Kitchen Cabinet Ideas

The Kitchen Cabinet Cheat Sheet

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:09:13 +0000

Choosing kitchen cabinets can be a difficult task because of the sheer amount of options out there, but having a basic understanding before you go shopping will you save you time, money and a lot of aggravation. With that in mind, cityhammer.com, New York's #1 Remodeling Directory, is proud to present the Kitchen Cabinet Cheat Sheet!

Cabinetry Industry

Americans spent roughly $23 billion on cabinetry in 2006 according to Catalina Research. Based on our discussions with New York and New Jersey area contractors, cabinets typically make up 40% to 50% of the average kitchen remodel cost for the homeowner. The major variables that a kitchen expert can help a homeowner navigate through are style, project cost, quality, size, species and finish, and construction.

Styles of Cabinetry

There are so many different variations and styles of cabinets, it would be impossible to list them all here, but you should have an idea of what's out there so that you can decide what would work with the existing components and look of your kitchen.

You will see things like the traditional Flat Panel, the Beaded Door which incorporates a vertical texture of beading on a simple frame. There will be recessed doors with flat panels suspended inside the doors' perimeters and Full Overlays where the doors drawer design are given prominent placement because they cover most of the face frame.

If you are interested in a more open look, consider Mullion Doors which have glass inserts in place of the typical panel of solid wood, usually accented with vertical and horizontal bars that divide the glass like a windowpane.

Keep in mind also that there are two main options for framing. Framed cabinets traditionally have a front frame which juts out and this is where the door is attached. Frameless cabinets, also known as European-style, have doors that are attached to the sides of the cabinets themselves using pin and dowel construction as opposed to glue, staples or dowel and screw.

Project Cost and Budgeting

If you go by the statistic mentioned of 40% to 50% going towards cabinets for the average kitchen remodel, you can pretty much figure out the dollar amount to allocate based on the total budget you are planning for your kitchen. Depending on how much that leaves you to spend, you can choose between 3 basic price range levels of cabinets which we'll discuss in the next section below.

Quality of Cabinetry

The 3 basic categories of cabinet quality levels are:

Stock: Stock cabinets are the best-selling type of cabinetry in the United States for two main reasons; they are widely available at stores like Home Depot and Lowes and they are much cheaper than custom or semi-custom cabinets in most cases. The downside is, what you see is what you get. While the superstores are carrying a greater selection than ever, you still won't get as much choice in terms of woods, colors, styles and finishes as you would with a custom product.

Semi-custom: This option will give you more choice than stock but the customization options will be somewhat limited. That said, you will have the ability to decide on aspects of the cabinetry such as reduced or increased depths, whether or not the interiors match, or you can choose more intricate details like inverted frames. This is a small but growing segment of the cabinetry industry.

Custom: Custom Cabinets give you unlimited choice in all details but will obviously cost more than the other options. You can choose dimensions and shape, pick wood species and finishing, as well as work with the carpenter to add the kind of detailing that will make them truly customized to your taste and overall kitchen aesthetics.

Size and Measurement

This is one area of remodeling where you will definitely want a professional to do the measuring for you. You should go out to the showrooms with a good notion of the amount of space and the shape of your kitchen, but the final measurements, even if you're choosing stock, need to precise. This will also help with getting estimates so you can gauge whether or not the cabinets you are looking at will fit your budget.

Species and Finish Options

Much like wood flooring, there are a myriad of different wood species available but certain woods are considered classic for the kitchen. These include maple, cherry, hickory and oak. Obviously, having a solid wood cabinet as opposed a composite material covered by a wood veneer is preferable, as a veneer is only 1/32 of an inch of wood. A veneer gives the cabinet face a more homogenized look and can protect the cabinet from climate and moisture. Other finishes include painted, stained and glazed wood. Glazes and stains can even out the natural character of wood species or change the color of the underlying material to better match its surroundings in the room.

