How To Prepare For Your Kitchen Installation

To ensure your kitchen installation goes as smoothly as possible, there are a few things you can do to prepare. At Ream Interiors, we’ve been designing and installing beautiful kitchens for years and we always work closely with our clients to help make sure their installation is perfectly seamless. While there might be some differences between our process and that of other kitchen retailers, this guide should give you some handy tips to help ensure your journey is hassle-free no matter where your new kitchen comes from.

The kitchen installation process can be broken down into two stages, the preparation stage and the ‘dry fit’. The preparation stage involves all the messy tasks of getting your room clear, plumbed in, wired up and ready to go. A dry fit focuses on the installation of your units, worktops, appliances and can also include finishing touches such as flooring and lighting. If you intend to carry out your own preparation work, we recommend reading our full kitchen installation guide. This article explains everything you need to know about the process from start to finish, which is ideal whether you are planning to do some of the work yourself or you simply wish to learn more.

Completing Your Own Preparation Works

If you are preparing your kitchen ready for a dry fit, you will need to carefully organise different trades, allowing enough time to make sure the room is ready on schedule. Plasterwork must be allowed to dry and any appliances or items you wish to keep must be stored safely in an accessible location on site.

Flooring should also be considered. If you have had new screed laid it can take several weeks to cure before new flooring can be laid on top. Stone, ceramic or porcelain tiles will need to be fitted before your kitchen installation begins. Please see our rough guide to screed drying times below:

Screed thickness Advised drying time

4 cm or less 1 week per cm

5 cm 6 weeks

6 cm 8 weeks

2 weeks per additional cm

All times are approximate and are dependent on the humidity of the room.

Getting Ready For Your Kitchen Installation

Clear The Room

If your kitchen company is managing your installation, including removing your existing kitchen, you will need to ensure the room is completely clear and ready for the team to start work on day one.

• All your cupboards should be emptied and the contents stored safely out of the way of the work area for the duration of your project. Make sure you keep any essential items easily accessible. This can be a great opportunity to have a clear out, you might even rediscover some forgotten treasures!

• It is best to remove any furniture from the room so that it doesn’t get in the way of the work areas. The installation process can cause some dust which you will want to avoid settling on any soft furnishings. If you are having a new floor laid then removing freestanding furniture is essential. If you are keeping your flooring you will need to make sure it is protected.

• Installation work can cause vibrations and so it’s recommended that you remove any artwork or mirrors from your walls.

• Some companies will expect you to remove the wallpaper yourself if you are not keeping it as part of your new design.

Items You Are Supplying Or Keeping

If you are planning to reuse some of your current appliances in your new kitchen then you should let your kitchen company know well in advance. You will need to find somewhere safe to store them while your installation takes place.

If you have agreed to supply some materials or items yourself then it will be your responsibility to ensure the correct items are delivered on time. Make sure you check for any damages and make sure the quantities are correct upon delivery.

Bear in mind that you won’t have any cooking or water facilities in the room for the duration of the installation process. You might want to keep some of your existing appliances such as your fridge-freezer or microwave and move them to another room so that you have somewhere to prepare food. Once your new kitchen is complete, you will be responsible for disposing of these remaining appliances.

Parking

During your kitchen installation, there will be many vehicles coming and going with deliveries, etc. It is helpful if you can organise suitable parking for your team of fitters and do let your kitchen company know if there are any parking restrictions.

Pets

You might want to double-check with your kitchen company whether their team is comfortable with having pets around during your installation. For safety reasons, it is recommended your pets are kept in a separate room. The installation process can involve some loud noises and vibrations so you might want to prepare for this if your pet is sensitive to loud noises and strangers.

Do You Need To Be At Home During Your Kitchen Installation?

At Ream Interiors, we often get asked if you need to be at home for the installation process. Most retailers will tell you that you do not need to be at home for the duration of the project, you can simply give them a key and continue life as normal, or even go on holiday! However, there are a few days where you may wish to be present.

The first day of preparation works: It is useful to be available on the first day of the project (even if it is just for a couple of hours in the morning). This gives you an opportunity to ask any questions you might have and to let your team know any useful information such as items you wish to keep.

Day one of the unit installation: This is a good time to catch up on the progress of your project. You and your fitters may have a few questions and details to check before your kitchen cabinets are installed.

The Last Day Of Your Unit Installation: This allows you to check the details of your kitchen with your fitter so they can make any adjustments ahead of the final signing-off day.

Measuring & Fitting Days For Worktops or Glass Splashbacks: If your project includes worktops or splashbacks that require a template and fit process then you or a trusted representative will need to be available. This is important to make sure the template is exactly as you had in mind and that it is then fitted to your satisfaction.

The Final Day: You will need to be available on the last day of your project to sign off the work and confirm it has been completed to a high standard.

The prospect of transforming such an important part of your home can understandably seem daunting. We hope that our expert guide on how to prepare for your kitchen installation helps you to feel confident that your project will go smoothly. If you’d like to know more about the kitchen installation process you can click here to read our dedicated article or get in touch with our friendly team by calling 01634 799 909 or emailing [email protected].