Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is my husband correct

233 replies

Catvsworld · 10/03/2016 22:00

We are currently get ting our kitchen done and choose a IKEA kitchen witch have tall deep units lovey

We brought the legs that go with the kitchen units however the builder had said they weren't very sturdy and brought standard legs with make the units about 5cm higher than the standard

My husband is making be feel awful and feel quite bullied by him o can't sit all day and watch the builder I have 3 children and in any case I no nothing about building work the first day when he set the leg on husband came home said there a it high then said no more more work was then done work tops now on sink in and yesterday he complained at me I

Then said do you want me to say somthing to the builder he kept changing his mind then said no

Now today's he's telling me we waisted 5 grand most likely devalued our home and now most of the works been completed there's not much that can be done
Really gets me the Kitchen has had the high legs for a few days and he should of said then

He keeps saying its looks strange because the dishwasher and washing machine don't sit flush under the work top
It looks a little night but tbh it's a good hight for me cooking and chopping ect

Apart from stressing me out what's the blinking point of saying now I am sure even as late as yesterday I could of said somthing to the builder but he told me not to and I no he's just going to keep moaning about it for years to come

I did say when we come to sell witch won't be for at least 10 years we can replace the kitchen as most of the cost this time was knocking out a wall and re jigging the way the kitchen was set up

Have we waisted the money is this a awful mistake

Please note were about half way through the build everything else is fine

OP posts:
Lweji · 10/03/2016 22:14

Something is weird there. The leg height seems normal but the gap between the machines and the worktop seems more like 10cm.

iyamehooru · 10/03/2016 22:15

I presume you are going to cover the feet up with a plinth, will it be deep enough?

I would have the dishwasher and washer raised, less likely to notice what's underneath them than what's higher up, if all else fails I'd be asking builder to keep to original spec.

Coconut0il · 10/03/2016 22:15

I would speak to your builder and ask if the work tops can be moved down. Our kitchen legs twist to make them higher or lower but you need to do it now before any more work is done. If you are not happy you need to say. Its your kitchen and you are paying the builder to get it how you want. If not I don't think you have devalued your house it just looks a little strange over the washing machine.
Your DP shouldn't be making you feel bad now if he saw the height of the legs and didn't say anything.

Catvsworld · 10/03/2016 22:16

Yes he's going to sort the kick board the build it's about halfway through

OP posts:
pengymum · 10/03/2016 22:16

That gap is ridiculous! Tell the builder to use the correct IKEA legs and redo to worktops. Unless you are a giant the height will be wrong. A small amount of leeway is ok but that gap is not right! Get it sorted before the fix any tiling or upstands. You will have to look at it for years so a bit of aggravation now will save years of misery!
Hope I don't sound too harsh but you really need to sort it out now otherwise builder will demand more money to fix it as you okayed it before.

Lweji · 10/03/2016 22:18

I agree the builder should fix it.
And IKEA legs are perfectly sturdy.

The problem is that the underskirt won't be tall enough either and you'll have further problems. The builder should have stuck to the kitchen definitions

Runner05 · 10/03/2016 22:19

The builder is perfectly capable of correcting the mistake without destroying anything. Tell him tomorrow that now you've seen the difference it makes you are not satisfied that he has deviated from the original plan and that he needs to replace the cheap legs he bought with the correct IKEA ones.

Thisisnotausername · 10/03/2016 22:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lighteningirl · 10/03/2016 22:20

The units are longer hence coming with short legs your builder us 100% at fault for changing the feet and then fitting the worktop without considering the washing machine/dishwasher height I am sorry but you do need to call him back and discuss options. My dh fits kitchens just shown him this and he says it's 100% the builder it doesn't matter that you agreed to the change of feet you couldn't be expected to anticipate that gap that is the builders responsibility.

pengymum · 10/03/2016 22:21

And have you ever seen a gap like this in kitchen magazines, showrooms or people's houses? No! When the workmen come in in the morning tell them to sort it before they do anything else. Don't wait for your husband to do it - it will be too late by the time he grows a pair.