Construction of Cabinets

There is a mind-boggling array of shapes and sizes for cabinets and what they can hold. With stock products, there will be less variety, but in general, when visiting a showroom or store, you'll see everything from pullout shelves for pans, to wine racks and vertical dividers for cookie sheets or trays to pull-out bins and the ever popular lazy susan cabinets. There are also several ways to go with a tall vertical pantry if storage space is limited horizontally.

Some Key Cabinetry Terms

Without getting carried away on terminology, there are a few words and phrases that will be informative for the cabinet buyer.

Medium Density Fiberboard: An engineered wood often used for the shelving within the cabinet because of it's tighter and smoother surface.

Vinyl Laminate: The most common type of lining material for cabinet interiors, it's thicker than melamine and is extremely resistant to abrasions or moisture. Melamine Laminate: The durable covering material for doors and drawers, thicker than vinyl thus adding strength and protection.

Thermofoil: The flexible vinyl product with a sticky bottom that adheres to MDF of engineered wood surfaces on the door or drawer making them easy to clean and more durable.

Soffit: The area between the top of the cabinets and the ceiling itself which is usually a foot high; also known as the bulkhead.

V-Groove: A style of door design with ridges or vertical grooves that can allow the finish technique to be more easily observed.

Happy Shopping

So now you've got the Cheat Sheet, the budget, a good idea of what's out there in terms of choice, and some of the terms and jargon required for your cabinet shopping adventure. Remember to use a qualified carpenter or kitchen and bath contractor for estimates and measurements and to keep track of the expense relative to the total kitchen remodeling project cost and you should be just fine.

Bamboo Kitchen Cabinets

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:30:01 +0000

When looking at your kitchen remodeling needs, one of the hot kitchen design trends is to reduce the overall impact our choice has on the environment. A popular choice these days is bamboo kitchen cabinets. But how good is bamboo as a wood product, and why is it better than traditional hardwoods in its impact on the environment?

How Does Bamboo Look in Furniture? How Well Does It Hold Up?

The looks of bamboo are what you might expect. The color of bamboo varies somewhat depending on the variety and the location that it was grown, much like any hardwood. But it is versatile and can be stained to a wide range of finishes, so can be made to match almost any home decor. It has a light colored edge grain, tending towards a neutral blond.

Bamboo as a wood is quite hard, harder than many traditional hardwoods like walnut or oak. When it is cut and built into a furniture product or used in kitchen cabinets it will not warp or shrink (this is known as dimensional stability and once again it is better than many traditional hardwood products). This of course is important since the fit of your doors and drawers won't degrade with the passage of time. Surprisingly, even though it's technically a grass, its nickname is green steel because it is so hard.

Where Does Bamboo Come From and How is It Harvested?

Technically, bamboo is a grass, and is thought to be the fastest growing plant on the planet. There are many varieties of bamboo, and the ones used for furniture generally come from the varieties known as timber bamboos. It grows in a large number of areas in the world, mostly in tropical climates. Some areas like Costa Rica have developed plans to enhance sustainability, but other areas like China are still catching up in that arena. There are efforts to grow it in the US, including areas like Alabama. It's usually grown without chemicals and pesticides, and can be harvested after only five or six years.

Where Can You Find Bamboo Cabinets?

AlterEco is a company in the business of selling bamboo cabinets for a number of years. They offer not only kitchen cabinets but other bamboo products like bathroom cabinets. They have a retail store in the San Francisco area.

California has several sellers of bamboo products. Another is Laguna Cabinets, based in Laguna, California. They do a lot of custom design work, once again they handle bathroom cabinets, too.

Grasswood Cabinets makes a number of modular kitchen cabinets, giving a great look at a lower cost than a fully custom design. They are based in San Jose, but ship over a large part of the country.

In the Midwest Mister Bamboo has introduced a line of kitchen cabinets.

Bamboo cabinets will look great in your kitchen. While the environmental impact is not as straightforward as you would like, the reality is that bamboo has the potential to be a very eco friendly product, and there is little question that as a hardwood replacement it is an excellent choice.

