After gutting my kitchen and doing the electrics, plumbing, plastering,
cabinet installation myself I weighed it up and decided it was worth
paying the money to have a professional fit my worktops. So I rang a
fitter advertised in the local paper (I wasn't able to get a
recommendation) and based on our conversation arranged for him to fit
worktops I'd already bought. They were fitted yesterday, but I'm far
from happy with the job. The mitred joints have a number of very minor
(such as 1x2mm) chips which to my eyes are really obvious, especially
since the worktops are a light grey colour and no seam fill was used in
the joint (just clear silicon).

The fitter did 2 joints (a u-shaped kitchen) and the latter is much
better than the first, although still not perfect. The latter joint I
told him to put some tape on the joint to try and avoid the chipping.
Unfortunately this was after a bad first attempt at it, so he ended up
taking 5mm off the length of the worktop and thus there's close to a
1cm gap at the end of the worktop where it ajoins the wall.

The fitter blames the chipping on the fact that they are cheap Ikea
worktops with an uncommon 'grained' surface. I'm thinking that it was
either an operator error with the router or a blunt router blade. What
do others think? Does anyone have any experience with cutting Ikea
worktops in general, or specifically the textured Aluminium effect
Numerar?

I'm kicking myself as I paid the fitter £180 for the work (for 2
joints plus 2 cutouts) yesterday as the joint didn't look too bad to my
eyes then. Also I agreed I'd apply some ColorFill seam filler and was
then happy that it would hide the chips. Now that I'm a bit more awake
today the joints look worse I'm not convinced the filler is going to
take and provide a long term solution befitting of the money spent on
the worktops and fitting. Does anyone have any experience with
repairing small chips with ColorFill?

Any general advice as to how to handle the situation would also be
appreciated.

For those interested photos available at:
http://www.geocities.com/neilbradburn/worktop/
Note: the coin in the picture is a 5p.

Thanks in advance for any input!

-Neil

rookie wrote:
After gutting my kitchen and doing the electrics, plumbing, plastering,
cabinet installation myself I weighed it up and decided it was worth
paying the money to have a professional fit my worktops. So I rang a
fitter advertised in the local paper (I wasn't able to get a
recommendation) and based on our conversation arranged for him to fit
worktops I'd already bought. They were fitted yesterday, but I'm far
from happy with the job. The mitred joints have a number of very minor
(such as 1x2mm) chips which to my eyes are really obvious, especially
since the worktops are a light grey colour and no seam fill was used in
the joint (just clear silicon).

The fitter did 2 joints (a u-shaped kitchen) and the latter is much
better than the first, although still not perfect. The latter joint I
told him to put some tape on the joint to try and avoid the chipping.
Unfortunately this was after a bad first attempt at it, so he ended up
taking 5mm off the length of the worktop and thus there's close to a
1cm gap at the end of the worktop where it ajoins the wall.

The fitter blames the chipping on the fact that they are cheap Ikea
worktops with an uncommon 'grained' surface. I'm thinking that it was
either an operator error with the router or a blunt router blade. What
do others think? Does anyone have any experience with cutting Ikea
worktops in general, or specifically the textured Aluminium effect
Numerar?

I'm kicking myself as I paid the fitter £180 for the work (for 2
joints plus 2 cutouts) yesterday as the joint didn't look too bad to my
eyes then. Also I agreed I'd apply some ColorFill seam filler and was
then happy that it would hide the chips. Now that I'm a bit more awake
today the joints look worse I'm not convinced the filler is going to
take and provide a long term solution befitting of the money spent on
the worktops and fitting. Does anyone have any experience with
repairing small chips with ColorFill?

Any general advice as to how to handle the situation would also be
appreciated.

For those interested photos available at:
http://www.geocities.com/neilbradburn/worktop/
Note: the coin in the picture is a 5p.

Thanks in advance for any input!

-Neil

There seems to be quite a noticable dark line between the two worktops.
Is that actually a gap? If so, has the fitter used the proper clamps or
just butted them together?
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...16359&ts=65990

Or is it that the two worktops are slightly different heights?

The chips don't look great, but I reckon they will fill OK. But the
join between the worktops looks a bigger problem to me.

Jon.

Tournifreak said:
There seems to be quite a noticable dark line between the two worktops.
Is that actually a gap? If so, has the fitter used the proper clamps or
just butted them together?
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/...16359&ts=65990

Or is it that the two worktops are slightly different heights?

