Kitchen Measuring Guide ... Step 5.
The last thing to take measurements of are those often forgotten items, that when overlooked have a horrible habit of rearing their ugly heads during your kitchen installation.
By then it's often to late to do anything them, and you may have to hastily re-plan your kitchen whilst your fitter sits on this backside getting paid for doing nothing!
The rectification of the kitchen design problem can involve the further purchase of items, and the throwing away of others ... an expensive mistake
So it's well worth checking if the following items exist in your kitchen - and noting down where they are before you start planning:
1. Main Water Stop Cock
It is quite normal to find the mains stop cock (on /off tap) in your kitchen.
As it can be expensive to have this moved, it will be easier to plan your kitchen around its current position - so, note it's position on your outline plan.
You will need to plan a cabinet to sit over the stop cock - with easy access to it ... you don't want to be scrabbling around trying to shut it of if there is a water leak somewhere.
A clever solution is to use one of ... [THESE ]
2. Floor Boiler
You could not easily miss a floor boiler if you have one.
Floor boilers are not the easiest thing to try to "box in" with kitchen cabinets, due to their size.
Take care to measure the depth and height of the boiler casing together with its position relative to the wall.
The most important measurement to check is the height (floor boilers are normally up to 900mm from the floor) - will it fit under your worktop?
Remember that if you are able to mask the boiler with kitchen cabinets that the bolier casing must be able to be removed for servicing purposes.
3. Wall Boiler
It's the position from the floor
that determines wether your wall boiler can be "boxed in" (check your kitchen cabinet specifications to see if the height is compatible)
The depth of your boiler needs noting
as it is often neccessary to make use of a deeper wall unit (or to step a standard depth unit forward) to "box it in" (UK wall boilers are normally 300mm deep)
4. Current Electrical Sockets
It is always worth noting the position of your existing electrical sockets.
When planning your new kitchen the existing layout (and therefore the existing sockets) will probably change.
You will not want existing electrical sockets ending up right behind the new position for your hob, or sink.
5. Current water entry into the room
Where does the hot and cold water come into your kitchen?
If any of the pipework runs are "surface mounted" you will need to check their projections from the wall, as this could have implications on your design
6. Current waste water exit from the room
It is vital you know where the "waste" water exits the kitchen.
Does it run straight down through the floor, straight back through the outside wall, or along a wall behind the cabinets into a boxed in Soil & Vent pipe.
It is very unlikely that you can easily change the exit point of waste water, so you will need to make notes about its position on your outline plan
7. Current cooker hood ventilation through wall
If your current cooker hood is ducted through an outside wall you may want to make use of the existing hole - so make sure you know its relative position in the wall.
8. Existing Wall Tiles
It is worth noting the thickness of the existing wall tiles (particularly if they have been tiled over previous ones), as this can affect your room measurements by as much as 50mm
Any existing wall tiles will have to be removed, and it is quite possible your wall will need repairing following the tile removal.
This work needs to be costed for, and planned in to the installation - this will avoid unexpected expense and delays later.
9. Consumer Unit (Fuse Board)
Where is your Consumer Unit? - is it easy to run additional circuits (particularly 30amp supplies for cookers and hobs) to their required position?
If you are making any alteration to an electrical circuit (and you can't really fit a new kitchen without doing so) this work needs to comply with the new "Part P" electrical regulations (check them out ... [ HERE ].
This work can ultimately require your entire consumer unit to be replaced (something that might include placing the board in another position) - it is advisable to obtain quotations for this work, and to plan the work into your installation schedule.
10. Gas Inlet Valve (Bayonet Fitting)
Most UK kitchens have a gas inlet point somewhere in the kitchen.
This inlet point (particularly if it is a "bayonet" type fitting) could obstruct the placement of items in your new kitchen design, so the position of any such gas point is worth noting on your outline plan
Measuring Guide >| Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 | Step 5 |