Kitchen Cabinet Ideas

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 01:34:05 +0000

Kitchen cabinet ideas are just about endless; there are hundreds of different options for your cabinets. When planning a new home or remodeling an older one, the kitchen cabinets make one of the most important investment decisions a homeowner will face. Well designed kitchen cabinets can make food preparation chores and clean-up much more efficient. In addition, the cabinets are the first thing a person notices when entering the kitchen, so their style and appearance play a big role in overall home decor.

There are three classes of kitchen cabinets to choose from when building. These are stock, semi-custom, and custom.

Stock cabinets are already built and require the shortest wait when installing. They are also the least expensive option. However, they are also the choice that will be the least tailored to your own specific needs. While stock cabinets should hold your supplies adequately, you might have special needs and interests that would make more individualistic cabinets desirable.

Semi-custom cabinets do not require as long a wait as truly customized kitchen cabinets, but they are not built until the order is made. These cabinets can fit your spaces more precisely and feature options like a lazy susan. They generally take at least a month to be built. True custom cabinets are crafted according to the home owner's specific needs, and can take several months to be completed.

A refinish is the best choice if you're on a tight budget. Unscrew the hardware, take off those cabinet doors, and get started! Once you've prepped the surfaces, you can do a simple stain or paint, or go more in-depth with a multi-step finish.

Alternatively, you could refront the cabinets. You'll find many companies out there that specialize in this. What this process involves is leaving the "bones" of the cabinets in place.

However, the installers will take down the doors and front faces of the cabinetry and replace them with a design you've chosen from their inventory. This option gives you a completely new look without the hassle and cost of completely replacing the cabinetry structure.

If you decide to redo the whole thing, you'll still have hundreds, perhaps thousands, kitchen cabinet ideas from which to choose. If you're going to do it yourself, and you've never tried it before, do your homework first.

To better understand all the things involved in cabinet installation, you might want to consult an experienced installer. The other option is to pay someone else to install the cabinets for you.

If you're looking to choose new cabinetry, there's lots of places to look. Consider finding great deals online. Browse through some of the beautiful online showrooms by cabinetry makers.

Large home improvement stores have a great selection of cabinets, in all different styles, from contemporary to traditional. Even some discount stores and home products retailers have options for new cabinets. Larger selections of kitchen cabinet ideas can be found in the specialty stores. You never know what you'll find, so be sure to shop around!

IKEA Kitchen Remodeling Secrets

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 15:47:29 +0000

Building one IKEA cabinet is simple. Designing, ordering, assembling and installing a whole kitchen full is do-able but there are many more opportunities to make mistakes. It takes more planning - and more knowledge. Knowledge is what this book gives you.

Do You Know How To Remodel Your Kitchen ithout Making These Costly Mistakes?

Before you start your kitchen remodeling project using Ikea Cabinets, honestly answer the questions below to find out if you're completely prepared for your kitchen project or if you're about to make an expensive mistake that will leave you "high and dry" without a working kitchen for 6 months...

Are you thinking about using Ikea Cabinets for your kitchen remodeling project but you don't know the first thing about you're getting yourself into?
Do you have any Idea how to build cabinet boxes without wasting time and making costly mistakes that can sabotage your project from the beginning?
Do You know how to install your kitchen cabinets correctly so it look like a professional did it?
Do you know how long your remodeling project will take? Or are you only guessing, hoping that somehow everything will just "workout fine" if you keep your fingers crossed?
Do you know how to avoid having lost or missing parts on your order when your Ikea cabinet delivery arrives before the delivery truck is pulling out of your driveway and you're stuck with the wrong cabinets?
Do you know how to save $1000+ on hardwood flooring installation by using my secret contractor tip on exactly where and how to buy your flooring?
Do you know how to save over $1500 on your kitchen counter top installation and have a professional contractor do the work for you?
Do you know what time of day to buy your cabinets so your order doesn't get screwed up and you have to postpone your installation for 3-6 weeks?
Do you know how to phase your remodeling project so you're not left high and dry without a working kitchen for 6 months?
Are you sick and tired of searching all over the Internet trying to find answers to your kitchen remodeling questions and not having any luck?
Do you get cold sweats in the middle of the night thinking about your project because it all seems so overwhelming that you're thinking of giving up and scraping the whole idea of remodeling your kitchen all together?

