k15744's Profile

We installed Ikea cabinets in a rental kitchen back in 1996. Despite being exposed to several different renters the kitchen is still holding up very, very well. Even the design is still looking good (we were using stainless steel before stainless steel was cool, only 2 or 3 appliances were available in ss back then).

I find the key with Ikea stuff is to go beyond just assembling it with their specs. Those wood pegs? I glue them all in. Under the base cabinets we used a sheet of plywood and nailed trough it into the cab frames to hold them all secure, ditto a sheet of ply in back of the wall cabs. Extra hardware to keep all the parts for loosening and shifting. LocTite on the hinge adjustment screw and on the knob bolts, extra fasteners to hold adjacent walls together, etc. The extra materials cost almost nothing and took up very little extra time or energy - but I think it doubled the durability.

A couple of pics:

http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/6850/kitchtowardsdoorsof.jpg

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/884/dcp0377.jpg