Does anyone have any experience with Ikea kitchen cabinets?
My husband and I are in the preliminary stages of getting ready for a kitchen remodel. We do not have very much money to spend on the project and were interested in Ikea cabinets but are fearful that they will fall apart. Does anyone have any experience with them? How did they hold up? Did your installer get angry at the “wired sizes”?
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To the OP.
How are you finding your Ikea Kitchen to be holding up? We have been installing these for some years now and had noone call us back to "repair" anything that they did not break or damage by abuse of the cabinet.
Best regards. D.
http://www.ikeainstallers.com›6 Replies-
re: IkeaInstallations
Mine are wearing just fine. They have been in for going on 4 years now and look brand new.
I am very happy with them. But I don't have 5 kids living at home either <G> however if my 3 sons still lived at home I am guessing they would still look fine because I taught them to take care of things. My stainles frig looks worse than the cabinets. I have no idea how that gets dented !!
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re: USAFAMom
Thanks for sharing USAFmom (and thanks for the service of your son/sons).
I have seen the same experience and many of our clients have young kids. Ike have just recently increased their warranty from 10 years, to …. 25 years!! Amazing really. Most other cabinet brands we install (even the very high-end brands) don't come close.
Best, D.
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re: IkeaInstallations
The other great thing is if the fronts are messed up you can just replace those without having to rip out the enitire cabinet. However if you are puting them in rentals I would highly suggest buying extra doors and drawer fronts. Just to keep in storage. Ikea didn't tell me that they were discontinuing my Kelsibo (sp?) and I now have 3 80" tall cabinets with no small doors on top...(24x15) so pretty bummed about that.
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re: IkeaInstallations
sharonanne
May 5, 2011 07:48 AM
I've had 3 IKEA kitchens in rental units and they all look great and rental units don't get the gentlest care. The oldest is at least 7 or 8 years old.
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re: sharonanne
@ sharonanne:
I have a client here in Denver that loves Ikea for his units (high tech condos), and after installing them once, said its the best value you can get in this style of cabinet. He also has rentals that get "abused" by their occupants from time to time. So its a similar experience to your own.
Best, D.
www.ikeainstallers.com
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Hi there,
I am sure by now you have gone trough this and found out what it takes to get the Ikea cabinets installed. I just wondered how you managed and if your installer could do it with relative ease.
Best Regards from BookshelvesColorado.
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re: MD Wegs
c oliver
Mar 30, 2011 01:36 PM
Not OP. My "installer" was my husband who is pretty handy for an accountant/MBA type :) He thought they were quite easy to install. His only issue is a good one. They're SO well engineered that there's not a lot of wiggle room when assembling. We like them so well that we're going to be doing another kitchen with them in the coming months.
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re: MD Wegs
Well I am a widow and have a bad back and a bad left arm from lymphedema after cancer surgery. I designed my kitchen , picked up the cabinets at Ikea and brought it all home, unloaded it and then started building. I built all of them myself and then found the studs and marked the wall. My boyfriend helped me to hang the leveling bar and then we both slid the cabinets on. He said that had to be the easiest install he ever did. I won't say you can't make a mistake but if you follow directions you will have no trouble at all. I love my Ikea Kitchen !!! If you have problems reading "Pictures" you can find clearer instructions at this web site http://www.ikeafans.com/ They have more "Americanized" instructions.
Also if you are putting down stone counter tops I suggest you put plywood over the tops of the base cabinets before putting the stone down. It just gives more support where the faucets and sink go. Unless you are using the Ikea sink.. then you shouldn't have a problem. I installed a composite granite sink and it was a bit of a problem with size.
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c oliver
Mar 10, 2011 11:20 AM
I thought I had posted this but must have been another thread.
We have a second home and are so pleased with the first kitchen that we wouldn't even consider anything but Ikea this next time. And it was totally DIY.
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re: c oliver
sunshine842
Mar 10, 2011 02:26 PM
what do you do about the cavernous depth issue, C? Do you have the sliding baskets and such?
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re: c oliver
sunshine842
Mar 10, 2011 09:32 PM
I have the lazy susan in the corner (and only lose a few things way back there in the back corner!) but I'm thinking about retrofitting mine...just haven't figured out what I want.
I *love* the sliding drawers in the unit where I keep my pots and pans. No mining for anything in that one. (My son was laughing at me the other day because he found a small mirror in my cabinet and asked me what it was for. I use it to reflect the ceiling light into the back of the cupboard because I can't see what's at the back.)
