Options for Cabinet Installation

There is a wider array of cabinetry available to today’s homeowner ranging in price, style and quality. With so many cabinets out there, choosing the right one for you can be confusing but if you keep in mind these simple facts, you’ll have no trouble finding the cabinet of your dreams. Cabinets generally fall into two categories, stock cabinets and custom cabinets.

Stock cabinets are the kind you find readymade basically off the shell. Stock cabinets are much less costly than custom cabinets because they are mass produced with fewer design options. They also come in standard sizes. Meaning you will need to buy filler pieces to make them fit the dimensions of your kitchen. Still, stock cabinets can be ready for pickup in days if not hours rather than the weeks of preparation needed for custom cabinetry.

Custom cabinets are built from scratch to your design specifications. They are quality crafted to reflect your personal style and will fit the dimensions of your kitchen perfectly. Of course, these will cost you a lot more than stock. And the time it takes between your order and delivery is weeks instead of days. Still, your cabinets will be completely unique.

In terms of cabinet construction, opt for durability. Cabinet doors and drawers take a bidding. They need to hold up to all the swinging and shutting day after day. So, look for good solid doors and drawers with dovetail joints that are made to last.

Cabinet boxes are built using a number of composite materials including plywood, particleboard and MDF with plywood winning the tensile strength contest. Solid wood is not recommended for the cabinet box because it is susceptible to warping in the heat and humidity changes of the kitchen.

For shelves, think thick. Three quarter inch thick is strong enough to bear the weight of kitchenware overtime without bowing.

When it comes to cabinet appearance, consider the long-term. Not only do cabinet set the tone of a kitchen, you are going to be looking at them for years, so the color and style need to have a long lasting appeal. Doors and drawers fronts are where your style shows of the most.

Do you like the clean look of flat doors? The elegance of raised panels or the country flavor of recessed panels and do not underestimate the hardware details. Cabinet knobs and pulls accent your own personal touch and storage accessories add that extra convenience. Slide out bins, lazy Susan’s and even wine racks help maximize every inch of space to give you hassle-free cooking. All these choices may seem daunting yet the more you know your options and what you like, the easier your cabinet shopping adventure will be.