Get Insider Tips to Help You Plan, Design, Organize, and Install Your Ikea Kitchen Project Like a Professional Even If You're a Complete Remodeling Rookie with No Skills.

The Ikea Kitchen Secrets Manual is jam-packed with over 155 pages of hard hitting information including...

Step by step picture tutorials that clearly explain how to take your project through the entire remodeling process - from designing the perfect layout, through cabinet installation and every step in between
Money saving tips and advice that will help you complete your project on time and on budget with beautiful results you will be proud of for years to come
Over 300 close-up candid pictures of every step of the entire remodeling process that will show you exactly what to do, and how to do it...

Claim Your Copy of The Manual Now!

Select the Right Type of Wood for Your Kitchen Cabinets

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:41:49 +0000

Kitchen cabinets come in a variety of materials and finishes. If you're building a new home or contemplating a kitchen remodel, there are a number of factors that will influence what type of wood and finish you choose. Some of the factors include how long you plan to live in your house, if you are trying to increase your home's resale value, and if you're going for a contemporary, ultra-modern, or traditional look.

Paint Grade

Paint Grade wood can really consist of a wide range of wood types. Most stock and semi-custom cabinet companies that apply a painted finish may even use MDF or Particleboard instead of wood. The most common paint grade woods will be Birch, Poplar, or Maple.

Oak

Oak is probably the most widely used wood for cabinets. Most contractor grade cabinets, and more economically priced cabinets will be made of Oak. Oak is available in over 200 different species and is grown all around the world. The most common finish for Oak cabinets is just a natural or honey finish. Oak is a strong, dense wood that will hold up to everyday use and can accept stain well.

Pine

Pine comes in three different versions- white, yellow, or ponderosa. White pine can be very easy to work with and will accept stain easily, while ponderosa will require some special attention because of the resin that may still be concentrated in the wood. Pine is great for creating a rustic feel for your home.

Maple

Maple is another widely used wood type and can be found in a wide variety of species. This is probably the most common wood found in RTA Cabinets, because it is grows abundantly in Northern China and most RTA cabinets come from China. There are also more than 10 species of Maple that come out of the US, so there is a wide variety of grains. Most maple is very easy to work with and will accept stain easily. Maple finishes well in any color- from a Honey Finish to a Chestnut Glaze.

Cherry

Cherry is typically used in the mid-priced to higher end cabinets. The unique feature about Cherry is that with a light stain applied, it will actually get darker with time. As the wood ages and is exposed to sunlight, it will change to the reddish brown color most people associate with antique cherry furniture.

Bamboo

With the push towards becoming eco-friendly, more and more cabinets are being designed using Bamboo. Bamboo is a hearty plant that grows rapidly. The biggest drawback to bamboo is that it has to be veneered over another wood, since Bamboo plants do not grow thick enough to cut into planks. Right now, you will only find Bamboo being used by custom shops primarily on the West Coast

Mahogany

Mahogany creates a very rich look, and the wood itself is reddish-brown. Aside from exotic woods, this is going to be one of the most expensive options in the common wood types. Mahogany accepts stain very well, but is not an overly strong wood.

Whether you are building a high end kitchen, or just updating a rental unit, there are a wide variety of wood types to select from. keep in mind that wood cabinetry develops a patina or shine over the years. The lighter the wood is, the darker the patina will be. Lighting and humidity also affect how your cabinets look as they age.

Six Tips When Shopping For Kitchen Cabinets

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:31:21 +0000

Once you have a plan for your kitchen remodeling project, consider the following tips as you start looking at new kitchen cabinets.

