Ready For Your Kitchen Installation?
Our guide will help you.
Contents 2
Wren Kitchens Installation Tips
3
Carefully Check Your Kitchen Delivery
4
Measuring Out & Marking Up
5
Fitting the Base Cabinets
9
Larder & Appliance Cabinets
10
Fitting the Wall Cabinets
12
Cornice & Light Pelmet
13
Door & Drawer Adjustment
14
Fitting Handles
15
Fitting DĂŠcor End Panels to Base Cabinets
16
Fitting DĂŠcor End Panels to Wall Cabinets
17
Egger Worktops - Installation & Maintenance
18
Egger Worktops - Handling & Cutting
19
Egger Worktops - Joining
20
Egger Worktops - Edging & Cut-outs
21
Egger Worktops - Sinks, Vapour & Aftercare
22
Lighting
Wren Kitchens Installation Tips | Contents
Wren Kitchens Installation Tips All Wren kitchens are built to the highest specifications and from the best quality materials and components. To ensure you get many years of enjoyment from your new kitchen, we have compiled this guide to help you through the installation process. If you are going to install your new kitchen yourself, make sure you have pre-booked qualified service engineers and plumbers to connect up appliances, sinks and taps as the installation progresses. The following instructions are simple but helpful kitchen installation guidelines. We list the sequence of events you need to follow to successfully install your kitchen and point out some of the potential complications that could arise or cause delays during installation.
Ready for your kitchen installation? Please read all of the information contained within this guide before proceeding with your kitchen installation. We at Wren Kitchens strongly advise you to get professional help if you are at all unsure on any of the points covered in the guide pages. Make sure that any pre-installation work on re-positioning electrical sockets, gas and water supplies has been carried out before you start installing your Wren Kitchen.
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Carefully Check Your Kitchen Delivery Look over each item that has been delivered for your Wren Kitchen. If there is any noticeable damage to the packaging, open the pack and check if the item of furniture or component is damage free. If any damage has occurred you have seven days from delivery to report this to Wren Customer Relations on:
0845 404 1000 Using your invoice or delivery note, try to group your furniture into the following categories making sure that you know what is in each package - base cabinets, wall cabinets, tower cabinets, appliances, worktop, sinks & accessories. If you have enough space, stack your grouped cabinets outside your empty kitchen. You can then fit each item without having to climb over anything. At this stage leave the packaging on the furniture, only unwrap when you need each item. This will avoid damaging the pieces when they are moved around.
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Measuring Out & Marking Up The base cabinets for your Wren Kitchen will be installed first. Before you start to bring any cabinets into your kitchen, you should mark a horizontal line onto your walls to help check the level of your kitchen. This is critical to ensure a professional kitchen fit. Find the highest point on your kitchen floor where wall and floor meet. A laser leveller is the best tool for this task. Mark a horizontal line 150mm above the highest point around your walls. This line will indicate the bottom line of your run of base cabinets. You can adjust each cabinet leg to ensure your base cabinet run is horizontal. Draw a second horizontal line 720mm above the bottom line. 870mm is the height of your base cabinets including the 150mm plinth so this will give you the level position for the top of each cabinet. Check how square your kitchen corners are if you have included any base corner cabinets in your kitchen. Using a spirit level or your laser leveller, check the flatness and vertical line of your walls. This will give you some idea of what cabinet levelling needs to take place for your base, wall and tall cabinets. You now have the horizontal position for your base cabinets marked out. Using your kitchen plan, mark out the approximate width of each cabinet on to your wall to check that service elements are positioned as you want them. Wren Kitchens Installation Tips | Page 4
Fitting the Base Cabinets Begin your kitchen installation with the base cabinets, installing them one cabinet at a time. If you have a corner base cabinet in your kitchen then start the installation here. Remove all of the packaging. Release the clip hinges and take the door off the cabinet, take out the drawer box and remove the shelves.
Position the cabinet approximately in the space you have already marked for it.
Screw fix the black adjustable legs to the underside of the cabinet. Four legs should be attached to cabinets up to 600mm wide and five legs on all 800mm and 1000mm wide cabinets. The holes for the legs have been pre-drilled.
