What Is a Kitchen Plinth?
A kitchen plinth, also called a kickboard, is the decorative panel covering the gap between the base of your kitchen units and the floor. It hides adjustable feet, protects the base of units, and gives the kitchen a built-in appearance. Plinths are included in our standard installation.
What a Plinth Does
A kitchen plinth — also known as a kickboard — serves both a functional and aesthetic purpose. Functionally, it conceals the adjustable feet used to level the base units and prevents debris from accumulating under the cabinets. Aesthetically, it creates a continuous visual base to the kitchen, giving it a built-in, furniture-like appearance. Without plinths, the exposed feet and underside of the cabinets give the kitchen an unfinished look. Plinths are one of the last elements fitted during installation and make a significant difference to the finished appearance.
Materials and Fitting
Plinths are typically supplied by the kitchen manufacturer in the same finish as the cabinet doors and supplied in standard lengths. They are cut to length and clipped into place using plinth clips fixed to the adjustable feet. On straight runs, plinth fitting is straightforward. External corners require a mitre cut. The plinth height is matched to the gap between the floor and the underside of the unit, which is set during the levelling process.
Scribing Plinths to Uneven Floors
Where a floor is significantly uneven, the plinth must be scribed — cut to follow the exact profile of the floor — to eliminate visible gaps. Scribing requires a profile gauge and careful cutting with a jigsaw. It is a skilled task that is particularly common in older Coventry properties with stone or uneven solid floors. Install My Kitchen includes all plinth fitting and scribing in our standard installation service.
Related Questions
Most kitchen retailers include plinth panels with the kitchen order, but check your order confirmation. Plinths are ordered to match your door colour and finish. Install My Kitchen fits all plinths supplied with your kitchen as part of the standard installation.
Technically yes, but plinths are best fitted by the kitchen fitter who has set the unit heights and knows the exact gap to the floor. Scribing to an uneven floor in particular requires experience and the correct tools.
Standard plinth height is typically 150mm, corresponding to the standard adjustable foot height range. The actual installed height may vary slightly depending on floor levels and the height at which units have been set.
This depends on your kitchen supplier. Some brands offer plinths in contrasting colours or materials. Discuss this with your retailer at the design stage — plinth colour choice is often overlooked until it is too late to change.
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