When Shopping for Kitchen and Bath Cabinets—Make Sure You Compare Quality!

When you shop for cabinets for your kitchen or bathroom, keep in mind that in today’s value pricing market, consumers are sometimes not easily able to measure apples to apples. We are often confronted by clients who want to keep their budgets down and our job is first to make sure they understand the construction difference between a low, medium and high quality cabinet before they compare the pricing. Many contractors will provide just a price on a kitchen remodel and not give enough information on the quality of the cabinets they are going to install. This can be a disaster when the family starts to use the products daily.

Take a look at our newsletter on the construction qualities to look for and and take a copy of our shopping list below to compare the cabinet construction differences while you  the cabinet price. Remember if it sounds too good to be true it probably is not true, so make sure you understand the minimum construction qualities to look for when shopping for cabinets that will hold up under the daily wear and tear of your family’s needs.

For A Safe Home—Here’s a Minimum Standard Your New Cabinets Should Meet

• Catalyzed conversion varnish finish inside and out (the reason to buy manufactured cabinets).
• Butt doors on all two door cabinets up to at least 36″ wide (budget cabinets use a center divider, called a center stile, as part of the cabinet structure and to hold up skimpy shelves).
• 3/4″ shelves in 65 lb. particleboard or plywood with a vinyl or wood veneer (such particleboard is actually less likely to warp than plywood, though plywood is an acceptable alternative). 
Or, when buying a frameless cabinet product:
 Minimum 3/4″ melamine covered 65 lb particleboard construction on all horizontal members, and 5/8″ (3/4″ is better but heavier for installers) on all vertical members.
• Adjustable shelves at minimum every 1 1/2″ in all wall and base cabinets.
• Optional or standard full depth shelves in base cabinets.
• Optional roll out shelves with same spec as drawers.
• Minimum 5/8″ thick solid wood drawers with dadoed or dovetail construction and a captive bottom. 
Or, metal or wood drawers as above on a frameless product.
 Measure the interior size of drawers; substandard ones skimp on the depth and front to rear dimension.
• Minimum 100 lb. capacity side or bottom-mount drawer slides, 2 each drawer. Full-extension slides available as an option (not necessary except with special accessories).
• Solid hardwood or semi-hardwood drawers finished with a catalyzed conversion varnish on all surfaces.
• Cabinet interiors finished on all surfaces with a catalyzed conversion varnish or heavy vinyl wrap for a wipe clean interior (no shelf paper needed on either).
• Customization available as needed: angled cabinets, custom width, height and depth, extended stiles (like an attached filler) at minimum.
• Lifetime warranty on all hinges, drawer slides, and other mechanical components.
• A manufacturer that will be around to honor its warranty. (Research their history and select a manufacture that has lasted long enough to have a history of improving their quality and standing behind it.

For more information on choosing the right cabinets for your home, visit http://thekitchenwarehousela.com or call for an appointment with a professional kitchen designer.