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Level the cabinet against your 870mm horizontal line and wall fix with the appropriate screws. If your corner is not square i.e. more or less than 90째 you must adjust the position of your corner cabinet to make sure that adjoining cabinets can be levelled and fixed to the wall correctly. Wren Kitchens have developed a base corner post which must be fixed to your base corner cabinet before installing the adjoining base cabinets.
Please see the two diagrams below for information on void allowance for the corner cabinets
Continue your base cabinet run out from the corner. Level each cabinet to 870mm horizontal line by adjusting each cabinet leg in turn. Then wall fix the cabinet using the steel brackets provided. Firstly, attach the brackets to the top inside face of each end panel with the screws provided then fix the cabinet back to the wall using suitable screws (these screws are not provided due to the many different types of wall the cabinet could be fixed to). Wren Kitchens Installation Tips | Page 6
As you continue to position and fix each cabinet you must ensure that each one is levelled and square before final fixing. To secure your cabinets to each other, brace them with a gripping tool.
Once joined and level, simply screw the cabinets together using a ‘self tapping screw’ which is no longer than 30mm. Do this behind the hinge plate and for extra strength you could add a further screw to the rear of the unit, hidden behind the shelf edge. Re-fit all doors, drawer boxes and shelves into each base cabinet in turn. This will mean you are not faced with an ever increasing pile of doors, drawer boxes etc cluttering your space. You should adjust and level each door and drawer front as you go along. Try to make sure that gaps and lines are constant as you install each cabinet.
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It is best to drill the handles from the front of each fascia to prevent breakout in the door / drawers surface.
If you have ordered the Servo drawer system then your drawer base cabinets will have the system pre-installed. You will need to house a transformer and cradle below a base shelf in a chosen base cabinet and then connect the single or multiple servo cabinets to the mains in a ring system. Drawer sensor lighting is available in drawer base cabinets wider than 600mm. Lighting is installed once all base cabinets are fixed. You must connect all strip lights to a transformer before linking to the mains. Once all base cabinets have been levelled and fixed, the continuous plinth is fitted below the run of base cabinets. Firstly, cut your plinth to length then mark the position of the adjustable legs on the rear face and screw fix the leg clips provided. Base cabinet return plinths are available if required.
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Larder & Appliance Cabinets Look upon the installation of your tower cabinets as an extension to your base cabinet run. You have received your tower cabinets pre-built and ready for installation. Remove all of the packaging. Remove all doors and drawers. Screw fix the black adjustable legs to the underside of the cabinet as done on your base cabinets. Be sure to get help to stand the cabinet upright and into position. Do not attempt to lift or move a cabinet on its legs around your kitchen. It is critical that your tower cabinet is level vertically from the front and the side when you fix it back to your wall. It is fixed as a base cabinet with the steel brackets provided. Make sure that the 150mm plinth line is carried through from the adjoining base or tower cabinets. If the wall behind your tower cabinet is not flat or vertically level you will need to take advice from an expert as to how you can over come this problem. Do not install
your cabinet out of level as this will affect its performance and may create further problems with kitchen wall cabinets. Please be aware that we supply a standard fascia with appliance cabinets. This fascia will need cutting down in order to fit the wide range of different appliances available in the market place. Wren Kitchens Installation Tips | Page 9
Fitting the Wall Cabinets If you have chosen full height wall cabinets, draw a line 1200mm above the 870mm line and this will show the top line of your wall cabinets. If you have chosen tall wall cabinets the top line must be 1380mm above the 870mm line. These top lines correspond to the heights of the full height and tall tower cabinets respectively. Remove all of the packaging. Remove all doors and shelves. Your wall cabinets hang on to two steel wall plates which are screw fixed behind each cabinet. To position the wall plates, measure down 60mm from your 2070mm or 2250mm lines to give you the height line for all plates. Now mark the combination of cabinet widths on each line and this will give you each plates position if you
measure 40mm in from the end of each cabinet. Wren wall cabinets have the latest concealed cabinet suspension brackets. These are not visible from inside the cabinet but can be adjusted through each top rear hole in the cabinet back.