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Our IKEA cabinets are about 5 years old and I'm very pleased with them. The only problem we had was that a few of the doors warped a bit...none more than 1/8". I should have called IKEA and had them replaced which I'm sure they would have done, but I did not.
We have silestone for counters and have not had any problems related to weight.
Our installer, however was not the best. He was one of the ones recommended by IKEA and in fact was doing the full installation for their new store in the area. He clearly knew what he was doing but we had a few problems with hung cabinets after he was done and he never responded to calls to come fix them. I ended up doing it myself. Call and get references, as you should with any service vendor.
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My experience with Ikea cabinets is much better than my experiences in dealing with Ikea.
When we did a major remodel of the kitchen that involved repurposing a couple other spaces we chose custom cabinetry and, to save a few bucks, Ikea for my new laundry/sewing space. The needs there were very limited: uppers on two sides, a sink cab on one side and a counter top installed over Elfa drawers on the sewing side.
The uppers went in well. The sink cab fitted with the Ikea farm sink was a nightmare. Turns out you can't put the Ikea sink directly on the cabinet. It needs counter on both sides to space it high enough for the doors to close. The cute 20yos at Ikea may or may not know that. They may or may not tell you that. When you discover you have a problem it's next to impossible to reach anyone at Ikea. Finding the single person in the store who might actually care is a task for someone with the patience of a saint. Fortunately for me, my kitchen contractor was highly skilled and he was up to the job. But the whole plan was so simple it shouldn't have taken the skills and tools of someone of his expertise.
Additionally, the faucet they sold us was bad. It was missing some unit during the manufacturing process that made it all wobbly. Eventually, and it took months and an on-sight inspection by one of their technicians, Ikea did agree to replace it. But the actual replacement was now more complicated since everything else in the tiny space was permanently installed. We had to get a plumber to do it and they wouldn't cover that expense.
Their technician did agree to take back extra parts the order taker sold us that were not needed but they never made the refund and I got tired of trying and ate that.
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OK. So we got through that and the cabinets look fine and work well. So when I needed a cheap, quick kitchen to convert my husband's pool house office to an apartment for one of the kids I decided to do Ikea again. I thought this time I was going into it with open eyes and it was a big empty space so I had enough flexibility to let their merchandise define my space.
We even got Ikea appliances so that we were sure everything would fit together.
S-i-l and some of his buds put the cabs together and did a fine job. Even forcing the upper cabs to fit on uneven walls. There are some ins and outs that we can't get rid of but, hey!, this is a $7K kitchen from scratch and it will do. And it looks reasonably attractive.
The prob this time (aside from several trips back to Ikea for things we didn't get and all the extraneous parts they sell you that you don't end up needing) is that the range won't fit within the profile of the cabinets and counter without squashing the gas line that feeds it. The Ikea-recommended installer that we got install the butcher block counter and cut the appliance in is no help. He just wants the stove to stand out from the cabinets exposing part of the unfinished side designed to be covered by the cabs. Thank god the contractor who did my kitchen is now a dear friend! He came in and made it work.
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Bottom line: you can get a cheap, working kitchen if you've got patience, skills and are willing to make a lot of compromises. For me, I'm very, very glad I got a real kitchen that fit MY needs and the laundry room and my daughter's kitchen do the job. But I still hate Ikea and their remote and even contemptuous attitude toward their customers.
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sunshine842
Feb 28, 2011 12:10 PM
I have Ikea cabinets - standard body with cherry and glass doors with stainless handles -- we inherited them -- it's bizarre, but in Europe, kitchens don't always have cabinets -- I about fell over the first time I looked at a house here that had nothing in the kitchen but a faucet sticking out of the wall.
So we bought ours from the former residents, who had 4 kids and had installed the cabinets about 3 years prior...and we entertain a lot, so these cabinets have gotten a LOT of use, and they're still rock-solid and all the hardware works like a charm.
My only negatives would be that the upper cabinets are really high -- I'm average height and need a stepstool to reach the top two shelves. I kind of like having the plinth -- it makes a nice clean appearance, but I can pull it off to clean out the cobwebs and dust (and the plinth also hides cobwebs and dust until you're ready to clean it all out!) And this one is only a sort-of negative -- my base cabinets are deep enough to make huge work surfaces...but it means that the storage space is equally deep and cavernous -- I have bins and baskets everywhere, and I still lose stuff because the cabinets are so deep front to back that you have to insert half of your body into the cupboards to reach that little can of tomato paste that found its way to the back.
