Replies

1. 
   mudman | Aug 09, 2005 07:05am | #1

   very standard Euro knockdown-particle-board-melamine stuff. You get what you pay for. They install very easy though, if that's what you are asking.

   Mike

   please excuse my spelling.
2. 
   brianmexico | Aug 10, 2005 12:20am | #2

   Pamilyn,

   The last job I had in Canada was installing IKEA cabinets in the greater vancouver area. I worked with IKEA for about 18 months and with a crew of 4 other guys and myself we installed somewhere in the ballpark of 75 kitchens during that time. Small kitchens and baths can easily be finished in 1 day by an experienced crew.

   Although I can't cmplain about the work I had during that period of time I must say that I'm not a big fan of melamine or particleboard in kitchens but to their credit they never had one callback from the kitchens I installed. I found that the only thing I didn't like about the cabinets is the the cam bolt used to suck the boxes together can sometimes fail and doesn't have the presision alignment that I enjoy. These of course are miniature details that the average homeowner would probably not find very important and wouldn't notice in the finished kitchen.

   IKEA has many nice styles and for the price I think they are worth the money. If this is for your dream kitchen and you want something really incredible, I suggest you chose another rout, but these are a good middle of the road unit.

   The trick here is a person who does a good job installing.

   Brian

1. 
   siskiyou | Aug 10, 2005 07:51am | #5

   Just wonderin' if you had any experience with the Ikea butcher block counter tops. Sounds like you've seen a lot of there stuff. There butcher blocks are so cheap($ money wise). Let me know if you've had any experience. Thanks so much.

1. 
   brianmexico | Aug 10, 2005 09:54pm | #9

   Siskiyou,

   I installed many beechwood counters in kitchens during the time that I was working with IKEA. I liked the colour of them and they are relatively easy to work and take care of. You can give your kitchen a real custom look with these nice counters. My recommendation would be to use them anywhere except the sink area to avoid problems with moisture. I also found that they were reasonably dimensionally stable in the BC climate where I did most of the work and never had any problems with warping.

   Careful with miters, leave some space between the back of the counter and the wall for expansion and cover it with whatever backsplash you like best.

   Have Fun,

   Brian

3. 
   nikkiwood | Aug 10, 2005 12:54am | #3

   What's your question -- the quality of the cabinets, the ease of assembly/installation?

   ********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

1. 
   pamilyn | Aug 10, 2005 08:55am | #6

   Quality is number one...Pamilyn

1. 
   nikkiwood | Aug 10, 2005 09:59am | #7

   I am a cabinet maker, but I have also done a lot of kitchen cabinet installs. A good friend recently asked me to go along with him for an opinion of the Ikea cabinets. Partly on my advice, he went ahead and purchased them. He is an accomplished DIYer, and with a little advice, but no help from me, he did the install himself. Last week I saw the finished job, and for the money he paid, I thought the cabinets were great. A few comments: *** The hardware was fine. They used the same Euro hinges I do; the drawer glides are lightweight, but adequate. The metal sides they use for the drawers is not to my taste, but again, they are adequate. *** the style they selected had slab doors with wood veneer; the veneers were so perfect they looked like laminate on first glance. And I don't regard that as a plus. *** I am not as put off by melamine interiors as some of the other posters. they are easy to keep clean, and you can't beat the price. Unless you plan to store bricks in the cabinets, they shoul hold up just fine. *** All of the Ikea stuff seems to have a sleek, contemporary look to it -- even when they are trying to mimic more traditional styles (like frame and panel doors). If you like this kind of look, that's not a bad thing. For the money they are asking, I would say they represent an outstanding value. I wouldn't want them in my own house -- but that's mainly because I can make my own. But if I had a nice rental property that needed a kitchen, I would not hesitate a second to install Ikea cabinets. But the second big question is how they will hold up over time. With a reasonable amount of care, my guess is they will last long enough -- that is, until you are ready for a kitchen redo. And at that time, you can just buy another set of cabinets and hang them on the same rails.
   ********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

1. 
   pamilyn | Aug 10, 2005 11:51pm | #11

   How long do you think they will last? We have no kids..Pamilyn

1. 
   Dagwood | Aug 11, 2005 05:40am | #12

   Maybe I'm alone here, Maybe not. Correct me if you folks think I'm off my rocker.

   I bought my last house 4 years ago, and needed to replace all my furniture to fit it. Not really an extreme thing since it was a tiny house, and all the furniture I had before that was basically hand-me-downs.

   Off to Ikea goes me and the GF. We buy a houseful of furniture (Living room, 2 bedrooms, kitchen). I did say it was a small house, right?

   At home we assemble everything, and it looks OK except that my daughter's Loft bed was somewhat wobbly. I decide I better keep an eye on it, but everything seems to be alright.