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Wren do not provide screws to fix the steel wall plates as we do not know what your wall is made from. Our cabinets are designed to carry “heavy domestic� loading, please ensure that your method of fixing is equal to this task. If you have a wall corner cabinet in your kitchen then, as with base cabinets, begin your installation in the corner. Measure 662mm from the corner and fix your 600mm corner cabinet up to this line. Now fix the wall corner post and you are ready to build away in both directions. If you have problems with the flatness or plumb of your walls, take advice on how to level and fix your cabinets securely. Do not take chances. For added strength and security, each of your wall cabinets is supplied with two rear corner brackets that are screw fixed in to the bottom corner behind each back panel. When you have hung and levelled a wall cabinet, mark the central hole in each corner bracket on to your wall through the back panel. Take off the whole cabinet and drill / insert two fixings into the wall. Replace your cabinet, re-check for level and then fix through the two bottom corners making sure that the cabinet is level. We recommend that you screw fix each cabinet to the adjoining cabinet by screwing behind each hinge plate when cabinets are clamped together. Replace the doors and shelves and continue with the next wall cabinet. Where you have more than 1 wall cabinet stacked vertically e.g. two bridging cabinets, the same rules for installation apply. Mark out the wall plate and corner bracket positions and ensure sound fixing points are available.
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Cornice & Light Pelmet If you have chosen to attach cornice and light pelmets to your kitchen wall cabinets, here are some pointers to carry out a successful installation. Traditional style cornice and modern combined cornice and light pelmet should be positioned so that they cover the doors in their run of wall cabinets. Where a length of cornice / pelmet butts up to a returning wall, simply cut to length and pre-drill the rear section of the moulding before screw fixing it into the wall cabinet. If you need to mitre an internal or external corner into your moulding, we strongly suggest that you do this with a powered precision saw. Do not attempt to cut a mitre joint by hand. When you have cut the mitred lengths lay them out on the kitchen floor and glue the faces of each joint before taping together. Leave the tape on until the glued joint is set then pilot drill and screw fix the finished assembly to your wall cabinet.
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Door & Drawer Adjustment The “clip-on� door hinges we have chosen for your kitchen are of the finest quality. Once you have clipped the hinge arm back on to its mounting plate to connect the door back to the cabinet, you can still adjust your door up and down, side to side and in and out. This fine tuning will even out all the gaps between your doors and drawers to make your kitchen look fantastic. Your drawer boxes and runners have a soft closing mechanism to ensure that you cannot slam close a drawer. As with your door hinges we, have chosen the best drawer system on the market. All base drawer cabinets are delivered fully assembled. To install the cabinet you will need to take out each drawer box by pulling the quick release mechanism at the front of each drawer. Once you have installed the drawer cabinet, each drawer can be adjusted up and down and side to side to maintain constant gaps around you kitchen.
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Fitting Handles The handles you have chosen will complete your Wren Kitchen. It is important that they are positioned accurately and well fixed. Firstly, decide where you are going to position each handle to maintain symmetry around your kitchen. Then make a plywood template to mark the fixing positions on to the front of each door and drawer front. Drill through the door or drawer using a fine drill i.e. less than 2.5mm; you can then drill back from the rear face of your door or drawer using a 4.5mm drill. By drilling twice you eliminate the chance of breaking out the door surface and help the accuracy of the holes positioned ready for handle fixing.
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Fitting Décor End Panels to Base Units Fit the décor ends after the base units have been fitted but before the worktops are fitted. The décor end is designed to fit from the floor to the top of the base unit, and to finish flush with the front of the door and the back of the cabinet. You will need 4 x 28mm screws and 4 x screw caps (white) per décor end.