My dad even approves of them -- and he's an old-school custom cabinet maker who specialises in solid oak and solid cherry.
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sharonanne
May 24, 2010 12:23 PM
It must depend where you are. I've put 3 IKEA kitchens into rental units and even with installation they were cheaper than anywhere else. The cabinets alone at Home Depot were twice the price of installation and cabinets from IKEA. I have a friend having custom cabinets made for his home and they are costing 3 times what I've paid.
I know they are particle board but I just added a dishwasher to a unit where the kitchen is 9 years old so I had a good chance to go over them carefully. The cabinets look brand new with only 1 problem. The knob was pulling through on one door. The fix was a 10 cent washer. Even with renters the inside of the drawers look new.
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re: sharonanne
I purchased an Ikea kitchen 4years ago. I have had to have a corner unit replaced and a door under the sink. The company claims that this damage was caused by water seapage. They were very difficult to deal with. They supplied the parts, but it cost us nearly $500.00 for installation since plumbing was involved. We also purchased a dishwater which we replaced afet 2 visits from repairmen almost added up to the cost of a new one (Whirpool). Also included was a microwave (same supplier) whose door is cracking in several places with no reason that we can see. In my opinion, Ikea sells shoddy kitchen merchandise and their customer service leaves a great deal to be desired. It would be in your best interest to pay more for the cabinetry and appliances and avoid problems. I doubt my kitchen will still be standing in 25 years, as per their warranty.
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I recommend and install a lot of Ikea kitchens ( I am an independent carpenter, not paid by Ikea). As a German carpenter I can say that the Ikea kitchen quality is really good and they are relatively cheap. If you need to customize your Ikea standard kitchen ask a carpenter to add your ideas. The only problem with Ikea is that they somestimes deliver 2-3 wrong pieces, so the installer has to come back a second time to finish it.
Rasin
Wood&Design, Pompano Beach -
Does anyone know how to install the black plastic legs on 12" base cabinets (which I guess are really wall cabinets you mount on the floor). There are no double holes that you can insert the leg holder into as there are with the regular 24" base cabinets. Thanks in advance to those who reply.
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re: browner
fmed
Nov 17, 2008 10:12 PM
I did just that. I transposed the hole pattern to a plywood template and used drill guides (I can't remember the size...the guides were slighty smaller than the pegs on the legs because that is all I had at the time....I just drilled it out to the appropriate diameter with the appropriate sized bit with a drill depth stop. I recall just eyeballing the size of the drill bit to the pegs.
I tested it on a piece of 3/4 ply to see if the legs fit in the holes. I used clamps to hold the guides in place on the actual cabinets while I drilled the holes.
Sorry I can't remember the exact details....but I hope this can get you started.
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Might really look into this now with all the positive results and the latest deal. For anyone else interested too, they are running a special from Oct 4 - Nov 11. $2500 or more purchase of Ikea cabinets is 10% off, and they'll kick in a bit bigger discount if you buy some of their appliances.
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re: CrazyOne
In Canada, for every $1000 spent on an Ikea kitchen, you get a $100 Ikea gift card. For us, that worked out to $500 and that came in handy buying inserts, etc. We burned through the $500 gift card pretty quickly. That sale seems to run a couple of times a year. We bought our cabinets back in February and the sale was announced again recently.
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Hi,
I am a German Carpenter and I recommend all my customers, who don`t want to spend too much money on the kitchen, to buy IKEA kitchen. The quality of the cabints is really good. It is easy to install ( I install an average IKEA kitchen as a professional in 6 hours- that`s relatively fast). So you will make a good deal, I think.
Rasin
Wood&Design, Pompano Beach, Florida
www.rfwoodanddesign.com›1 Reply -
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We rented a vacation home this summer that had been renovated with Ikea cabinets. I looked them over carefully because we are getting ready to renovate our own kitchen. While the Ikea cabinets worked fine for the 2 weeks we were there, they are definitely not of the same quality as a semi-custom cabinet like Kraftmaid or Medallion (two we have looked at). It's hard to imagine them looking good 5 years from now, but who knows. I was not sufficiently impressed to spend my money on them.
