Cabinetry 101
For most homeowners, kitchen remodeling is the largest investment they will make aside from the
home itself. With so many sellers and kitchen cabinet designs vying for your business, how do you
make sure you get what you want at a price that will let you cook in that new kitchen? To make
such a momentous decision, you must first gain a working knowledge of cabinet construction and
options. As with most products, you get what you pay for. This means the best-constructed
cabinets with increased design flexibility cost more. Remember, however, skimping on the basics
so you can afford hyped options or finishes is not the way to get value from an investment that
should last 20 or more years. Here is some background to help you identify areas of concern and
make those difficult choices when you're ready for a kitchen remodeling project.
The box component of bathroom or kitchen cabinet designs is more complicated than its simple
name suggests. As a general rule, the more real wood used in the construction of a cabinet
box, the better. Quality plywood is a good material that holds up the best over time. How the
wood is joined together is just as important. Does the box include stronger engineered, mechanical
joinery using rabbets and dados, or are abutting pieces held together with staples and glue only? Plywood
is good for larger surface areas such as sides and toe boards. Exposed end panels should be covered
with stained wood veneer or melamine that closely matches the exterior finish. On the interior,
boxes ideally should be easy to clean and light colored for maximum light reflection and ease of
viewing. This is easily achieved through the application of a light-colored (sometimes birch or
maple wood grain or white) melamine over the plywood. If your kitchen cabinet designs call for
open or glass-doored cabinets, make sure the line you choose offers a stained wood veneer interior
to match the outer finish.
The drawer is yet another box to be considered when buying cabinetry for a kitchen remodeling
project. Because it is highly visible, it should be made of real wood for the best appearance. The
most ideal kitchen cabinet designs will use a drawer box that is held together with dovetail joints
on all four corners. Interlocking dovetail joints are attractive and stronger than pinned or doweled
joints. The drawer "system" includes not only the drawer, but also the glide(s) on which
it rolls. Drawers should roll easily and stop automatically so they don't fall out, while allowing
easy access to contents. Full-extension glides allow the drawer to be pulled out completely for
access to the back of the drawer. Better drawer glides include a spring-loaded, self-closing
feature. And where the glides are mounted, under or on the sides of the drawer box, is really a
combination of personal preference and current trend. When the glides are mounted underneath, they
allow for a wide drawer box and they don't catch dirt the way side mount glides do.
When considering a collection of cabinetry, look beyond door styles and finishes to specific cabinet
types (SKUs), modifications and flexibility. By choosing a cabinet line, you are dictating the options
your designer may use when piecing your kitchen together.
Having a wide selection of door styles, finishes and wood species from which to choose is great, of
course. However, the quality of these ingredients is of the utmost importance to guarantee a lasting
investment. Be careful not to judge a finish by its sheen or feel. Ask about the finishing process. The
best finishing process carefully prepares high-grade wood through hand sanding and staining and is
sealed with an oven-cured, catalyzed conversion varnish. The resulting satin finish is impervious to
liquids and stains from everyday use, along with being easy to clean.
Should there be a problem with your bathroom or kitchen cabinets, you'll want to make sure the manufacturer
will stand behind its products with a warranty. Another reliable mark of quality is KCMA Certification. This
means cabinets meet at least the minimum standards for quality set by the American Kitchen Cabinetry
Manufacturers Association. But you'll still want to find out the warranty offered on each component.