Make Sure They Fit - If your kitchen has ‘odd’ areas, spend extra money on custom units so they fit to exact dimensions of the space. Having kitchen cabinets that look out of place can be just as bad as keeping your old cabinets.
Pick Quality Finishes - It doesn’t matter if it’s maple, oak or cherry. You can spot quality kitchen cabinets when the grain matches from piece to piece.
Consider Durability and Warranty - While thermofoil or laminate kitchen cabinets are easier to clean and less expensive than solid wood, they are also less durable. It’s important to find out what the warranty covers when buying thermofoil or laminate kitchen cabinets.
Think About Beauty and Practicality - Pick kitchen cabinets that not only look beautiful, but are also useful. That means making sure they can withstand the pounding of heavy cookware and dishes, as well as countless openings and closings.
Note the Kitchen Cabinet Dimensions - For example, doors should have 3/4-inch thick face frames and have 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick sides. Shelves should be 3/4-inch thick and made of veneer-covered plywood, which is less likely to warp than solid wood.
Note the Kitchen Cabinet Construction - Drawers with dovetailed joints are sturdier than stapled ones. Doors with fitted mortised corners are stronger than non-interlocking butt joints. When it comes to kitchen drawers make sure they extend completely and are equipped with self-closing glides rated to hold 75 pounds.

Choosing the Right Kitchen Cabinet for your Price Range

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 04:59:13 +0000

Kitchen Cabinets are the most important part of your kitchen,they set the tone of your kitchen,They can be highlighted by kitchen appliances such as the refrigerator, stove, cooktop, dishwasher and microwave, or these appliances can be modified to blend in by using panels that match your kitchen cabinets.

Shopping for kitchen cabinets may be an intimidating thing, especially for a first time buyer. There are hundreds of major kitchen cabinet companies, and many more smaller custom kitchen cabinet shops where you can get any cabinet made from any species of wood that your mind can imagine. Add to that list the explosion of RTA Kitchen Cabinet importers, and the laminated cabinet manufacturers, and suddenly the list can be overwhelming. Not to mention the fact that higher price always means high quality in construction, or more features being available.

kitchen cabinets are usually categorized by pricing. Traditionally, the higher-quality cabinets simply cost more money. As I mentioned before, with more and more importers conforming to the KCMA (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association) building standards, some of the RTA Kitchen Cabinets or Stock kitchen cabinets can actually be a sturdier cabinet than the traditional, made to order cabinets. Regardless of what type of kitchen cabinet you decide to go with, it does not take much effort to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the actual kitchen cabinets.

Most kitchen cabinet manufacturers build their kitchen base and wall cabinets in standard sizes. The kitchen base cabinets are often 34.5 inches tall and 24 inches deep. They come in widths starting at 12 inches and can go up to 48 inches often in increasing width increments of 3 inches. Kitchen wall cabinets are often 12 inches deep and 30 inches or 42 inches tall. They also come in the same size widths as the base cabinets. Wall cabinets also come in several different heights and depths for locations such as over the refrigerator or over the microwave/hood range unit. With custom kitchen cabinets, you have even more choices available, since the kitchen cabinets will be created specifically for your kitchen space.

Different semi-custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers make different-sized kitchen cabinets for all sorts of special looks and situations. It is not uncommon to have one cabinet extend beyond adjacent cabinets to create a distinguished look. It pays to shop around to see all of the different possibilities and special cabinet features offered by the custom and semi-custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers.One of the biggest advantages to true custom kitchen cabinets is the ability to make one giant base or wall kitchen cabinet instead of separate boxes that are screwed together by the installer at the jobsite. A custom-cabinet maker can easily make one giant base cabinet 8 feet long that installs as if it were a piece of furniture. The same is true for wall kitchen cabinets. The advantage of this method is the lack of vertical seams where two traditional cabinet boxes would mate up to one another.

Materials used to build the kitchen cabinets must to be pay particular attention to. Some kitchen cabinets are made with minimal-quality engineered lumber, particleboard, or fiberboard. If you plan to load a wall cabinet with heavy traditional china, the weight of the dishes may cause the cabinet to pull apart over time. This is particularly true when it comes to the semi-custom cabinets that the name brand cabinet manufacturers sell at the big box stores (which is why price is not always an accurate gauge of cabinet quality). Many of the RTA Kitchen Cabinet manufacturers use solid plywood sides, which obviously creates a strong kitchen cabinet box than a particleboard or fiberboard box. When it comes to custom cabinets, the material choices are endless and can usually be specified by the customer.