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We put ours in in 2003. They look great, work great, no hassles. We used an installer that we got from IKEA. I put the island together myself - not rocket science at all!. One thing that's cool, you could pick out practically any "look" from a kitchen design book or magazine and duplicate it inexpensively with IKEA. We made some buying errors that resulted in over $1000 in returns - no problems at all. AND - my oven hood was stolen off the truck so it was on the manifest but was not in the shipment. My contractor signed for the shipment under "received uninspected" and they still sent me out another hood at no charge, no suspicious questions, no problems.
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re: susanyoga
How was the installation manual that came with the island. I'm thinking of installing cabinets, but am a little cautious. I found an online manual that assists with the process, but not sure it's worth it.
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re: bridgebuilder
I just had my kitchen replaced with Ikea cabinets in the spring. Ikea gave me several business cards of people who install their cabinets. They all charge the same amount (per linear foot), but I forget how much. The guy who installed mine was awesome! He was able to customize some stuff for me and reinforced the bottom of the cabinets so they could support my granite counter. If your island isn't big, it might be worth having it installed to save you the hassle, as it probably wouldn't be very much money.
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Beach Chick
Mar 20, 2008 09:56 AM
I just built a custom home and found these cabinets from Wellborn that are reasonably priced and gorgeous and take 3-4 weeks for delivery..
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As I write this, my husband is ripping out our old cabinets. Ikea delivered 175 boxes just over a week ago. Our little house is basically filled with boxes, including the new cork flooring. I think the Ikea cabinets will be great. We're going with white uppers and medium brown lowers. Can't wait!
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re: SusanB
Carole
Mar 20, 2008 09:28 AM
My husband and I put them in our mudroom, about a 6' span of uppers and lowers. I got the solid beech style and they are beautiful. We also put in a double set of uppers (the ones with the doors that lift up) over the double laundry sink. Really makes it handy to get at the laundry soap, etc. I took us a weekend to complete it. And my husband is not handy in the least (but I am) so it required some training during the project.
If you're assembling them yourselves, it'll take a couple to really get the hang of it. I think I cut the box assembly time in half after the first couple. But it takes longer than you think it will so give yourself enough time.
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re: MaxProphet
Kevin, we're still in the process of installing. I expect it will take a long time since my husband insists on doing as much of the work as he can (even electrical and plumbing). Because he's learning as he goes, something that might take a professional 2 hours takes him 2 days. Mind you, he's retired so he has the time - but whether we can live with the chaos is another matter :) He said he will have to bring in an electrician for some of it.
So far, he's put in all of the uppers on 1 side of the kitchen and 2 of the lower cabinets on the cork floor. They are on legs, but he'll be putting the facing or whatever it's called on them so we won't see the legs. I kind of like the look of legs, but given that we have 3 cats and 1 of them likes to play fetch with little balls of paper, I know we'd end up with lots of stuff under the cabinets.
I'm really glad we went with the 2 colours - looks more interesting to me. I dread next week though - husband will be removing the dishwasher and cabinet with the sink, installing the rest of the cork floor and then putting in the new cabinets. It will be a while before he gets all that done. And the new appliances are supposed to arrive next week .......
I look forward to seeing the changes every day when I get home from work - it's always an experience!
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Hi I am getting ready to rip out my old kitchen. I downloaded the Ikea custom kitchen software and have only had a couple problems with it. But then my kitchen has some really strange walls and until I get the exact measurements (after I take out part of a wall) I won't be able to do exact cabinet placement or sizes on one side of the kitchen (galley style)
I am on a budget and have spent hours at IKEA slamming doors, drawers and in general trying to abuse them to see how they hold up. With everyone else there doing the same thing I figure they must be pretty good. I saw on the web site where you can have someone from IKEA measure your kitchen for the exact measurements. The cost is then deducted from your purchase so you aren't out any money. This may help with those strange sizes ?? I am also looking at Silestone or granite for the tops. I really want the Silestone because I can purchase a "boo boo" from Home Depot for 75% off. BUT it is heavy! If I purchase extra legs with this eliminate having to build a base that was suggested in a previous post.??? If so all I have to find is a Stone cutter willing to cut the sink opening for my counter and install everything. :)›5 Replies-
re: USAFAMom
Nearly positive that silestone is not as heavy as granite -- I've installed cabinets for granite without any additional support. The IKEA cabinets (and similar MDF core cabinets) are quite strong. You may want to reinforce various areas that are some what more stressed (dishwasher area and sink bases come to mind...) but this is well known to anybody that has done kitchen remodeling. I think the IKEA cabinets may even come with such a suggestion.
