Thread: Flat pack cupboards where to get them?

I bought lamikit cupboards for our kitchen about 18 months ago. You wouldn't believe how many times they stuffed up our order. From losing it entirely - they gave us an order number and a delivery date and it didn't show up, "what order?" they said when I rang up to ask where it was, "oh, looks like we lost that order, sorry" says them. Then they gave me a new delivery date and another two week wait, but said someone would have to be onsite in the morning to help unload the truck. So I took a day off work, and they end up delivering it at 7:30PM, and they sent two blokes so I wasn't needed after all - I took a day off for nothing. Then about 25% of it was missing - another two week wait for the rest of it. Then the wall unit for the oven was the wrong size, I didn't have time to wait for a replacement so I resized it myself so we could get the oven wired up and working.

My missus was totally stresssed out, she'd invited 23 people over for xmas lunch and the kitchen wasn't usable until literally 1/2 an hour before the turkey had to go in the oven on xmas eve. The job would have been finished at least a month before if not for their incompetance.

I'll never buy from them again - there's just no excuse for the crap service we got from those clowns. So be warned.

Would these flat packs from bunnies or laminex be suitable for a bathroom renewal - they seem to be of moisture resistant melamine or craftwood?
The conditions would be about the same although possibly a bit steamier in the bathroom.
Any comments on the topic would be appreciated.

regards,

Can't see why not, just make sure it is MR board.

Originally Posted by Flynn

Can anyone articulate the differences in quality between Flatpax Kitchens (Bunnings) and say Ikea or other Flat pack kitchens ?.CheersFlynn

Here's a bit of a heads up for you. Will your new kitchen kill you?

Armstrongs took over Novaloc's flat pack kitchen business.
They use the same codes as Novaloc did. They refer to two different depths from memory the dearer ones are 565mm deep the "M" and the other was around 470mm deep "MN". The number after i.e. M500 refers to the width 500mm etc. I have used these quite a lot in the past, but they only had 3mm masonite backs. I don't know if Armstrongs have improved them or not. The rest of the cabinet is 16mm HMR melamine. Which is suitable for wet areas.

Renomart,

OMFG! How is it that Bunnings can sell products that fail the Formaldehyde standards for Australia. What's the point of the standards ? Are they only a recommendation ?

Flynn

complain about stuff that don't meet oz standards to the ACCC.
They have launched a series of successful prosecutions against importers selling inferior crap.

Originally Posted by aspectdisplays

Armstrongs took over Novaloc's flat pack kitchen business.
They use the same codes as Novaloc did. They refer to two different depths from memory the dearer ones are 565mm deep the "M" and the other was around 470mm deep "MN". The number after i.e. M500 refers to the width 500mm etc. I have used these quite a lot in the past, but they only had 3mm masonite backs. I don't know if Armstrongs have improved them or not. The rest of the cabinet is 16mm HMR melamine. Which is suitable for wet areas.

i would just like to point out that the armstrongs this post is talking about is not my company ,nor is associated in any way with my business ,i have my own specifications in regard to my cabinets and would never drop my standard below what i have set now

Sorry Tom,
I was referring to http://www.armstrongs.com.au/
as in earlier post. Not your site

Hi all,

We have just finished our flat pack kitchen, using Bunnings' Flatpax base/overhead units and doors, but with our own appliance package, handles and solid beech benchtops.

Overall we would rate the quality, even though imported through 'DIY Resolutions' by Bunnings, only glitches have been dodgy drawer runners and some stuffed hinges. To Bunnings' credit, they have replaced them straight away and of course free of charge.

All units are solid with 16mm backing panels which made wall mounting them OK. They came with decent screws and instructions and most importantly, the overall cost was cheaper than all of the the other flat pack/DIY companies including Armstrongs that we priced the kitchen through before commencing works.

Just my 2 cents worth!

Cheers.

How about a picture to see what it looks like.

Cheers

Here's some pics of the job 'under construction'... no finished shots on my computer yet !

Hi, Ive done two kitchens now, one from plyboard distributors (Dandenong) some time ago, and recently an Ikea kitchen.

Plyboard distributors were excellent and the quality was great (again, this was about 5 years ago).

I chose Ikea this time around since they were much cheaper than all the other quotes I got, and I would recommend going that way again with a few reservations. The BIG advantage is that you can walk into the store and swap something over (even if change your mind), replace a cabinet etc .. and while stock levels can be a bit hit and miss, generally its on the spot. Consider that you can download their free electronic kitchen planner so you can lay out the kitchen, see what it looks like and get a cost estimate etc and literally shove it in the back of your very large car and install it the same day! I'm not one for patience .... and waiting weeks and weeks for kitchens to arrive etc with the impact of changes and stuff ups when using a custom flat pack supplier turns me off the idea. Ikea also gaurantee I believe.

However, now in my opinion the downsides... They are cheap! The board is cheap (not particularly moisture resistant), sparce on materials (the backing board is thin fibre board not melamine, there is not really a top to the carcasses) and the finish can be a bit dodgy. Also, the store in Richmond is a claustraphobic nightmare, don't expect a lot of help in-store help hehe.

As for Bunnings stuff .... it looks like a step further down the rung and I don't think I'd use it... the stuff _looks_ cheap.

Also consider the kitchens at grays auctions .... particularly if you can design your house around the kitchen! I don't know about the Laminex kit prices, but it looks like a great way to go.

Again, for me, the convinience of ikea outweights the downside.

... oh and I love their real timber benchtops - cheaper than laminex, coat in 2-pac, cant go wrong!

A couple of responses to brette's post:

"As for Bunnings stuff .... it looks like a step further down the rung and I don't think I'd use it... the stuff _looks_ cheap"

Bunnings is cheap, however better quality than Ikea, in the sense that the carcasses are 16mm solid all round with tops and back panels where applicable. Maybe less 'fashionable' though I guess,


... oh and I love their real timber benchtops - cheaper than laminex, coat in 2-pac, cant go wrong!

Exactly - see my photos above. We treated them with Organoil, and they have come up a treat. Smells nice too!