Overview

A practical, beginner-friendly workshop teaching participants how to plan, dismantle, install, and refurbish small-to-medium kitchens. The session combines demonstrations with hands-on practice, focusing on safe techniques, DIY-friendly tools, and budget-conscious options such as reuse and upcycling. It is recommended that the participants have completed a Home DIY workshop.

Learning outcomes

Participants will be able to:

Plan a small-to-medium kitchen layout and budget.
Safely dismantle old fixtures and prep walls/floors.
Fix, plumb-line, level, and anchor base/wall cabinets.
Measure, cut, join, and fit laminate/timber worktops; cut a sink/hob opening.
Install/seat a sink and tap set (dry fit) and apply silicone correctly.
Reface/refresh cabinets; tile and grout a splashback; select/fit basic lighting upgrades.
Diagnose common alignment and sealing issues and know when to call a licensed pro.

Session flow

1) Introduction & Planning

Welcome, WHS briefing, PPE; tool demo & lab rules (RCDs, dust, noise).
Kitchen workflow overview (measure → design → services → install → finish).
Activity: Measure a mock space; check plumb/square with level & laser; sketch a plan.
Budgeting basics; reuse options (salvaged cabinets/doors, upcycling hardware).

2) Dismantling & Preparation

Demo: Safe removal sequence (doors → drawers → benchtop → base units → wall units).
Identifying live services; isolation/lock-out concept (demo only).
Surface repair: packing studs, wall repairs, primer/sealer.
Hands-on stations:
- Remove/label hinges & hardware.
- Patch & sand wall defects.
- Locate studs/services; mark fixing lines.

3) Installation Fundamentals (Cabinets & Worktops)

Set a level datum; install base units, shim and clamp; fix to studs/masonry.
Scribing to uneven walls; corner units and fillers.
Hands-on: Teams install a short cabinet run + one wall unit; verify level, square, reveals.
Worktops: measuring cut lines/overhangs/joins; track saw & jigsaw techniques.
Sink/hob cut-out on sacrificial board; dry-fit sink and tap (no live connections).

4) Refurbishment Techniques

Cabinet refacing: clean/degloss, prime, paint; replacing doors; stick-on veneers.
Hands-on:
- Degloss → prime → top-coat on sample doors (quick-dry demo paints).
- Drill & fit new handles with a jig.
Backsplash tiling: substrate prep, layout, adhesive choice, trims.
- Demonstrate: Tile a 600×300 board; cut a tile; grout and sponge finish.
Lighting upgrades overview: under-cabinet LED strips (plug-in/low-voltage kits), switching options (theory only).

5) Finishing & Troubleshooting

Silicone sealing best-practice: masking, tooling, curing.
- Hands-on: Apply and tool a silicone bead on demo sink/worktop and upstand.
Door/drawer alignment: 2-way/3-way hinge adjustments; runner tweaks.
Issues clinic:
- Gaps/out-of-square → fillers & scribes.
- Benchtop edges & end-caps.
- Splashback lippage/pinholes; grout repairs.
- Plumbing/electrical red flags → when to call a pro.

Capstone Practical

Teams complete a mini-install:

Set two base units + one wall unit
Dry-fit benchtop with cut-out
Seat sink, install handles
Tile a small panel, silicone perimeter
Trainer checks fixings, level, finish quality.

Wrap-up

Personal project consults (quick plan/photo desk-crits)

Contact the host of Basics to Kitchen Refurb - DIY Extension Series. 31 May 2026

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