I have not dealt with having some one from IKEA do the measurement, but as this is FREE this seems like it will at least prevent you from mis-ordering.
Ideally if you are going to change/remove walls you would measure AFTER the new drywall is hung. The time to square things up is then. IKEA has a large stock of cabinets and you ought to be without cabinets for only a short time. Some of the high end cabinet makers are notorious for having long delays in delivery.
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re: USAFAMom
Did you find a stone cutter who was willing to prep and install your silestone? I have the chance to purchase used Silestone from a family that has redone its kitchen. The pieces are long enough to be cut for my small kitchen, but there will also need to be a sink and cooktop opening cut.
I'd appreciate it if you would share what you learned.-
re: Momrev
Yes I did ! Sorry I just saw this ... I went to the Silestone web site and found a dealer/installer in my own town... lucky me ! He wouldn't guarentee the stone since I bought it at Lowes but he picked it all up from the store took it to their big shop and cut it all just perfect for me. FYI Silestone A grade (1 1/2 thick ) is WAY heavier than granite. Way thicker too. The guys could hardly lift it and they had to come back 3 times because I didn't have enough support to hold up the bar area wall. They said it would rip the drywall right off and bend the iron brackets I had up! We ended up going with a 2 X 2 screwed into the studs and then decorative wood supports screwed into that.
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I've built two foodservice joints using IKEA cabinetry because of budget limitations. The first in 2002 and the second in 2006. The doors and drawers have been opened and closed (and not so gently) thousands of times and they have held up beautifully.
A couple of the units have been waterlogged due to sink leakage and are still holding up in spite of it.
I think they should be perfect for a home installation and the do-it-yourself builder. My suggestion is to caulk the joints for any cabinets that will be housing a sink. It will just hold up better.
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stellamystar
Nov 3, 2007 12:24 PM
I would like to get the IKEA wooden butcher countertops (we have regular, Sutherlands cabinets from previous owner). Have you looked at countertops?
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re: stellamystar
Zeldog
Mar 1, 2008 06:32 PM
I have them. They're not bad for the price, but the wood is not very hard. I got some raw rice kernels caught between a maple cutting board and the countertop and it severely gouged the countertop and left hardly a mark on the cutting board. So if you want a nice, pristine surface, these are not for you.
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jillp
Nov 2, 2007 05:40 PM
Jackp did a kitchen remodel for some customers a few years ago; they had chosen Ikea cabinets. He says they were simple to install; not top of the line by any means, but certainly an okay choice for cabinets that aren't custom-made.
If you like them, get them.
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I put in Ikea cabinets myself a year ago. I'm not a carpenter or especially handy. I put in the cheapest, which really means the cheapest doors, white laminate. We decided that it is a kitchen and didn't need to be fancy. Nonetheless we topped the counters with either Cararra marble which is about 1/8 the price of granite, or maple butcher block. We put the cabinets on the stainless legs, no toe kick. We love them. We have had no problems at all. Just figure everything out in advance and the weird sizes will be ok.
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sharonanne
Oct 25, 2007 12:34 PM
We've put 3 IKEA kitchens in rental units over the last 7 years and they've stood up well. I'm actually jealous as my home kitchen was put in by one of those fancy custom kitchen places and the drawer bottoms are falling out.
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A couple of additional comments:
We decided not to use Ikea (or any off the shelf cabinets) because the stock modular sizes just didn't work out well with the dimensions of our kitchen.
If you do go with Ikea cabinets, use an installer who regularly intalls Ikea cabinets. I found there are people who specialize in them. They can do the job more efficiently than someone unfamiliar with the cabinets.
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re: 2peasinapod
Unless you or your husband are pretty handy, it would be best to have it done by a carpenter. It needs to be level in both directions so that your cabinets & countertops are level & the rolling pin doesn't roll off on the floor. If you're going to have a specialist install your cabinets, they would be able to it. They might try to tell you you don't need it, but I wouldn't listen to them. It's a pretty inexpensive way to upgrade the Ikea cabinets.
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re: rfneid
fgf
Oct 31, 2007 08:35 AM
This method would of course give you the standard toe kick finish where you would need material to cover the 2X4 base, material with a finish matching the cabinet doors and drawer fronts. This gets just a little awkward at cabinet ends where there typically is no toe kick recess and the cabinet side panel goes to the floor. You could upgrade to better cabinet legs to retain that 'European', more furniture like look (make sure the flooring material is complete under the cabinets). The legs are adjustable (threaded) for ease of installation and can be problematic under weight but IKEA has three models of legs and you can order a few additional legs for larger cabinets to distribute the load.
