Article: Janice Andersson from women24.com

If you order your cabinet carcasses from William Tell, they are supplied as flat pack and it's a matter of 1-2-3 to put everything together – all the hinges, screws, shelf supports are provided.

You will need to assemble the units with the supplied fittings.

Once you've got all the carcasses put together you can start placing them into position. I was unfortunate that the flooring is slate tile, and not known for being level. I had to use quite a bit of off-cuts under the carcasses to get them at the right level. And talking of level, use your spirit level on sides and tops. Everything needs to be level or the doors won't sit straight and the cabinets won't fit flush.

If the flooring is not level, use timber off-cuts to balance out the units. I found that by using a tapered piece of timber I was able to push this under until I reach the correct level. I then simply cut off what was left sticking out.

Step 1 – Fixing everything in was the next step. The cabinets are screwed to the wall with wall plugs and screws, and then the cabinets are screwed to each other – and William Tell even provides the pilot holes for this as well!

Important: Use a Bosch Detector to check for cables and pipes before drilling into the wall – especially in the kitchen – or bee 100% sure that you are drilling in a safe place.

DIY Tip Organise your shelves in the correct position when putting the units together. Allow for sufficient height to allow for tall glasses, pots and pans, etc.

Step 2 – Push the supplied hinge fittings into the predrilled holes and screw in tight. On the main part of the hinge attached to the carcass there are 2 screws – the one furthest inside pushes the hinge out and pulls in as you turn clockwise or anti-clockwise. To mount the door hinges, have the carcass hinge as far out as possible. Once the hinges are fitted to the door, pull the hinge back in again to mount the door flush to the frame. The second screw closest to the outside is used for minor adjustments in door alignment.

The carcasses and doors are supplied with pre-drilled holes for mounting hinges and shelves. It’s simply a matter of screwing everything into the correct position.

Step 3 – Once all the units are positioned correctly, mount the kick-plate at the base of the carcasses. Drill pilot holes and screw into carcass frames at the bottom. Position the screws as high as possible so as not to be visible and finish off with Screw Cap Covers. You can buy Screw Cap Covers to match your cabinets at selected hardware and timber merchants.

The Installation – Oven/Hob/Sink

If you're replacing all the cabinets, you will have removed the cabinet or shelf that originally held the u/c oven. The undercounter oven must be supported at the top as well as the bottom.

Step 1 – In order to mount the new u/c oven I first: a) called in an Electrician to remove and reconnect the oven and hob and, b) made a new shelf support by bridging two cabinets. Allow 600mm width (depending upon the size of your new oven) for the oven itself, plus 16mm on either side for edged boards. You will also need to order a top panel to fit between these two boards, from the top of the oven to just under the counter.

It is also essential that you place a support above the u/c oven to prevent the oven from tipping forward when the door is opened. I used a 50 x 50mm timber batten that was screwed into position from the cabinets on either side.

Step 2 – To mount the hob you will need to cut out a section of the worktop. Measure the exact dimensions of the hob (excluding overlap that will sit on top of the counter) and transfer these to the worktop.

Outline the markings for the hob with masking tape to protect the countertop surface. Drill a 10mm hole in each corner to allow insertion of the jigsaw blade)

How to... Cut out for the hob
To mount the hob you will need to cut out a section of the worktop. Measure the exact dimensions of the hob (excluding overlap that will sit on top of the counter) and transfer these to the worktop.

Use masking tape around the outside of your marked lines to assist in reducing the amount of 'chipping' while you cut. You will also need to use a very fine Jigsaw blade recommended for fine cutting in thick sections. Don't attempt to use an old blade or you will damage the countertop.

Use your drill and a 10mm bit to drill 4 holes – 1 in each corner. These holes will allow insertion of the jigsaw blade. Cut slowly and don't push the saw. If you find that you are not following a straight line, reverse back and go forward.

Most hobs have a felt lining that sits flush with the top of the counter, some models have brackets that need to be attached from underneath the counter, and some need to have suitable sealing applied around the hob. This all depends on the particular model that you purchase.

You will repeat this exact same procedure as above for cutting out and fitting the sink unit.

The countertop will need to be cut out to allow for insertion of the new sink)

Attaching the countertop
Once the hob is in place, the u/c oven fitted and framed you can attach the countertop to the cabinets by screwing from underneath.

If you need to join 2 sections together, you can purchase special strips for this purpose. These are available from most specialist hardware stores &ndash you simply specify if it is a straight or T-join.

Installing the sink
Never having done this before I was a little bit nervous about removing the water inlet fittings. Before you do anything, turn off the water at the main stop valve. Mine was located in the garden and had to be dug out from under piles of rubble – not an ideal situation! Check that the water is completely off before beginning or you will end up with a flooded kitchen.

I used a wrench to loosen the old fittings on the cold and hot water pipes. I had some pieces of rubber handy that I could bung into the top of the pipes to stop any unwanted dripping from water in the system. I also loosened the clamps on the drainpipes at the base of both sinks. Once everything is loose you can unscrew the tap fitting on the sink and remove the fixture.

If in any doubt about your ability to disconnect the pipes for installation of the new sink – call in a professional Plumber. Important: The water must be switched off at the mains before unscrewing any fittings.

Check that the bowls of the sink will fit into the top of the carcass before placing everything into position – you may have to do some cutting out to allow the bowls to fit through the top of the cabinet.

Position the sink upside down on the countertop and measure around the shape with a pencil. Note the position of any brackets, etc, used for additional fixing. From the drawn measurements subtract the size of the lip that will sit over the top of the counter.

Cut out in exactly the same way as for the Hob.