Bugger and fark. Worktop too short. Is biscuiting the answer?

[herbaceous]

I ordered one piece of my new v expensive iroko worktop 10cm too short. Wasn't entirely my fault - it was correct according to the kitchen plans, but the builders embedded the pipes in the wall, thus removing the boxing, and making that side of the kitchen longer.

Anyway, the choices facing me are:

a) buy a new piece of worktop. This will be expensive, and won't arrive for two weeks, thus delaying the whole project, which has already over-run 10 days and is driving me demented. It would also be from a different batch of wood, and thus not necessarily match the other pieces of worktop.

b) Filling in the gap with an offcut of worktop by using 'biscuiting'. Apparently the join won't be too noticeable, and I can always put a trivet on top.

Has anyone had any experience of this?

B obviously

Well, yes. I'm just wondering whether it will be noticeable enough to make me forever regret that particular cock up.

Presumably if you do b) and hate it you can get another piece ordered and fitted at your leisure some time when you've recovered from the current ordeal? You haven't lost anything by trying this except the potential cost of refitting which you may never incur.

That is also true. It's the piece that will have the sink in, so will be a minor hassle to re-do, but in the general scheme of things I'd rather have the kitchen done for Christmas than fart about with a new piece.

Wise words all! Helped clarify my addled brain. This project has been going on for five weeks, and has involved rebuilding the entire kitchen, the dust, the noise, living in one room, having 120 flat-pack bits of kitchen in the sitting room for a fortnight, etc... Novelty now wearing off!

We biscuited two pieces of worktop together to make a wider 'island' piece it's actually a peninsular as it's attached to the rest of the kitchen 10 years later it's still hard to find the join so it can work really well.

who did you buy the worktop off?
If the company delivers the top themselves and you havn't touched/cut/oiled it.
could you not call the order a larger length and get them to collect at the same time? then just costing the extra for the larger top and 1 x delivery charge??

I got it from Mumsnet favourite Barncrest. It would still cost approx £300 to get a new one, and delay proceedings.

I might ask their advice, and ignore them if they say buy a new length!

The whole thing is now moot, as while I was out today they were supposed to be fixing all the worktops in place. They somehow managed to totally ignore both my instructions and common sense, and cut four out of five pieces of worktop too short, so they are all useless. That's about £700-worth.

I am FUMING. The builder is, oddly, not answering his phone. I wanted this kitchen finished by Christmas. It was supposed to be finished by 1 December. AAAGGG.

There really is nothing to say to that!

and

It gets worse. The one piece that was fitted OK was where the sink is going. The carpenter didn't seem sure whether the drainer went to the right or the left, despite the tap holes only being on side. ie, the back. So he took a chance and cut a hole for a LH-drainer sink. Naturally, it's a RH drainer. So now that piece of worktop is also buggered.

Credit where it's due - boss builder did volunteer to pay for the new worktops.

so you'll be putting some nearly-new pieces of Iroko worktop on ebay soon?

What sizes are they?

Well, I had indeed hoped to eBay them, but the two biggest bits both about 180cm long - now have holes out of them for hob and sink. I think my relatives might all be getting interestingly shaped chopping boards for Xmas presents!