Internal measurements of a base cabinet without hinges 550mm
Mark 35mm away from the top and side
685mm
Mark 35mm away from the bottom and side
Internal measurements of a base cabinet with hinges 550mm
685mm
Remove the hinge plates and drill directly behind where the plates are positioned to hide the screws
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1. Take a measurement at the front of the base unit and the back of the base unit of the height from the floor to the top of the unit. 2. Mark out the measurements onto the back of the décor end. 3. Cut down the décor end to suit and place against the base unit before fitting, just to double check it is cut to the correct size. 4. Remove any drawers or unclip doors to make fitting easier. 5. Mark four places within the base unit for where the position of the holes will be drilled. (If any hinges are on the side where you are fixing the décor end you can remove these by unscrewing the hinge plate from the base unit and make a mark for drilling so when you screw through the side of the cabinet the hinge plate will hide the screw.) 6. See diagram for position of holes to be drilled. 7. When the holes have been drilled and counter sunk, stand the décor end next to the cabinet and screw through from the inside of the cabinet so no screws will be seen from outside. Then cover the screws with cover caps and/or hinge plates.
Warning: Using the wrong length screws could pierce and damage the outside of the décor end.
Fitting Décor End Panels to Wall Units Before fitting the décor ends, first fit the wall units securely to your wall, don’t fit the cornice and light pelmet until the after décor ends have been fitted. Décor ends come in 900mm lengths, they are designed to fit a Tall Wall Unit without having to be cut down. If they are to fit a Full Height Wall Unit (Height 720mm) or a Half Height/Bridge Unit (Height 360mm) they will need cutting down. Mark and drill in 4 places as per the base units guide lines. 35mm from the top and side and 35mm from the bottom and side in all corners. If hinges are there, remove the hinge plate and drill through so that when the hinge plate is replaced it will hide the screws. When fitting the décor end to the wall unit, hold the décor end in place with one hand while screwing from the inside of the cabinet with the other hand.
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Egger Worktops - Installation & Maintenance Installation and Maintenance Instructions With EGGER EUROLIGHT® Worktops you have chosen the next generation of worktops and have purchased a high quality product. By using a lightweight board substrate the weight is significantly reduced and offers the possibility to use thicker worktops to create modern, contemporary designs. To maintain this high level in spite of daily wear, the following recommendations for processing, installation and care should be observed.
Material Description The substrate is an E1 lightweight board, with the guarantee that these lightweight worktops fulfil the same quality characteristics of conventional worktops. The substrate has a decorative laminate bonded onto the surface and around the profile. The abrasion, impact and scratch resistance of the laminate ensures the practical functionality of a worktop. A lacquer and hot melt adhesive seal protects the back of the worktop against moisture. EUROLIGHT® Worktops are tested according to British and European standards and fulfil the required quality criteria.
Laminate – abrasion, impact and scratch resistant according to EN 438:2005
E1 Chipboard surface layer – thickness 8mm Cardboard honeycomb core E1 Chipboard surface layer – thickness 8mm Moisture resistant balancer paper UV lacquer seal Polyurethane hot melt adhesive seal
E1 Chipboard frame – width 35 mm
Postforming – Model 300/3
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Egger Worktops - Handling & Cutting Handling After removing the packaging and before processing, the worktop should be checked for visible damage. All individuals that engage in transporting, or handling worktops should wear personal protection equipment (safety shoes, gloves, suitable working clothes etc.). Please bear the weight of the worktop in mind and store in a dry location!
Cutting Plate saws, table circular saws, manual circular saws or jigsaws can be used for cutting the worktops. Cutting with carbide tipped or diamond tipped cutting tools have proven themselves suitable. Different factors are responsible for a good finish, such as saw blade projection, feed speed, tooth shape, tooth division, rotation speed, cutting speed and whether the decorative surface is on top or underneath. A guide rail should be used when using manual circular saws or jigsaws.
Saw Type
Decor side
Panel or table circular saws The worktop lies on the guide carriage and is guided towards the bench circular saw. Postformed edge towards the guide rail.
Above
Manual circular saws or jigsaws The manual circular saw is guided against the worktop. Postformed edge towards the operator.