The chips don't look great, but I reckon they will fill OK. But the
join between the worktops looks a bigger problem to me.

Jon.

The worktops were joined using the proper clamps. There is a very thin
black line, but I thought that was inevitable with clear filler? The
following more abstract shot may be more flattering:

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0043.JPG

-Neil

rookie said:
For those interested photos available at:
http://www.geocities.com/neilbradburn/worktop/
Note: the coin in the picture is a 5p.

Sorry to mess people around! I've just found out the above webspace has
limits on downloads. I've moved them into a different webspace with no
apparent limits. The photos are now at:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0040.JPG
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0041.JPG
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0042.JPG
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0043.JPG

-Neil

rookie wrote:
rookie said:
For those interested photos available at:
http://www.geocities.com/neilbradburn/worktop/
Note: the coin in the picture is a 5p.

Sorry to mess people around! I've just found out the above webspace
has limits on downloads. I've moved them into a different webspace
with no apparent limits. The photos are now at:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0040.JPG

substandard work.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0041.JPG

that is _dreadful_

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0042.JPG

I see nowt wrong there ?

the fitter has buggered the worktops up and ought to replace them.

"." wrote in message
...
rookie wrote:
rookie said:
For those interested photos available at:
http://www.geocities.com/neilbradburn/worktop/
Note: the coin in the picture is a 5p.

Sorry to mess people around! I've just found out the above webspace
has limits on downloads. I've moved them into a different webspace
with no apparent limits. The photos are now at:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0040.JPG

substandard work.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0041.JPG

that is _dreadful_

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0042.JPG

I see nowt wrong there ?

the fitter has buggered the worktops up and ought to replace them.

Agreed - anything but a professional job. Probably not what you want to hear
now the the guy has your money and gone...

On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:16:43 +0100, "JoeJoe" wrote:


"." wrote in message
...
rookie wrote:
rookie said:
For those interested photos available at:
http://www.geocities.com/neilbradburn/worktop/
Note: the coin in the picture is a 5p.

Sorry to mess people around! I've just found out the above webspace
has limits on downloads. I've moved them into a different webspace
with no apparent limits. The photos are now at:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0040.JPG

substandard work.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0041.JPG

that is _dreadful_

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0042.JPG

I see nowt wrong there ?

the fitter has buggered the worktops up and ought to replace them.

Agreed - anything but a professional job. Probably not what you want to hear
now the the guy has your money and gone...


Last year or so I got a couple of worktops ....MFI Glossy ones ...mitre joined
and a hob and sink fitted and the guy used a router and clamps underneath .he
used clear silicon and the join can hardly be seen ....absolutely no chipping
.....I was well pleased . He only took £55....If he had done what I see in your
pics I'd have been well NOT pleased ,especially the one ending in 40 .
Stuart

"Stuart" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 17:16:43 +0100, "JoeJoe" wrote:


"." wrote in message
...
rookie wrote:
rookie said:
For those interested photos available at:
http://www.geocities.com/neilbradburn/worktop/
Note: the coin in the picture is a 5p.

Sorry to mess people around! I've just found out the above webspace
has limits on downloads. I've moved them into a different webspace
with no apparent limits. The photos are now at:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0040.JPG

substandard work.

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0041.JPG

that is _dreadful_

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0042.JPG

I see nowt wrong there ?

the fitter has buggered the worktops up and ought to replace them.

Agreed - anything but a professional job. Probably not what you want to
hear
now the the guy has your money and gone...


Last year or so I got a couple of worktops ....MFI Glossy ones ...mitre
joined
and a hob and sink fitted and the guy used a router and clamps underneath
.he
used clear silicon and the join can hardly be seen ....absolutely no
chipping
....I was well pleased . He only took £55....If he had done what I see in
your
pics I'd have been well NOT pleased ,especially the one ending in 40 .
Stuart


we were in a very similar position to you - we bought base unit doors and
wall cupboard + doors, I fitted the wall cupboards their fitter was to fit
the doors on the base units and the worktops (£320) inc plumbing for sink
and fitting hob, usually I would do all this myself but I was strapped for
time and they said they could do their bit in a day !!!!! well 11 months
later - my bits look fine but 2 bits of extra worktop later its still not
fitted to my satisfaction but it looks better than your fitter managed (ps
still not paid them the fitting fee)


--
(º·.¸(¨*·.¸ ¸.·*¨)¸.·º)
.·°·. NIK .·°·.
(¸.·º(¸.·¨* *¨·.¸)º·.¸)

On 11 Apr 2006 08:54:48 -0700, "rookie"
wrote:

rookie said:
For those interested photos available at:
http://www.geocities.com/neilbradburn/worktop/
Note: the coin in the picture is a 5p.