   Within a year everything that had moving parts needed to be replaced. All the hinges had come loose or wouldn't hold their settings, the wood in the solid pieces we'd bought had split. Cupboard doors had actually come apart. Now this was in a very old house without any insulation (brutal hot in summer, very cold in winter). My daughter (6 years old) was complaining daily about the ladder to her bed, and as she grew the bed began swaying more and more, to the point that I felt it was unsafe for her to sleep in in any more, and got her a new regular bed from a friend.

   4 years after our trip to Ikea, we have sold the house, and thrown out all the stuff we bought from them (or left it behind). Now as we are moving into a new house, we have decided to buy the tools to make furniture rather than buy from Ikea again.

   Other folks have told me that Ikea furniture is fine, and that I should have selected their more expensive lines. Fact is we DID get the stuff with the heavier steel rollers in the drawers (bearings disintegrated) and solid wood construction (split). Heck the loft bed we got my daughter ("LO" was its name - how's that for common sense?) was tubular steel - and it fell apart.

   Anyway I would have a hard time telling anyone to go to Ikea for anything other than their Lingonberry Ice Cream.

   Ikea - Swedish for cheap junk you have to assemble yourself. I hardly think it fits the Fine Woodworking Model.View Image

2. 
   ted | Aug 11, 2005 08:42pm | #14

   Wow you must have worse luck with Ikea than I have. As I mentioned in an earlier post in this thread I like the design of Ikea furniture. The actual execution of those designs leaves something to be desired. Although our stuff is still intact it began it's disintegration process a few years back and in a few more I think it'll end up in the landfill or in the scrap bin in the shop.

3. 
   Dagwood | Aug 11, 2005 09:11pm | #15

   Ted when we bought, we thought we were being careful to avoid the cheaper bottom of the line stuff, and my experience may not be the same as everyone else's. The temperature and humidity extremes in out house were huge, and I think that probably had a lot to do with the Ikea stuff not holding up.

   After our Ikea sofa quit on us (about 2 yrs after purchase - the foam was actually tearing under the fabric) we got an old sofa at an antique sale, and it has held up wonderfully. My theory is that Ikea furniture is probably built for the very stable temps and humidity in modern houses and simply couldn't move enough to handle the house we were in. The only MDF piece we got was a dresser and wardrobe, and the moving parts were what let go on them.

   GF and I actually stopped by an Ikea on a road trip not long ago to stretch our legs and have a cheap lunch. You are right, they have a lot of good ideas, I just wish they could back their ideas with sound construction.

   Parting thought. Ikea has a 45 day return policy. I think there is a reason it isn't the one year or so that is standard in a lot of other shops.

   From their website: 6. Can I return items?

   If you are not satisfied with your purchase, return the item within 45 days of the purchase for an exchange or a refund. Please be sure to have your receipt and the original packaging at the time of your visit. We ask that you ensure that the product remains in the same condition as it was purchased. Otherwise, it is up to the discretion of the store as inspection is required.

    

   View Image

   Edited 8/11/2005 2:13 pm ET by Dagwood

4. 
   dondownunder | Aug 12, 2005 07:42am | #16

   I JUST LOVE IKEA

   It gives my potential customers about 4 years to save up & buy my furniture, not to mention 4 years to get over the pain of buying cheap & to get used to the idea of paying the real value for good quality pieces.

   IKEA is, after all, a four letter word.

   Don

5. 
   WillGeorge | Aug 12, 2005 08:21pm | #18

   Ikea - Swedish for cheap junk you have to assemble yourself. I hardly think it fits the Fine Woodworking Model.And 'Blondy' was really pissed!Long ago I dated a Sweedish girl.. SHE WAS NOT CHEAP! By any means!

6. 
   nikkiwood | Aug 11, 2005 08:04am | #13

   Based on post #13, sounds like four years would be about right.............. But seriously, I would be really surprised to see the cabinets I spoke about disintegrate in that period of time. But one never knows; if they offer one, you might want to check into their extended warranty plan.********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

4. 
   ted | Aug 10, 2005 03:38am | #4

   I installed a small (5) cabinets in a kitchen about 7 years ago. For the money they are probably worth it. Quality-wise it's probably on par with anyhing else they sell (read disposable). I have a bunch of Ikea stuff in my house but only because I'm a modernist and the design of their products fit my aesthetic.
   If I had the resources I probably wouldn't even consider Ikea furniture because I don't think most of their stuff will last more than 10 years (in my situation). We have kids and the furniture takes a beating and most of the stuff I bought at Ikea looks as though it'll be in the trash within the next 5 years.

1. 
   pamilyn | Aug 10, 2005 11:50pm | #10

   I am a modernist also, but no kids and no dogs and one very well behaved husband. I would hope they would last a while...Pamilyn

1. 
   WillGeorge | Aug 12, 2005 08:18pm | #17

   one very well behaved husband...I just fell off my puter chair laughing on that one..

5. 
   WillGeorge | Aug 10, 2005 07:50pm | #8

   IKEA Cabinets are OK if ya rich AND... Do not like REAL wood!