Andy

The B&Q carcasses are OK. Nothing special, but definitely a step up from the stuff supplied by Focus (or for that matter in the average new build), but equally not the best quality available. In general there is little to choose between the larger DIY stores - all the carcasses are 15mm or 18mm thick MFC (melamine-faced chipboard), but there are some differences worth noting:-

Carcass material: 18mm MFC is normally bettwr than 15mm as it can hold longer screws. This can give a longer lifetime

Edge banding: Better carcasses have all exposed edges edge banded with at least 0.8mm melamine edging tape. You can always iron this on yourself to improve the durability of a lower-cost carcass. The best carcasses (such as those by firms like Ball & Ball) incorporate a 2mm thick PVC or ABS edgebanding.

Construction: Pre-assembled glued and dowelled carcasses are always going to be stronger and more rigid than KD (knock-down or cam and dowel fastener) carcasses. Both MFI and Howdens offer pre-assembled carcasses

Backs: Avoid like the plague any carcasses with thin backs. The minimum should be 8mm double-sided MFC or MF-MDF with 12, 15 or even 18mm being preferable

Hardware: Better carcasses will use hinges by reputable companies such as Salice, Hettich or Blum and not cheaper Eastern European, Malaysian or Chinese ones.

Drawer boxes: The best drawer boxes are ones like the Blum Tandem or Hettich Quadro types. You may also see drawer mechanisms by another firm, Grass, which are in the same league. The boxes themselves should be either metal or dovetailed beech

Doors: The difference between a good wooden door and a poor one is that a good door will have the grain and colours of the individual stiles and rails more carefully matched. Cheaper doors are made with much less attention to detail.

One point about B&Q is that they are notorious for incomplete deliveries (and for designing stuff which either won't fit or is a nightmare to install), so if you buy from them make sure that you have all the components to build the kitchen before the fitter starts. Preferably involve the fitter at the design stage as his experience can prove very handy and make sure that all the services are installed and correctly positionmed before commencing the fit. You'd be surprised how even an experienced electrician can do something daft loke have electrical outlets directly behind a washing machine meaning it won't push back against the wall with the plug in.....

Hope that helps

Scrit