Another factor that will determine the price of kitchen cabinets is the material used to hold it together. Custom kitchen cabinet manufacturers will often use a combination of dovetailed joints, wood biscuits, and glue to create tight joints. Mid-grade kitchen cabinets will have a wide range of materials holding them together (staples and nails on the lower end, to cam lock assembly and wood glue on the higher end). Most RTA Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers utilize the cam lock system, which creates a nice sturdy cabinet, and when enhanced with wood glue, can last a life time. Steer away from any kitchen cabinets that are using staples, wooden dowels, or just screws. The strength of the cabinet will be compromised at the joints with these weaker joining materials.

Purchasing right kitchen cabinets is a a not easy task,you need pay more effort and learn more knowledge before buy them.

Buying Kitchen Cabinets on a Budget

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 05:01:58 +0000

Kitchen cabinets are the backbone of kitchen design. They provide storage and set the tone of the room's style. They also are one of the biggest expenditures in the home. Whatever your taste and financial circumstances. For the budding interior designer it may be tempting to walk away from traditional layouts involving cabinets and shelving, yet the problems with practicalities that arise make this solution simply unworkable. In other words, for any design kitchen cabinets are essential to ensure you manage to provide the level of functionality necessary from your kitchen.

Fortunately,kitchen cabinets come in a wide range of different shapes and sizes. Indeed the variety of styles of cabinet that can be bought means that any prospective kitchen buyer will be sure to find the cabinet he's looking for, to make for a stylish and practical kitchen design.But how do you go about searching for the cabinets you're searching for, and how can you be sure you're getting a good deal?

Before buying the kitchen cabinets,you had better set a budget.You can only buy something as good as your budget, and by setting this out to start with you can understand exactly what kind of cabinets you should be avoiding and what kind of cabinets you should be focusing your attention towards.

Secondly it's important to bear in mind that the kitchen is usually the busiest room in any house, particularly for families, which means it's important that the cabinets you choose are practical, in the sense that they have both sufficient storage space and don't impose too heavily on the room.

Thirdly, whilst you may not initially think it to rank in importance, subconsciously at least you will be considering stylistic factors and the design of the unit in question. Obviously if you're not happy with the design there's no point in opting for that particular cabinet and you may find yourself looking to replace it sooner than anticipated, which could end up costing you more money.

Considering these three factors, your next step should be the Internet. The Internet is a fantastic arena from which furniture can be purchased, because it cuts out much of the sky-high overheads borne by high street retailers. What that means for you of course is that any cabinet you do buy will be contributing to less overhead expenditure overall which should have the effect of resulting in a saving on what you may otherwise expect to pay for your cabinet.

Choosing kitchen cabinets is all about weighing up your options on all sides of the fence: style versus budget versus practicality. Whilst it can be easy to identify your main priority it is important to bear in mind this holy trinity in order to ensure any cabinet you do opt for ticks all the boxes and is likely to provide you with everything you need without hurting your wallet. Likewise, remember for online cabinet buying to choose flatpack and build yourself, to save on often inflated labour and delivery costs to make sure you're getting the best value for your money.

Some tips you must read for upgrading your cabinets

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:31:20 +0000

Familiarize yourself with the industry terms and lingo
The four most common terms you will hear when it comes to cabinets are rta (ready-to-assemble), stock, semi-custom, and custom cabinets. Each one has it's advantages and drawbacks, so it really comes down to your budget and what you are looking for. Ready-to-Assemble and Stock cabinets are the most economical, have the shortest lead times, and are starting to add more and more accessories to their lines. Custom cabinets are going to be the most expensive and have the longest lead times, but there is no limit to the sizes or custom details they can create.