In general IKEA cabinets are a great value, but if you pay someone to assemble the boxes you definately loose a lot of that value.
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re: fgf
The "European", furniture look is lovely, but cleaning under the cabinets is not. I would recommend the solid toe kick - but that's really a personal choice. Adding additional legs & using the heavy duty ones would probably work if you're using stone or some other heavy countertop. Plastic laminate countertops shouldn't be a problem at all.
Even if you have someone install your cabinets (which I would recommend, unless you're really handy), the value is outstanding.
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re: rfneid
fgf
Oct 31, 2007 12:43 PM
Cleaning under those cabinets can be a hassel, but the look is nice. Keep in mind IKEA does not sell toe kick material as other cabinet manufacturers do, it would have to be improvised as would the detail where an end cabinet would typically have a finished side down to the finished floor and a toe kick recess only in profile. IKEA cabinets don't come that way as they are intended to be installed on adjustable legs. Installation is one thing and assembling the knocked down boxes is another. Assembling the boxes is relatively easy, is where the savings lie and leaves you in the same place as having bought cabinets from another source, ready and needing to be installed.
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re: blondelle
Correct. The "plinth" can be used to make the install look pretty much like any other US style kitchen with a normal toe kick. With a decent set of calipers and the low cost of power tools there is no reason not to learn how to scribe-in the plinth.
The cabinets are a great value, especially the thermofoil ones -- you can even put those things in laundry rooms/garages and they are very very tough. The fiberboard holds up as well as any, if something does get damaged the modular nature makes for a easy "throw that one out and order another" type fix/replacement.
Of course these are not "high end" by any stretch of the imagination but it is a very serviceable option -- especially if you realize that fiberboard is NEVER something that will last for more than a decade or so. Heck even solid hardwood cabinets can look pretty sad after a decade (though unless they are structurally damaged refinishing is an option...)
The compromises have been talked about, and I'd agree with most. I don't know if "specialized installers" make sense as the cabinets really are about as idiot proof as the can be. For wall cabinets their mounting track works well. For the base cabinets the leveling legs work pretty good. The whole point is to make this a CHEAP solution -- your own labor means ZERO out of pocket labor costs! Hard to beat that. I've seen rental places with the synthetic quartz type counter tops that literally cost the landlord/owner less than half of what any other solution would have. The guy that did it is a firefighter with just average homeowner type skills. He hired a countertop guy for the counters and backsplashes. That is what really makes the install look "professional" and also keeps thing water-tight /clean -- some ill fitting DIY countertop is an invitation for trouble.
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re: renov8r
Ruth Lafler
Feb 26, 2008 03:55 PM
How funny this thread floated to the top today -- just this weekend I went into Ikea to look at their cabinets as a cheap way to retrofit my pantry, and I was pleasantly surprised by how sturdy and well-made they felt. Some of the designs for the fronts were quite attractive, they have all kinds of specialized fittings, and I was interested the see the wood counters on a kitchen model that looked a lot like mine, since I've been toying with the idea of someday replacing my tile counters with wood.
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We are just finishing a complete kitchen remodel. Being on a limited budget, we looked at all opportunities to save - including looking at Ikea cabinets. To make out decision, I talked to people who had used them. This critique is from secondary sources, not my own experience. But with 38 years in the construction business with many years doing high end residential work, I'm not coming to this as an amateur.
The only two significant problems the people I talked to had are as follows:
1. Because the cases are made of composite material (i.e., particle board), the weight of larger cabinet doors can cause the hinge screws to loosen, causing the doors to sag.
If the doors sag, a possible (untried) fix would be to use a plug cutter to remove the particle board at the loose screw, & glue in a solid wood plug to hold the screw.2. Heavier counter tops such as granite or CaesarStone & similar materials are too much for the stock legs provided with the cabinets. This is easily remedied by setting the cabinets on a continuous 1.4 or 2x4 base in lieu of the stock legs.
That said, Ikea cabinets are an excellent value.
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I am in the process of remodeling our kitchen right now with Ikea cabinets. I've assembled about half of them, they feel pretty strong so far but of course I can't say what will happen over the long term. They recently extended the warranty on their cabinets from 10 years to 25 years, so they seem pretty confident in them.
I will say that the drawer hardware is awesome, very smooth-running and inexpensive.
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