Kitchen Defects at Handover: Counter Slope, Cabinet Fit, Sink Drainage and the Chimney Duct
The kitchen carries more services in less space than any other room, so it collects the most defects. Counters that drain the wrong way, chimney ducts that vent into a shaft, and dado sealant that fails within a year — what to check and what a proper fix looks like.
Updated · 6 min read · by HomeGyan certified engineers
The short answer
- Pour a mug of water on the counter. It should run away from the wall and towards the sink. Water standing at the back edge will find the joint, get under the counter, and swell the carcass within a year.
- A chimney duct that terminates inside a shaft rather than at an external outlet moves your cooking smoke into the building instead of out of it. It is common, and it is very expensive to correct after occupation.
- The silicone line where the dado meets the counter is the single most failure-prone joint in the kitchen. It should be continuous, with no gaps at the corners or behind the tap.
- Open every drawer and shutter, not a sample. Soft-close channels that were never adjusted, and shutters that foul on each other, are adjustments now and replacements later.
- Check that appliance sockets are protected by an RCD, positioned clear of the sink, and actually live — a kitchen has more water and more load than any other room in the flat.
The counter
- Level along its length, with any fall running towards the sink rather than towards the wall.
- Joints in the slab aligned and colour-matched, with the nosing polished on all exposed edges.
- Overhang matching the specification — a short overhang drips onto the shutter fronts below.
- Sink clamped firmly with a continuous silicone seal, and the drain board falling towards the bowl.
- No standing water anywhere after you pour and wait a minute.
The dado and sealant line
The tiled dado behind the counter takes the most water and heat in the flat, and the silicone joint where it meets the counter is what keeps that water out of the carcass. It is also the last thing applied and the most often rushed.
Look along the joint at eye level rather than from above. Gaps, thin runs and missed corners are obvious from that angle and invisible from standing height. Check specifically behind the tap and at the internal corners, which are where it usually fails first.
The chimney and ventilation
The duct should run to an external outlet. A duct that stops inside a shaft, or vents into a false ceiling void, discharges cooking grease and moisture into the building fabric. This is worth checking properly, because it is one of the few kitchen defects that is genuinely difficult and expensive to correct once you have moved in.
Where a hob cutout has been made, confirm it matches the appliance you intend to install. A cutout made for a generic hob often needs modification, and modifying stone after installation risks the slab.
Services in the kitchen
- Hot and cold inlets both live, with angle valves that turn fully and shut off without weeping.
- Appliance sockets at usable heights, in adequate number, and protected by an RCD or RCCB.
- Water purifier point with an inlet, a drain provision and a socket within reach.
- Floor draining without ponding, and the floor trap grating seated flush.
- Window and mesh operating properly — a kitchen needs genuine cross ventilation, not just an openable pane.
Cabinetry
Open and close every drawer and every shutter rather than checking two and assuming the rest. Look for shutters that foul each other at the hinge side, drawers that do not sit level when closed, and exposed raw edges inside the carcass where edge banding was skipped.
Inside the defect liability period these are adjustments the builder's carpenter makes in an afternoon. Left for a year, a channel that was never adjusted becomes a channel that has worn, and adjustment becomes replacement.
Frequently asked questions
Water pools at the back of my counter near the wall. Is that a defect?
Yes. The counter should not fall towards the wall. Standing water there works into the joint between counter and dado, gets behind the sealant and swells the cabinet carcass. It is a levelling defect and should be corrected rather than sealed over.
How do I check where my chimney duct actually goes?
Follow it visually as far as you can and ask the site team to show you the external termination. If nobody can show you where it discharges, treat that as unresolved. Ducts that stop inside a shaft are common enough to be worth confirming rather than assuming.
The silicone at my counter looks fine. How long should it last?
A properly applied joint in a good sealant lasts years. One applied over a dusty or damp surface can fail within months. If it is already lifting, discoloured or gapped at handover, ask for it to be raked out and redone rather than topped up.
Are kitchen sockets required to be RCD protected?
It is the accepted safe practice, and for good reason — the kitchen combines the highest appliance load in the flat with the most water. If your appliance circuits are not RCD protected, flag it with the electrical defects rather than as a kitchen snag.
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