Kitchen Cabinets
Posted on May 8, 2008 - Filed Under Kitchen Suppliers, Kitchen Cabinets |
The different construction method and materials used in Kitchen Cabinets is where most kitchen suppliers try to demonstrate how their company is different to others.
One of the trickiest decisions to be make is, which corner solution to install to give maximum utilisation of space.
We have included this link to our Kitchen Corner Cabinets section for help and guidance on these products.
Contruction: much of this generally depends on your budget. You can spend thousands on solid wood, bespoke products from a Master Carpenter (although not all solid wood products are hand made!)
At the other end of the budget scale you can have melamine laminated chip board products. The choice is yours. As it is a cheap and cheerful solution, chipboard does have it’s drawbacks.
1. Depending on the density of the chipboard (it can vary), it may crack or splinter when using screws to join two pieces. Although there are special screws to help avoid this problem, care should still be taken.
2. If the sides of the unit sit directly on the kitchen floor, it will absorb any moisture from spills or leaks. This will cause splitting and damp ingress and, in time, will require the unit (and those adjoining it) to be replaced.
The solution for kitchen cabinets constructed of timber is to ensure they come with adjustable feet that lifts the unit off the floor. They also allow easy adjustment for uneven floors.
Also, when aligning a row of kitchen cabinets together, the adjustment of the feet on each will ensure the top is level across the complete run. This is important to ensure the worktop is installed correctly - without any lumps and bumps from a poorly fitted cabinet.
Solid wood cabinetry provides the luxury of viewing natural wood from any position - inside and out. Obviously, as you are dealing with a natural product, it may need more looking after than a laminated finish.
If you purchase stand-alone products that are often available in solid wood as in the picture on the right, you could even take the kitchen with you when you moved house! Of course, this applies to kitchen appliances as well.
Most kitchen units today use good quality laminated medium density fibre-board (MDF) as it is a stable material with minimal water penetration properties.
Don’t forget, once all the units are fitted to each other and the wall, they are not going anywhere. This allows you to focus on the quality of the cabinet doors because they are always on show and take the most battering.
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