheaper, and the 8x80 frame fixings are cheaper still👊
How long did it take to fit that kitchen mate? Your like me always working on your own, have you had apprentices before? Sorry for 2 questions
Hi Brian. That kitchen was probably three days work all in. It obviously took much longer due to various factors out of my control. 🙈 I tried to train a couple of lads, but they were more interested in updating their social media status throughout the day than learning the trade. 😬 I've given up with that now, and instead am trying to pass a few bits and bobs on through UA-cam. 😎 Cheers
@@thetallcarpenter thanks for the reply , that is what puts me off getting an apprentice to be honest, keep up the good work 👍
@@briansearles7342 I hear you Brian. Its not like it used to be when I was 16. (the building industry or the keeness of youngsters to learn). Cheers bud. 😎
hi there, may I ask you a question? If some one asked you to re do some pre stalled wall and floor units that some one made an attempt but messed up , would you do it or not? If you did would you charge a daily rate or a fixed price?
Hi there🖐Its not something I would entertain now, but I have done many times in the past👍 Its no different than fitting a second hand kitchen, and as long as the units are not butchered, it shouldn't be too big a job to reset them in right. People are always very wary of going in behind someone else's work, has the minute you do, the jobs and any of its problems become yours😬 Cheers Del
@@thetallcarpenter Hi yes that is what I was thinking. After a day of reflecting and noticing things like 2 lines of wall cupboards not inline and so on plus kitchen gas units, sink installed and so on, I have a feeling things are going to be a pain in the back side. I make cabinets I may so go and get a kitchen fitter to have a go. Thanks for the advice :)
bravo
Cheers PP.👍😎👍
Why not use your laser level?
I find its easier to just use a level than set up the laser for wall units👊but you could use a laser👍Cheers Del
NOOICE!
👍😎
Love the vids, but your pencil technique is making me anxious. You tend to scribe back and forth making your lines thick. Better to have a sharp softer pencil (HB) and scribe only once. Also when squaring to a point, put your pencil on the point and bring your square gently up to the point. I know you know this, but your vids don't always show it. Maybe useful to have a 'Handtool Technique' section in some of your vids as there is much to know and learn.
Hi there🖐I have spoken many times in videos about my pencils and the importance of keeping them sharp👍I buy HB pencils and 'disposable' sharpners and always tend to have a nice sharp point on them👊I guess I must have reverted back to my lazy appreciate days on this kitchen😬 Great suggestion for tool technique videos though🤩Cheers Del