Julian Cassell's DIY Blog

Fitting kitchen unit plinth is one of the final jobs when fitting a kitchen. Plinth prevents things rolling under units and provides a neat finish between the base of kitchen units and the floor. Manufacturers may have slightly different connection methods for the way the plinth is fixed in place, but generally, brackets are used that clip the plinth onto the legs of the units. read more »

Kitchen unit doors and handles are straightforward to fit because in most cases the unit manufacturer will have provided pre-cut holes in the doors for hinge positioning. In a similar way, the hinge plates that fit onto the base or wall unit are also fixed into pre-drilled holes. It is therefore a logical process of following instructions to fit the correct item into the correct holes. Handle positions are also pre-marked and therefore you just need to check that you are lining up with the correct marks for your particular handles. read more »

The most important point about fitting kitchen wall units is to find secure fixing positions. This is not normally a problem with masonry walls, but with hollow or stud walls, ideally all fixings should go into the wooden studs. Alternatively you can take off the plasterboard behind the units and fix wooden noggings (horizontal supports) inside the wall between adjacent vertical studs. read more »

If you’re fitting a new kitchen, always fit base units before wall units – its simply much easier for establishing levels. The technique shown here shows the units being fixed directly to the wall surface.  As always, take care when finding safe fixing points – a cable, pipe and stud detector can help you here. read more »

Space solves

Discreet extractor fan

The Guardian, Saturday 17 April 2010

I have an island unit containing a gas hob in my open-plan kitchen. I want to install an extractor fan, but do not want a large hood and chimney obscuring the view of the garden. read more »