KITCHEN GUIDE
End Panels, Corner Posts and Infills: How to Measure and Fit Them
Panels are ordered oversized and cut on site. This guide explains which panel does which job, how to pick the right size, and how to scribe to a wall that is not straight — because none of them are.
Why panels are where most orders go wrong
Doors are simple — you measure what is already there. Panels are not, because there is often nothing there to measure.
When you replace doors, the old door tells you the size. When you finish the end of a run, or turn a corner, or close a gap between a cabinet and a wall, you are working to a space rather than to an object — and the space is almost never square.
That is why panels are supplied oversized. You are meant to cut them down on site to fit the opening you actually have, not the one the plans said you would have.
The pieces and what each one is for
- Plain end panel
- A flat panel that finishes the exposed end of a run of units. The default choice on slab and handleless kitchens.
- T&G end panel
- Tongue-and-groove face. Matches shaker and traditional ranges where a flat end would look out of place.
- J-profile end panel
- Carries the J-shaped return used on true handleless ranges so the panel end matches the door profile.
- Internal corner post
- Fills and finishes the angle where two runs meet in the corner of a room.
- External corner post
- Wraps the outside angle at the end of a run, so no raw board edge is on show.
- Breakfast bar panel
- A large decorative panel for the exposed side of an island or peninsula.
Choosing the right size panel
Measure the cabinet, then add the door
An end panel usually needs to finish flush with the front of the door, not the front of the cabinet. Measure the cabinet depth, then add the door thickness and the gap the door stands proud. If you set the panel to the cabinet depth alone, the door will overhang it.
Measure floor to worktop, not cabinet height
Base panels run from the floor to the underside of the worktop, which includes the leg height and any levelling you have done. On an uneven floor, measure at both the front and the back of the cabinet and take the larger figure — you can always take material off.
Pick the next size UP, always
Our panels come in set sizes — for example 774 × 370, 954 × 370, 900 × 650 and 2400 × 650 in the Hadley range. Choose the first size that is bigger than your opening in both directions and trim it down. A panel that is 5mm short is scrap.
Scribe to the wall rather than trusting it
Walls are not straight and corners are not 90°. Hold the panel in position, set a compass or a block-and-pencil to the widest gap, and run it down the wall to transfer the wall's actual shape onto the panel. Cut to that line. This is the single technique that separates a fitted-looking kitchen from a bought one.
Cut the back edge, never the front
Take your material off the edge that meets the wall. The front edge is the one people see and the one that is properly finished — once you cut it, you have a raw board edge to deal with.
Dealing with the cut edge
Every panel you cut leaves an unfinished board edge. If that edge will be visible — and on a scribed panel the top or front often is — it needs covering with matching edging tape. If it is genuinely hidden against a wall, it still benefits from being sealed so moisture cannot get into the core.
Our edging tape guide covers pre-glued and un-glued tape, and how to get a clean trimmed edge.
Corner posts and the gaps nobody plans for
Check the door will actually open first
In an internal corner, two doors meeting at 90° can foul each other or catch on the adjacent handle. Open both doors fully before you fix a corner post — the post is what creates the clearance, and getting the position wrong means a door that only opens halfway for the rest of its life.
Match the post height to the run
Internal corner posts come in a 715mm and an 895mm height, and external posts at 900mm, all in a 59 × 59mm section on the Jayline and Lacarre ranges. Pick the one that matches your cabinet height rather than cutting a taller one down — a factory end is always cleaner than a site cut.
Use an infill where a run meets a wall
Where a cabinet stops short of a wall, do not stretch the door to cover it. Fill the gap with a strip cut from a matching panel so the door keeps its correct size and the filler takes the irregularity. It is a cleaner result and it keeps the door a standard part.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an end panel on every exposed end?
On any end that is on show, yes — an unfinished cabinet side is chipboard or MDF with a plain melamine face and it does not match your doors. The exception is an end that will be completely enclosed, for example against a wall or behind an integrated appliance housing.
What size end panel do I need for a tall unit?
Tall and larder units generally need a full-height panel — 2400mm covers the great majority of UK tall units and is trimmed down on site. Measure from the floor to the top of the unit, add anything you need for cornice, and choose the panel that exceeds it.
Can I use a door as an end panel?
It is a common shortcut and it usually shows. A door is made to be seen from the front with its edges finished as a door, and on many ranges it carries a profile or a lip that reads wrong lying flat against a cabinet side. Panels are supplied in panel sizes and finishes for a reason.
My panel is slightly the wrong shade to my doors. Why?
Panels and doors are made on different lines and sometimes in different batches, and on some finishes a very slight batch variation is normal. Ordering doors and panels together in one go is the reliable way to avoid it — which is also why we recommend ordering the whole job at once rather than adding pieces later.
How do I fix an end panel to the cabinet?
From inside the cabinet, so no fixing shows on the face. Pilot-drill through the cabinet side and use a screw short enough that it cannot break through the panel — measure it against the panel thickness first, remembering that thickness varies by range from 18mm to 22mm.
Do you cut panels to size for me?
No. We are a supply-only business: panels arrive in their standard sizes and are cut on site. That is deliberate — a panel cut to a plan rarely matches the room, and scribing on site to the wall you actually have gives a far better fit.
Send us your measurements before you order
Tell us the openings you need to fill and we will tell you which panels cover them.