Choose the right style and finish for your kitchen
Light-colored woods, oak and maple make your kitchen seem brighter and larger which is ideal for small spaces or kitchens with very little light. Darker woods like cherry and mahogany create a more dramatic, furniturelike effect. Even with RTA cabinets or stock cabinets, you can still get the custom look by utilizing features such as turned leg pieces that mimic the look of furniture. Door trim kits for appliances can help tie a kitchen together visually, but always consult the appliance manufacturer to make sure they won't interfere with the units operation.

Don't be fooled by the finish
Homeowners have a tendency to get so caught up with the exterior look of the cabinets, that they forget to ask about the cabinet box. The cabinet box is what holds everything together, so you want this to be as strong as possible. Look for cabinets that feature at least 1/2" inch-thick walls and structural rails that can be attached with screws to the wall studs. There are a wide range of materials that are used to make cabinets, including medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and oriented strand board (OSB). While these materials will hold up to normal use, my personal choice is always going to be the cabinets that use plywood. It is less likely to be affected by moisture, sag, or pull apart. High-quality cabinets have dovetail joints in the drawer boxes, and you will also have the option to match the interior finish to that of the exterior.

Be ready for the inevitable
Even with the highest quality cabinets, it is inevitable that something is eventually going to break, whether it is down the road or before installation. When it comes to ordering your cabinets, always ensure that you give yourself some extra time between delivery and installation in the event that something is damaged or needs to be replaced (how much time would depend on whether they are stock cabinets that could easily be replaced or custom cabinets that would have to be remanufactured). Don't forget to unpack all of your cabinets before installing them to ensure you have received units of the correct size. Strange things happen when cabinets are shipped, so at least you will know early on if there's a problem. Also make sure that the manufacturer or supplier can supply extra stain or replacement parts in the event something small needs to be fixed.

Use the right screws
Drywall screws can snap under the heavy load of upper cabinets. Instead, attach cabinets to studs with 2 1/2"-inch deck screws fitted with cabinet washers. usually screw right through the support beams running horizontally across the top and bottom of the cabinets into the wall studs. Join cabinets together to make a single unit and ensure tight seams between the face frames.

Don't try to install cabinets without some help
Regardless of which way you decide, before you lift the wall cabinets into position, screw in a 1x3 cleat just below the layout line to help support their weight. This is a two person job at the very least, but if you decide to go at it alone you should consider building a T-frame or using a cabinet jack to the cabinet in place while you attach it to the wall.

Think Green and Recycle
Just because you are replacing your cabinets, doesn't mean that they are useless, especially if they are in good condition. Think about re-using them in a garage or for extra storage in a laundry room or basement. Even if you can't use them, there are organizations and charities that will pick them up and take them away. So before taking the sledge hammer to your kitchen, try removing your cabinets and giving them new life somewhere else in your house or in someone elses house.

Discount Kitchen Cabinet Purchasing Tips

gzpatton@gmail.com (Administrator) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 03:35:04 +0000

The main thing to closely examine when purchasing discount priced kitchen cabinets are:

Construction
Materials

Construction
Kitchen cabinets endure a lot of wear and tear over the years, so you definitely want to make sure that the construction of the cabinets is durable. Cheaply made cabinets will fall apart in less time than quality made cabinets. Here are a few things to check when browsing for discount priced kitchen cabinets.

Reinforced corners: The corners on the inside of the cabinets should be reinforced because they do bear a lot of weight. Reinforcements are generally "L" brackets made of hard plastic or metal.
Joints: Check how the joints of the drawers come together. Dovetailed joint construction lasts much longer than joints that are glued or screwed together.

Materials
Most of the kitchen cabinets offered at discount stores are going to be constructed of wood, particularly, maple, oak, cherry and pine. Cabinets that make the claim of "solid wood" construction are not necessarily made completely out of a particular species of wood. In fact, many companies will construct the cabinet "carcass" or box out of plywood, particle board or Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) and lay a wood veneer on top. This type of construction if fine because it isn’t necessary to have kitchen cabinets constructed completely out of very expensive hardwood. The only warning here is to watch out for cabinets made of MDF and particle board. Word has it that both have the tendency to sag over time.