Sorry to mess people around! I've just found out the above webspace has
limits on downloads. I've moved them into a different webspace with no
apparent limits. The photos are now at:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0040.JPG
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0041.JPG
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0042.JPG
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/neil.bradb...p/DSCF0043.JPG

That is an absolute horror. I'm not a kitchen fitter, but I did my own
worktops recently and the joins look roughly a gazillion times better
than that. I will concede that some worktop surfaces are probably
harder to work with than others, but the guy was clearly either having a
bad day, was using a old router bit, or is just plain not up to the job.
There should be no chips at all along the joins.

He should at least refund you the money you paid for his shoddy work,
and I would ask for the worktops he ruined to be replaced also.

I hope you get a decent result.
--
Chris Cowley

"rookie" wrote in message
ups.com...

I'm kicking myself as I paid the fitter £180 for the work (for 2
joints plus 2 cutouts)


Did you pay cash or is there a cheque which you could stop?

The quality of work looks poor. The splitering is much worse where the cut is
across the grain of the laminate. For that kind of money the fitter could have
used a new router blade.

The line looks very black. Is this colour of the inside of the laminate?

Can you reduce the visual impact with a little silver paint mixed with araldite?


--

Michael Chare

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 00:54:29 +0100, "Michael Chare"
wrote:

"rookie" wrote in message
oups.com...

I'm kicking myself as I paid the fitter £180 for the work (for 2
joints plus 2 cutouts)


Did you pay cash or is there a cheque which you could stop?

The quality of work looks poor. The splitering is much worse where the cut is
across the grain of the laminate. For that kind of money the fitter could have
used a new router blade.

I'd expect a professional kitchen fitter to use a brand new router bit
for each new job. I would if I was doing it myself, as the 20 quid TFT
bit I bought to do mine was looking decidedly tired after two 90deg
joins with associated bolt slots. I certainly would've been reluctant to
do a third join with it (although perhaps that has something to do with
the very cheap router I used?) - it was starting to smoke a bit.
--
Chris Cowley

Chris Cowley wrote:
On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 00:54:29 +0100, "Michael Chare"
wrote:

"rookie" wrote in message
ups.com...

I'm kicking myself as I paid the fitter £180 for the work (for 2
joints plus 2 cutouts)


Did you pay cash or is there a cheque which you could stop?

The quality of work looks poor. The splitering is much worse where
the cut is across the grain of the laminate. For that kind of money
the fitter could have used a new router blade.

I'd expect a professional kitchen fitter to use a brand new router bit
for each new job. I would if I was doing it myself, as the 20 quid TFT
bit I bought to do mine was looking decidedly tired after two 90deg
joins with associated bolt slots. I certainly would've been reluctant
to
do a third join with it (although perhaps that has something to do
with
the very cheap router I used?) - it was starting to smoke a bit.

that's the glue starting to burn. you can clean the bits with a solvent
to prevent that happening but as you say, a new bit for every job
would not be unreasonable, especially at that price.

On Wed, 12 Apr 2006 08:25:36 GMT, "." wrote:

Chris Cowley wrote:

I'd expect a professional kitchen fitter to use a brand new router bit
for each new job. I would if I was doing it myself, as the 20 quid TFT
bit I bought to do mine was looking decidedly tired after two 90deg
joins with associated bolt slots. I certainly would've been reluctant
to
do a third join with it (although perhaps that has something to do
with
the very cheap router I used?) - it was starting to smoke a bit.

that's the glue starting to burn. you can clean the bits with a solvent
to prevent that happening but as you say, a new bit for every job
would not be unreasonable, especially at that price.

Thanks for tip. I'll try cleaning the bit before I use it again (I'm
sure it'll come in handy for something, even if I don't do any more
worktops with it).

--
Chris Cowley

Michael Chare wrote:
Did you pay cash or is there a cheque which you could stop?

I was stupid enough to meet his request for the former


The quality of work looks poor. The splitering is much worse where the cut is
across the grain of the laminate. For that kind of money the fitter could have
used a new router blade.

The fitter said he's cut thousands of worktops in the past (non-IKEA
ones) without chipping issues. It seems like cutting across the grain
means the ikea worktops are less tollerant of a blunt blade than
un-textured ones, and he's be getting away with sloppy penny pinching
practice for some time.


