Cabinetry: You Get What You Pay For
Brand new kitchen and bath cabinets look quite good when new, whether purchased at the lower end or higher end of the quality scale. It is within the following years that the range in quality becomes apparent. Because cabinets represent the single biggest investment in your kitchen, it pays to know the facts before you buy.
The critical comparison points for cabinets are: doors and drawers, quality of materials, construction methods and the use of filler. Come with us as we briefly review the widely varied characteristics of stock, semi-custom and custom cabinets.
Stock Cabinets
Distinctions: use of filler, ½” sides and bases, less than 100% extension on drawers, side-mounted drawer guides, low-quality materials (melamine, MDF board, particle board, chipboard), weaker joinery methods (screws, glue), few options.
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The vast majority of cabinets today are mass produced in three-inch increments. If the dimensions of your kitchen are not divisible by three, a “filler” piece will be used to close the gap. When you're investing in what is likely your largest asset – your home, filler cheapens it. Plus, it robs you of valuable storage space and it just doesn't look good.
The bodies of stock cabinets are made out of particle board or chipboard (commonly called “furniture board”). The sides and bases are only ½” thick; the sections are glued or stapled. The cabinet interiors are often covered in melamine, a vinyl paper that is very water susceptible. The center panel of the doors is made of MDF (medium density fiber) board (think of stiff cardboard) covered in melamine. The net result is that the cabinets, in a sense, slowly “melt” if exposed to a great deal of moisture (e.g., a plumbing leak, excessive humidity). Of course, wood is also affected by moisture, but not nearly to the extent that inferior materials are.
Now examine the drawers. They do not slide open completely, thus allowing access to only a portion of the contents. Take a look at the mountings, which will be on the side. Side-mounted drawers cannot hold nearly as much weight as under-mounts, plus they are noisy. Another important point about drawers: The “face” of the drawer will be attached not with dovetail joinery, but with screws or glue. All of these features – filler, cheap materials, screws and glue, and side-mounted drawer glides – combine to lessen the lifespan of your cabinets. Semi-Custom Cabinets The next quality level is called semi-custom. With semi-custom, straight production-line cabinets are matched with a few custom-made cabinets to avoid the use of filler. But because the entire group of cabinets is not produced as one, you'll find that they don't line up as perfectly as 100% custom made. Semi-custom cabinets range from a step above stock to a step below custom. Many options are available for the doors, drawers, materials and joinery. However, the costs for these options add up quickly. You could actually pay more for semi-custom cabinets with several options than you would for custom cabinets that give you all the options, not to mention far superior quality. Plus, if a semi-custom cabinet needs to be replaced five to 10 years down the road, you'll find that it won't match perfectly to the existing cabinets. Recently, several semi-custom manufacturers have begun offering their cabinets in 100% real wood instead of substitutes, or a mix of wood and other material.
Custom Cabinets
Distinctions: made to fit (no filler), ¾” sides and bases, 100% extension on drawers, under-mounted drawer slides, all wood materials, top of the line joinery, great range of options.
The finest cabinets are custom made specifically for the dimensions of your kitchen. They are 100% real wood – no melamine, vinyl, chipboard, particle board or MDF. With custom cabinets, you can request virtually any wood species, and you get the greatest range of styles and sizes. In addition, options on custom cabinets are numerous.
Custom cabinets are strong. The sides and bases are a sturdy ¾” thick. The cabinets are properly joined throughout, with sanded, old-fashioned dovetail along with mortise and tenon joinery – still the toughest there is. |
The drawers of stock cabinets are joined with glue and screws. Sidemounts can easily bend over time.
Old-fashioned dovetail along with mortise and tenon joinery is the most durable.
Undermounts on custom cabinets allow drawers to open 100 percent and hold more weight than sidemounts. They are also quieter and include a buffered, self-closing feature.
Recessed doors on stock and semi-custom cabinets are recessed on both sides, making for a weaker product.
Recessed doors on custom cabinets are simply reversed, so that the raised panel is on the inside. This technique not only provides for a better look, but a much stronger door.
Custom cabinets offer more options, such as antiquing on the finish.
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The cabinets also are just as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. When you open the doors and drawers, you'll find the interior walls have been finished to match the exterior.
When a recessed-panel door is specified, you'll find that the door has simply been reversed. This construction method gives it the proper weight and durability – important since doors get a tremendous amount of use. In contrast, stock and semi-custom cabinets are recessed on both sides and weaker for it.
On the drawers, you'll see that the glides (which are quiet) are mounted underneath. The drawers pull out 100 percent, bringing every item within reach, and include a buffered, self-closing feature.
Custom cabinets are finished like fine furniture, with stain choices including glazes, rub-throughs, antiquing and other options.
Custom cabinets will maintain their quality much longer than either stock or semi-custom cabinets. They also come with a lifetime guarantee as long as you own them. In the end, the higher cost for custom cabinets is greatly reduced when you consider that they will look terrific and last far into the future, saving you replacement costs down the road.
Price Comparisons
If price is your only consideration, then stock cabinets are your only choice. In general, custom cabinets are more expensive than semi-custom, but we have good news. Aretz Interiors is able to obtain custom cabinetry in the same price range as semi-custom cabinets made of real wood.
In fact, we conducted a price comparison between Aretz and one of the bigger home centers in the country. Using identical specifications for a large kitchen, the Aretz price was within 1% of the home center cost – even though our cabinets are completely custom made and include installation (the home center's cost did not).
When you work with Aretz, there's only one choice for your cabinets – the best you can get. Plus, you'll have the option of visiting the cabinetmaker in his workshop.
So rather than settle for second best, give us a call and let us show you how we can provide the best cabinets possible at an incredibly comparable cost.
- Recommended Link: Schmidt Furniture |
