Finishes and fitments

9.4.6Airing cupboards, cupboards, worktops and fitments

Airing cupboards, cupboards, worktops and fitments shall be installed to provide satisfactory appearance and performance. The builder shall provide fixed and built-in fitments in accordance with the design.

Cupboards, worktops and fitments should be:

  • checked to ensure they are undamaged before they are installed
  • installed as shown in the design (worktops spanning between units may require additional support)
  • plumb, level and scribed to wall faces, where necessary.

Cupboards should be installed ensuring that:

  • doors operate freely and fit openings closely and evenly
  • drawers run smoothly, and locks and catches properly engage.

Cupboards (including wall-hung units) should be securely fixed, using:

  • fixings of an appropriate size, and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions (generally, plugs and screws to masonry and screws to timber)
  • the predrilled holes in units and brackets provided by the manufacturer.

Where worktops or unit panels are cut, edges should be sealed using a metal or plastic strip glued to the edge with waterproof adhesive. Alternatively, an appropriate waterproof joint may be used. Sinks and hob units which are inset in worktops, and vanity units, should be sealed with a waterproof joint.

Where appropriate, gaps between fitments and wall tiling should be sealed with a waterproof joint and brought to a smooth finish.

Wardrobes should be fitted with hanging rails, and intermediate supports used where necessary to avoid bending.

Internal doors (including airing cupboard doors) should be fitted in accordance with Chapter 6.7 ‘Doors, windows and glazing’.

Airing cupboards should:

  • be separated from other storage
  • have a minimum 0.5m2 of easily reached shelving suitable for the airing of clothes
  • have a 300mm minimum spacing between shelves
  • have a suitable heat source, such as a hot water cylinder
  • not have shelving higher than 1.5m.