Below
Application Postformed Edge
Postformed Edge
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Egger Worktops - Joining With the help of the EGGER jig template (available from Wren Kitchens) as well as a standard, commercially available hand router and router bit, worktop joints can be produced without problems. In addition to the EGGER template you will need a hand router (e.g. Festool OF 2000 E/1 or Mafell LO 65 Ec) fitted with a 12.7 mm diameter router bit (TREND 3/85X1/2TC) and a 30mm guide bush should be used. The router should be set so that milling should take place in three stages, each one increasing in depth. Set the router at 3 increasing depths (so that the router bit is not overloaded and in order to achieve an optimal cut). When cutting the female joint we advise that the template is aligned parallel to the postformed edge with a space of 7mm. With the male joint the template should be aligned parallel to the side of the worktop, with a maximum space of 20mm from the template to the cut edge of the worktop. In addition to the corner joints, the milling of the slots for the EUROLIGHT® Worktop Connector Type M bolts can also be done using the template. The template should be placed flushed with the edges of the worktop and fixed in place. The spacings for the holes are shown in the following sketch and the respective milling depths are included in the following table.
Measurement A Measurement B
Measurement C Coreboard thickness
Measurement A
Measurement B
Measurement C
38
+0.3 -0.3
34
28
30
50
+0.3 -0.3
46
40
42
60
+0.3 -0.3
56
50
52
Finally a slot for the EUROLIGHT® Type M worktop connector is cut into the longitudinal frame – female joint – with a depth of 28, 40 or 50mm depending on the worktop thickness. Usually a jigsaw is used for this cut. Further detailed information regarding the use of the “EGGER Template” is available upon request.
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Egger Worktops - Edging & Cut-outs Worktop Edging We recommend finishing any exposed edges with 64 x 2mm ABS Edging. Melamine edging or laminate can be used if a supporting chipboard frame is glued in place. EGGER ABS Edging can be glued by hand using EGGER Universal Glue or contact adhesive. The Universal Glue should be applied evenly to a clean and dust-free chipboard edge using a paint brush. Then the ABS Edging is pressed on with an edge press or screw clamp using a rigid underlay, ensuring that there is sufficient overhang of edging on both the face and the underside of the worktop. Please observe the specifications of the glue manufacturer. We recommend using edge routing tools or special cutting blades for the finishing of the edges. Any further finishing which is required can be done with a draw blade to even out possible irregularities from routing. The edges are then buffed in order to remove any dirt and to create an edge profile.
Correct
Incorrect
Illustration 1
Sealing of edges and cut-outs The right angled profiles of the EUROLIGHT® T-Profile are slotted between the surface layers of the worktops (Illustration 2). For a durable fixing between the worktop and the T-Profile we recommend using EGGER Universal Adhesive, which should be applied on the top and bottom grooves (Illustration 3). As the T-Profile is approximately 1 mm narrower than the worktops, the unprotected areas must then be sealed. EUROLIGHT® Worktop
Worktop Edging
EUROLIGHT® T-Profile Detail
Illustration 2
Coreboard thickness
Please allow for additional thickness when cutting out the hob/sink Chipboard surface layer – thickness 8 mm
EUROLIGHT® T-Profile
DETAIL T-Profile Width
EUROLIGHT® T-Profile has been specifically developed for hob and sink cut-outs. The profile not only protects sink and hob cut-outs from heat and moisture, they also guarantee the necessary pressure stability. The profiles are designed for use with EUROLIGHT® Worktops in standard thicknesses of 38 and 60mm. Before processing, attention must be given that the worktop is securely positioned so that no damage occurs during the sawing, milling or drilling work. Narrow sections of worktop in particular can break or crack through inappropriate handling during processing. For hobs and sinks the cut-outs should always be rounded, as sharp edges have an adverse effect on the material and can lead to formation of tears (illustration 1). This especially applies for the area around hobs, where due to the frequent heat influence increased shrinkage tension arises through the drying out of the laminate.
EGGER Laminate
Cardboard honeycomb core
EGGER Universal Glue
T-Profile width
Please specifically observe the instructions and installation templates supplied by the respective manufacturer!
Illustration 3
The cut-outs should preferably be made using a portable hand router or CNC milling machine. When using jigsaws, the cut-out corners should be pre-drilled with the largest radius possible, and the cut-out sawn out from radius to radius. The board cut-outs should be secured so that they cannot fall out in an uncontrolled way and thereby cause injury to individuals. The cutting must be performed from the underside of the worktop to prevent the laminate from tearing. The edges should be finished by means of sandpaper, filing or manual top milling to eliminate cracks due to chipping.
