Selecting cabinetry
Selecting the right material for your cabinetry whether for your kitchen or bathroom can be a daunting experience, overwhelming by the amount of choices and quite expensive without the know-how of cutting expenses.
There are a few denominators that will help narrow down the options when selecting cabinets for your space. Considering that the heart of the house is the kitchen and the most visible material is the cabinetry, then it’s easy to assume that it is potentially the largest investment you will be making in your kitchen. You can potentially choose really high end counter tops that will take up the budget, but that’s another topic of discussion. Knowing the budget ranking will help you identify what type of finish you can include in your remodelling plans.
Note that when getting estimates, it is important that you compare apples with apples and in that matter select the same material, finish and installation as the vast choices that exist in the market can create quite the discrepancies when comparing prices.
Wood cabinets
It’s no surprise that we would find wood at the top of the list of costing rank. There is quite the variety of color options to choose from when it comes to wood. The composition of each wood varies in density, durability and grain appearance. Although the prices do not carry a significant difference from one selection to the other; you may opt to drop the price a notch by choosing a wood-veneer option as oppose to full wood cabinets.
Selections of wood to choose from will depend on the type of design style you wish to create for your space. For traditional looks, Red oak is commonly a famous option. Don’t forget that wood cabinets can easily be stained to achieve a different colour, hence why they are the most expensive choice of cabinetry. Other types of wood are white oak, hard maple – great natural choice for a contemporary look. Hickory cabinets are exceptionally attractive for a country-style space as well as ash cabinets. Cherry, birch and pine are amongst the list of wood cabinet options.
Laminates – Thermofoil
Alternative options are high and low pressure laminates which can be applied on different substrates. Just because it is not a full-body wood cabinetry doesn’t mean that you omit your wood covering selections. There are a variety of laminate and thermofoil options with wood-grain imitations and a wide colour selection to leave you scratching your head for a while.
Differences between laminates and thermofoil:
Laminate cabinetry
This type is produced by 3 different layers of resin, being a thin-paper glued onto the substrate, a printed and colored layer, and an additional transparent protective layer on top. The process is done by low-pressure or high-pressure and the substrate used determines the weight of the cabinetry.
Thermofoil
It is a vinyl film that is fused onto the substrate with heat and pressure. Thermofoil is the closest to resemble real wood finishes, making it an attractive budget alternative. The substrate is the component that illustrates the price point.
The choices of substrates are particle-board, medium-density fiberboard and plywood. Paricle-board is the lowest in quality as it is the lowest in density creating cracks along the hinges, and unable to support heavier cabinet doors. Medium-density fiber-board is a high-quality substrate as it is denser in composition making it easy to assemble and superior in quality. The edges can also be shaped and painted which extends the longevity of the cabinets. Making the right selection of cabinets depends on the budget allocated for the remodelling. Then, the location climate is another factor to consider because this will determine the longevity of the cabinetry. For instance, choosing a full body wood cabinet may be the better quality option however the humidity level must be maintain between 30%-60% in order to avoid wrapping, expansion and contraction of the wood. With these simple guidelines to keep in mind you will be able to choose a cabinet option that suits your budget and style!