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Part 3 : Cabinet Box Construction Methods
The important thing about cabinet construction methods is that there is a relationship between the type of construction and the cabinet's level of quality and durability.
The following terms describe some common methods of wood cabinet joinery.
Dovetail joints - this is a strong method of joining two boards together at right angles, such as with drawer boxes. The ends of two boards or panels are notched with v-shaped cutouts that mesh with corresponding notches on the adjoining panel. If they're tight, these types of joints are considered very solid.
Dado - this is a groove that's cut into a board or panel that the edge of another board/panel can fit into. A good example is the sides and back of a cabinet drawer that are dadoed to accept the edges of the drawer bottom. It's a stronger way to 'capture' the drawer bottom than just gluing or nailing the drawer bottom edges to the side panels.
Rabbet - this is a notch or step that's cut into the edge of a board to accept the edge of another board to form a 90-degree angle. It's similar to a dado cut except one side is left "open".
Butt joint - on a butt joint, the ends of two pieces of material are brought or "butted" together, edge to edge. Some form of mechanical retention like nails, screws, dowels or glue holds this joint together.
Good joinery techniques where the parts 'lock' together or where one piece is captured in the other makes for the strongest joints. Supplemental fastening methods on these joints makes an even stronger connection. Stronger joints equate to more durable cabinets.
Part 2: Cabinetry Materials
Here's a list of the primary cabinet materials:
Solid wood - just as the term implies, it's solid wood, all the way through. The only variation might be boards or panels that are several pieces of solid wood joined together. Solid wood is used in doors and parts. It is not suitable for box construction because of expansion, contraction and warping caused by temperature and humidity changes.
Particle board - an engineered wood product that's made from wood chips and particles that are combined with an adhesive and fused together into boards and panels. This is an inexpensive box material.
Medium density fiberboard (MDF) - another engineered wood product that's made up of wood fibers. The fibers are combined with an adhesive under pressure and formed into boards and panels. MDF has a finer texture than particle board and is denser and heavier than particle board. MDF provides a very stable base for painted finishes in doors and paneled parts.
Veneered MDF- MDF that is covered with a wood veneer like maple or cherry for finished exterior parts.
Melamine - It's a plastic based material for covering particle board panels that are used in making cabinet boxes.It is popular because of its durability and ease of cleaning. Melamines come in different grades. Thermo-fused provides better durability.
Plywood - It's made up of thin wood "plies" or layers of wood that are glued together in a sandwich form. Usually the plies are oriented with their grain direction at varying angles with respect to each other to give the board or panel more rigidity and stability. Plywood is considered the premium option for cabinet boxes.
Cabinetry is a moving, functioning product that needs to be well built to maintain its beauty and functionality. It lives in tough environments like the bath, laundry and kitchen with spills, grease, hot, cold, kids and pets. It carries a lot of weight, opens and closes, slides and swings. How do you know you are getting a product that will add value to your home for years to come? This is a five part series on Cabinetry Styles, Materials, Construction Methods, Quality and Installation. We will cover basic terminology you will encounter when shopping for cabinets and well as what to look for to determine if you are getting a quality product. We are sticking to wood cabinets for the purpose of comparison here.
Part 1 : CABINET CONSTRUCTION STYLES
There are two types of cabinetry styles: face framed and frameless. In the past, most cabinets were constructed with a face-framed approach but both applications now offer endless styles and design. Stock, semi-custom and custom cabinet designs are available in both framed and frameless construction. The main difference is how they look and the accessibility you have to the inside of the cabinet.
Framed boxes
Framed cabinets incorporate a wood 'frame' around the front outer edge of the cabinet box. The face frame is made up of a 1.5-inch to 2-inch frame of wood that is fastened to the forward edge of the cabinet, framing the box. The outside edges of the frame are flush with the outside surfaces of the cabinet box and the inside portion of the frame extends past the inside edges of the box. The cabinet door is attached to the frame's side.
Framed cabinet construction is generally considered more traditional looking and offers some style variety based on the amount of door overlay. Door overlay means the extent to which the door covers or "lays-over" the face frame.
Door styles
- Partial-overlay : the doors and drawers cover only part of the frame.
- Flush-inset : the doors and drawers are made to fit within the face frame opening.
- Beaded inset: the frame has “beaded” molding detail inside the frame openings.
- Full-overlay: the doors and drawers completely cover the frame
Frameless boxes
In frameless construction (also known as euro), there's no face frame and the cabinet doors attach directly to the sides of the cabinet box. Doors typically cover the entire box, which is called a full-overlay. Because they don't require a frame, frameless cabinets feature better access, allowing maximum use of space. This is because there's no inside edge of a frame that's partially blocking the perimeter of the cabinet opening. This also allows cabinets and drawers to be slightly larger than those constructed with face frames.
Frameless construction gives a more contemporary “clean” look. Modified frameless uses vertical fillers to give an inset look. Having no horizontal rails between drawers and doors provides greater capacity than true inset particularly in drawer banks. A frameless drawer box can provide up to 50% additional usable space.
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