IKEA kitchens service void

[Woodmonkey]

Swmbo has decreed that we are to replace our kitchen with one from IKEA (in fairness they do look nice and don't think I could make one for cheaper once I've factored in time off work)
I've read that unlike most they don't have a service void behind, has anyone fitted one like this and has it caused any difficulties? Mostly wondering about the waste pipes from dishwasher and washing machine which won't be adj to the sink, if they run underneath will there be enough of a gradient?

 

[MCB]

I bought some kitchen cupboards from Howden

Once I convinced them that I was “Trade”, they amazed me with the discount off listed price in catalogue - it was something like 70% OFF!

You may care to visit their showroom if there's one local for you.

MC Black

 

[blackrodd]

Just carefully use hole cutters for the pipework, and as the external brown pipe is usually installed at a minimum fall of 1 in 80, so just give it 1 in 80, or a good slope inside the cabintry, it will look good when fitted nice and tidy.
Rodders

 

[Steve1066]

There not bad kitchens as flat packs go, but be warned they have a habit of not sending all bit out, and it takes week to get the missing bits.
Try Howden or Magants much better service.

 

[chippy1970]

I've fitted a few ikea kitchens. They're OK , hinges are usually Blum but in general you get what you pay for they're cheap.

Howdens are a bit more solid and if fitted well can look good.

Magnet used to be good years ago but they're not all that now.

If you can spend a bit more I can highly recommend crown imperial or omega.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[woodenstx]

When I had the chippy round to fit our worktops (this was pre manning up to woodworking), he said that the wickes one we had was good quality but Ikea are good too, the only thing you need to do is order the deeper worktop so you can create the service void and hide the pipework behind the cabinets.

 

[GLFaria]

Just carefully use hole cutters for the pipework, and as the external brown pipe is usually installed at a minimum fall of 1 in 80, so just give it 1 in 80, or a good slope inside the cabintry, it will look good when fitted nice and tidy.
Rodders

As Blackrod says, "inside the cabinetry" - which may at times be annoying. It's not just the waste of space, it is also that if you also use that cabinet to store things you must be careful not to displace the pipes.

As a side note, I would label IKEA's kitchens as plain "utilitarian" - meaning they are not intended to look like luxury items, which they are not, they do the job they are intended for, no less, no more. That said, in 2010 I have outfitted two kitchens with them, both are still fine. One of them (the one with the wooden tops) is used only about three months in the year as a summer residence, the other one has been in everyday use (permanent residence) for three years with no problem.

Incidentally, I do not recommend the laminated wooden countertops - they must be oiled beforehand, they require care in use (no spilling of cleansing hemicals or boiling water, please...) and periodical maintenance, and at least in ours the individual slabs seem to have cupped somewhat, as the tops feels distinctly "wavy" when one rubs his hand over them.

In the end, it mostly depends on the kind of kitchen you are looking after.

G.

 

[MCB]

Is it possible to still buy FORMICA worktops?

MCB

 

[Woodmonkey]

Thanks for the replies. Although the suggestions of other places to source the kitchen may be good ones, once the light of my life has made her mind up it's far easier to accept it and move on, so ikea it is.
I think running the pipes inside will work, as they will go through a corner cabinet with the pull-out gubbins so will prob have a bit of dead space at the back anyway. (And the ikea cabs are deeper than normal anyway b precisely because of the lack of the void). Pulling them forward to create a void would work too, but the kitchen is small and narrow and don't want the worktops to be any wider.

 

[MCB]

I bought some Ikea cabinets a few years ago. When I wanted another to match, they had discontinued that range so we had to build one from scratch.

So you may want to buy spares now while they are available!

MCB

 

[Woodmonkey]

I will probably not be in this house for more than 4 or 5 years so will take my chances!

 

[inkyblue]

@MCB. Yes, formica worktops are still going, they are sold under the brand name Axiom.

 

[Jacob]

No probs with IKEA kitchen recently installed (mostly by Doug). If you are desperate to hide pipes they can go under (if there's enough gradient) or you could fit back panels in your own routered slots. But the extra space is worth having on the useful side rather than having an empty void. If in the cupboard the pipes are out of sight, at the back, low down in the part most difficult to reach, so don't get in the way of anything much
The kit and the service was excellent. A small set of screws missing from the extractor was the only issue.
Cheaper than Howdens and non of that 70% off dubious bo88locks, the price was exactly as per catalogue. We got fed up with "special offers" from Howdens and a lot of their kit gets bad reviews.

Yes you can still get Formica it never went away. We did our own tops from 5' x 12' 18mm ply (doubled up around the edges) plus Formica. Cheaper than most of the alternatives and a good deal of design freedom

 

[Max Power]

IKEA the Ratners of the kitchen trade

 

[shed9]

IKEA the Ratners of the kitchen trade

How is that a relevant analogy? Did I miss something in regards to Ikea's business strategy?

 

[davin]

I have fitted dozens of Ikea kitchens, (as well as help make and install handmade £30 k + kitchens.)
For the money I think Ikea are great value. If you don't buy the handles or worktops from Ikea most people would never know where it came from. Saying that the worktops are great value.
If you buy an Ikea sink, you will have to buy the waste kit just for the rectangular overflow and throw the rest away, as you will discover.
Just don't buy B and Q.

 

[biskit]

I've fitted a few Ikea kitchens, I got the customer to get everything, usually had to go back a few times and change parts etc.
I think we had to bring the back panel in a bit to get pipes hidden behind. Usually got worktops from somewhere else.

 

[Max Power]

IKEA the Ratners of the kitchen trade

How is that a relevant analogy? Did I miss something in regards to Ikea's business strategy?

The relevance is they're both cr*p , but of course IKEA arnt foolish enough to publicly admit it :shock:

 

[No skills]

How long is Ratners product guarantee?

 

[davin]

Well that's another good thing about Ikea, their returns policy is great, never had any issues. Unlike B and Q who's kitchen designers (!) try and sell you loads of bits you don't need/