The line looks very black. Is this colour of the inside of the laminate?

Can you reduce the visual impact with a little silver paint mixed with araldite?

Would you expect that to adhese to silicon sealant? If so I'll keep it
in my armoury of things to try if my court action direction goes
nowhere.

Thanks
-Neil

rookie wrote:

Michael Chare wrote:


Did you pay cash or is there a cheque which you could stop?



I was stupid enough to meet his request for the former



Which means it went straight into his pocket. He is probably in the
habit of asking for cash and does not intend to declare it to the
Revenue. You might suggest to him that you could contact them on his
behalf? I'm sure he will have seen the recent advertising campaign.

HandyMart wrote:
rookie wrote:
Michael Chare wrote:

Did you pay cash or is there a cheque which you could stop?

I was stupid enough to meet his request for the former

Which means it went straight into his pocket. He is probably in the
habit of asking for cash and does not intend to declare it to the
Revenue. You might suggest to him that you could contact them on his
behalf? I'm sure he will have seen the recent advertising campaign.

I too suspect he won't declare it, or not the full amount anyway. As
for mentioning it to him, I now don't see the threat improving my
chances of him rectifying his shoddy work, plus it would give the game
away and allow him to declare it

rookie wrote:

I too suspect he won't declare it, or not the full amount anyway. As
for mentioning it to him, I now don't see the threat improving my
chances of him rectifying his shoddy work, plus it would give the game
away and allow him to declare it

I often ask for & get paid in cash and I do declare it. I simply prefer
cash because it 'clears' instantly allowing me access to the funds straight
away. Why it still takes 4 working days to clear a cheque in the year 2006
is beyond me.


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

That is unbelieveably shoddy. Ikea worktops are no different to any other and at £180 that is pure daylight robbery for that quality of workmanship. Looks like he was a DIY merchant masquerading as a pro IMHO!

I say name, shame and take him to the small claims court if he doesnt remedy the problem (even though this will probably involve new worktops)

The Ikea excuse is no defence or Ikea would be out of business and you paid
him to know how to do the job properly.

Does he belong to any trade organisations. I'd ring trading standards and
see what they say. Small claims may be worth trying but I wonder if its
worth the hassle.

I did my own using an ordinary wood saw and a jig saw and filled any errors.
As its all black you have to look close to see the filling. Presumably the
edges aren't finally filled as even the good cut is clearly visible.

As for the short piece are you tiling round the worktop, mine had to be 2cm
small to get it in and the tiles covered the gap.


"rookie" wrote in message
ups.com...
After gutting my kitchen and doing the electrics, plumbing, plastering,
cabinet installation myself I weighed it up and decided it was worth
paying the money to have a professional fit my worktops. So I rang a
fitter advertised in the local paper (I wasn't able to get a
recommendation) and based on our conversation arranged for him to fit
worktops I'd already bought. They were fitted yesterday, but I'm far
from happy with the job. The mitred joints have a number of very minor
(such as 1x2mm) chips which to my eyes are really obvious, especially
since the worktops are a light grey colour and no seam fill was used in
the joint (just clear silicon).

The fitter did 2 joints (a u-shaped kitchen) and the latter is much
better than the first, although still not perfect. The latter joint I
told him to put some tape on the joint to try and avoid the chipping.
Unfortunately this was after a bad first attempt at it, so he ended up
taking 5mm off the length of the worktop and thus there's close to a
1cm gap at the end of the worktop where it ajoins the wall.

The fitter blames the chipping on the fact that they are cheap Ikea
worktops with an uncommon 'grained' surface. I'm thinking that it was
either an operator error with the router or a blunt router blade. What
do others think? Does anyone have any experience with cutting Ikea
worktops in general, or specifically the textured Aluminium effect
Numerar?

I'm kicking myself as I paid the fitter £180 for the work (for 2
joints plus 2 cutouts) yesterday as the joint didn't look too bad to my
eyes then. Also I agreed I'd apply some ColorFill seam filler and was
then happy that it would hide the chips. Now that I'm a bit more awake
today the joints look worse I'm not convinced the filler is going to
take and provide a long term solution befitting of the money spent on
the worktops and fitting. Does anyone have any experience with
repairing small chips with ColorFill?

Any general advice as to how to handle the situation would also be
appreciated.

For those interested photos available at:
http://www.geocities.com/neilbradburn/worktop/
Note: the coin in the picture is a 5p.

Thanks in advance for any input!

-Neil