Headofthehive55 · 10/03/2016 22:26

I think things will get pushed in the gap and annoy you. It. Looks a bit messy and not fitted?

Maryz · 10/03/2016 22:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WicksEnd · 10/03/2016 22:28

Legs are adjustable anyway! I really don't understand wtf your builder was thinking tbh. He has obviously never fitted a kitchen before! Even I know that if you raise the feet your going to be left with a gap as appliances are standard sizes.

Catvsworld · 10/03/2016 22:29

Is it's even possible to get the work top lowered now

I feel awful and wild fucking husband is sleeping I am really worrying now eveyone is saying it looks awful

I really worried the builder will just leave we need the kitchen done

OP posts:
TheBlessedCheesemaker · 10/03/2016 22:30

Don't let your builder persuade you to keep this. Regarldess of the kick at the bottom and the obvious stuff, the window sill looks wrong, as do the sockets. I couldn't learn to live with this, and you don't have to.

landrover · 10/03/2016 22:32

Yes, you must get this changed (sorry). Dropping the wok top down shoudnt be a huge issue even if it has been fixed to the wall. They just use metal fixings.

Catvsworld · 10/03/2016 22:32

Maryz

Thanks you seem to be one small voice I feel awful I crying now

I really can't deal with this the messs and the kids I wish I never borthered

OP posts:
TheLesserSpottedBee · 10/03/2016 22:32

Cat, I have an Ikea kitchen and the legs they supply are perfectly fine. Your appliances quite frankly look ridiculous with that gap above.

Your builder has fucked up and needs to rectify this now. He is able to do this and can do this, you just need to ask.

I have had two builds, one where the builder just did stuff without asking me and one amazing builder who included me on everything. Even if your builder didn't foresee the issue, it is glaringly obvious now. Get it sorted.

Arkwright · 10/03/2016 22:33

It looks ridiculous they need to sort this out tomorrow. We have a gap of 15mm above our washing machine and tumble dryer.

lighteningirl · 10/03/2016 22:36

Ah yes the sockets are where they should be so the first fix (electrics ) has been done to a different work top height to the second fix so it can all be dropped if you wish can you actually plug anything into those sockets they very close to the worktop.

landrover · 10/03/2016 22:36

The worse thing that can happen, that you might have to replace worktop for a cheap one for a little while till you can afford to replace it. For what its worth, I have had a real wood worktop, worse decision I ever made. It is a pig to keep looking nice. Get a granite one fitted when the units are at their right level!

Justaboy · 10/03/2016 22:38

That does look a bit odd. The legs at the base are normally around 150 mm long and are used to take up any deficences in the floor. There should be a cover panel known as a plinth to hide them. However they don't look wrong on the units I wonder if the IKEA units are a differing size from such as Howdens and the like, who do a lot of kitchen suppliers cases.

As to the gap above the washing machine sure will make that easier to get out!. Can you say what i the worktop height above the finished floor level is?, that's to say where the floor will come to if you are to have wood blocks or tiling etc.

As a rule it generally adds up as,

150 plinths, 720 base units and 40mm worktop leaving a finished height of 910mm

But if your happy with how it is then that's fine as you have to live with it and when it comes to a sale a lot of people will replace the kitchen anyway so an estate agent friend tells me!.

landrover · 10/03/2016 22:38

But ITS NOT YOUR FAULT! Tell your DH to read this thread! Grin

WordGetsAround · 10/03/2016 22:39

It's not your problem its yogr builders problem - and he needs to sort it. You're paying him to do a job so feedback what you've said to us and get him to change it. Your DH is being ridiculous blaming you but not having the balls to take it up with the builder. One of you needs to take charge!

MeMySonAndl · 10/03/2016 22:41

Wow! That's far too high, can you comfortably cook at that height? Doubt it, unkess you are particularly tall.. I would be furious too.

There is a way around it, raise the appliances on wooden boards and add a plint underneath.

Ps. Your DH is getting a bit petty, if he wants it to look nice, he needs to get integrated appliances and be there to check on the builder's work.

Swipe left for the next trending thread