To ensure that your EUROLIGHT® Worktop remains in excellent condition, it is essential that all these exposed edges of chipboard are sealed with a silicone sealant or contact adhesive. The hob cut outs should be protected in the same way using the T-Profile but it is also advisable to cover with aluminium tape to prevent heat affecting the cut-out. In addition to this, the sealing rings or sealing profiles supplied with mixer taps, sinks and hobs should be mounted in all cases according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Wren Kitchens Installation Tips | Page 20
Egger Worktops - Sinks, Vapour & Aftercare Fitting Sinks
Care & maintenance recommendations
Cut-outs for sinks should be produced according to the measurements and positioning specifications and/ or by using the mounting templates supplied by the manufacturer. Cut-out edges must be carefully protected against moisture by using the EUROLIGHT® T-Profile as described above. Accompanying or integrated dry seals as well as mounting brackets from the manufacturer should be used according to the assembly instructions. The mounting brackets are generally designed for a worktop thickness of 38mm, and for this purpose EGGER has developed the EUROLIGHT® sink installation adapter for 50 mm and 60 mm worktops. The adapter can be used for many sink brands and the adapters and mounting brackets are assembled by simply inserting them into each other (see illustration 4).
Due to their resistant, hygienic and sealed laminate surface, EUROLIGHT® Worktops do not require any special maintenance or care. As a general rule spilled substances such as tea, coffee and wine etc. should be cleaned immediately as the cleaning work increases if they are left to dry. When necessary, cleaning should be done with a damp cloth and mild detergent cleaner. Abrasive scouring powders, creams and even polishes should all be avoided. As everything from light and fresh to severe and stubborn stains are possible, and which are caused by the most varied substances, correct cleaning is an important matter. The following instructions should be observed in daily use. •
Placing burning cigarettes on the worktop surfaces leads to surface damage. Always use an ashtray.
•
Worktop surfaces should not be used as a cutting surface as it can also leave cutting marks on highly resistant laminate surfaces. Always use a cutting board.
•
Placing hot cooking utensils such as saucepans and frying pans directly from the hob or oven onto the working surface should be avoided, as depending on the heat exposure a change in the gloss appearance or damage to the surface can arise. Always use heat resistant mats.
•
Spilled liquids should always be cleaned up immediately, especially in the areas around cut-outs and joints.
Illustration 3
The mounting brackets shown in illustration 4 are specifically typical for sinks. In contrast, screw-type mounting rails or fixing brackets can be directly screwed onto the EUROLIGHT® T-Profile.
Protection against water vapour Worktops are especially influenced by water vapour and heat in the areas around dishwashers and ovens. Therefore, in addition to the hot melt adhesive seal, the underside of the worktop should be protected through additional measures. Some appliance manufacturers supply appropriate deflection profiles made of aluminium, which must be installed. These so called “vapour protection elements” deflect the water vapour and the heat radiation (illustration 5). During installation carefully observe the specifications provided by the appliance manufacturer. If the appliance is not supplied with an aluminium profile then we recommend the use of a self adhesive aluminium tape (illustration 6).
Illustration 4
Illustration 5
Wren Kitchens Installation Tips | Page 21
We with gladly provide you with further information regarding processing, cleaning & maintenance if requested. Please contact us on 0845 404 1000.
Lighting Lighting should be installed as a final task once all other installation has been completed.
Wren offer you the possibility to install lighting into your wall cabinets (usually combined with glass doors and shelves), base cabinets (usually associated with drawer storage) or under and over your base and wall cabinets to give general illumination to your kitchen.
For inside wall cabinets, it is best to surface fix our low voltage spotlights.
Base drawer cabinets can be fitted with our drawer sensor lighting to give light to each drawer box when opened.
General illumination is achieved by using our plinth lights below your base cabinets and fluorescent strip lighting or pyramid lights below your wall cabinets.
The LED strip lights can be used anywhere that you feel like making a designer statement in your Wren Kitchen.
For all Wren lighting simply follow the manufacturer’s installation guides.
If in doubt, consult a trained electrician.
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Need more help and advice?
Simply call 0845 404 1000
and we’ll be happy to discuss your needs. www.wrenkitchens.com