Kitchen Cabinet Shopping: Choosing The Right Cabinets For Your Price Range
Kitchen cabinets are, by and large, the core of any kitchen. They can be highlighted with appliances like the refrigerator, stove, range, dishwasher, and microwave, or these appliances can be modified to blend in using panels that match your cabinets.
Buying them can be intimidating, especially for a first-time buyer. There are hundreds/thousands of the major cabinet companies and many more smaller custom 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 laminate manufacturers, and suddenly the list can be overwhelming. Not to mention the fact that a higher price always means higher build quality or more available features.
In the past, price has always been the way to categorize cabinets. Traditionally, higher quality cabinets simply cost more money. As I mentioned before, with more and more importers meeting KCMA (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association) construction standards, some of RTA’s kitchen cabinets can offer a stronger than traditional, made-to-order box. . Regardless of the type of kitchen cabinet you decide to use, it doesn’t take much effort to spend tens of thousands of dollars on the actual cabinets.
Most manufacturers make their base and wall cabinets in standard sizes. Basic cabinets are typically 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. Wall cabinets are typically 12 inches deep and 30 or 42 inches high. They also come in the same size widths as base cabinets. Wall cabinets also come in several different heights and depths for locations such as above the refrigerator or above the microwave/range hood. With custom kitchen cabinets, you have even more options available to you as they will be created specifically for your kitchen space.
Different semi-custom manufacturers make different sized cabinets for all sorts of looks and special situations. It’s not uncommon for a cabinet to extend beyond adjoining cabinets to create a distinguished look. It’s worth shopping around to see all the different possibilities and special features that custom and semi-custom cabinet makers offer.
One of the biggest advantages of true custom cabinets is the ability to make a giant base or wall cabinet instead of separate boxes that the installer bolts on the job site. A custom cabinet maker can easily make a giant 8-foot-long base cabinet that installs like a piece of furniture. The same goes for wall cabinets. The advantage of this method is the lack of vertical seams where two traditional cabinet boxes would butt together.
Pay special attention to the materials used to build the cabinets. Some of them are made with minimal grade engineered wood, particle board, or fiber board. . If you plan to load a wall cabinet with heavy traditional china, the weight of the dishes can cause the cabinet to separate over time. This is particularly true when it comes to the semi-custom cabinets that brand-name cabinet makers sell in big box stores (which is why price isn’t always an accurate indicator of cabinet quality). Many of the RTA kitchen cabinet manufacturers use solid plywood sides, which obviously creates a stronger case than a particleboard or fiberboard case. When it comes to custom cabinetry, the material options 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 them together. Custom fabricators often use a combination of dovetail joints, wood biscuits, and glue to create tight joints. Mid-grade cabinets will have a wide range of materials to hold them together (staples and nails at the bottom, for cam-lock assembly, and wood glue at the top). Most RTA cabinet makers use the cam lock system, which creates a nice sturdy cabinet, and when enhanced with wood glue, can last a lifetime. Stay away from any cabinet that uses staples, dowels, or just screws. Cabinet strength will be compromised at joints with these weaker joint materials.
