The new kitchen cabinets you choose are of great quality and within your price range. The material a cabinet is primarily built of determines its quality.
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A stunning set of cabinets can transform any house into a showplace. It’s impossible to predict what other exquisite interior beauty can be in the house if a kitchen has beautiful storage doors. Selecting the appropriate style for your kitchen is critical because cabinets play a significant role in creating the room’s personality. Choosing the finest material for your kitchen cabinets, or just about any cabinet in your house, will define the space’s functionality and overall design. The strength, longevity, upkeep, adaptability, and general design of the cabinetry will depend on the materials used.
Listed below are the best cabinet materials you should be aware of while you browse for cabinets to help you choose the right one for your house:
- Solid WoodDespite being a more expensive cabinet material, solid wood is one of the most preferred materials for kitchen cabinets because of its inherent beauty, strength, lifespan, and versatility for various styles. Wood cabinets are unique like no identical wood pieces are. Wood cabinets come in various appearances and styles that can be matched, ranging in colour, texture, pattern, and grain.Cabinet doors and face frames are the two items that most frequently use solid wood.
Advantages
Naturally solid wood is a natural product that is obtained from trees. Since each tree has textures, hues, and grain patterns, the natural component implies that every panel may differ somewhat. This natural variety heightens the attractiveness of solid wood as a material for cabinets; it is truly distinctive and exquisite in its own right. Hardwood cabinets have a high market value, just like solid wood flooring.
Solid wood is quite resilient and relatively simple to fix. Many of these repairs can be fixed by sanding or polishing, like for dents, stains, and watermarks. For a fair amount, you can also employ someone to assist with these repairs.
Moreover, solid wood kitchen cabinets have an extremely long lifespan due to their resilience. Many types of wood are available, each with a unique texture, colour, and appearance. White oak, red oak, maple, hickory, ash, cherry, birch, and pine are a few of the most common woods.
Disadvantages
It’s essential to be careful in choosing the proper wood because poor-quality timber boards exhibit warps and dents. Moisture fluctuations can harm the wood’s surface and centre, and regular polishing is required to keep the wood’s uniform and smooth texture. Additionally, working with it costs money and takes time.
- LaminatesLaminates are generally used since solid wood is more likely to sustain several damages and infestations. Laminates are made of many thin sheets layered next to each other. Laminate is a layer of synthetic resin, a layer of paper with various designs or patterns etched on it, and a topmost part of a durable plastic film. Particleboard, plywood, and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) are foundations for installing such surfaces. On these boards, an ornamental film or sheet is taped. These substrates are more durable and less expensive than solid hardwood. The cost, durability, and propensity of the laminate to separate from the core element will all depend on the laminate’s quality. Compared to low-pressure laminate (LPL), high-pressure laminate (HPL) is less likely to crack and chip. Specifically, PET laminate has a thermoplastic polymer bonded to a substrate, such as MDF, that has a tighter heat barrier, a unique agent, and a stunning translucent, reflecting glossy surface. The majority of melamine surfaces are thought to be weaker than PET laminate.
Laminate is often utilized as a cabinet material to overlay kitchen cabinet doors, drawers, and some internal surfaces, much like wood veneer. They are not utilized in the internal cabinetry shelves and drawers.
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Advantages
These compacted sheets are cost-effective and long-lasting. Since the printed layer has a paper backing, laminates can mimic the appearance of practically any material (including metal, leather, and wood). Its surface does not quickly fade, peel off, or tear; it does not need to be polished repeatedly. Laminates have a thin layer of translucent plastic on top, making them quite moisture-resistant and cleaning their surface much easier.
Disadvantages
Laminates’ edges have the propensity to tear off if improperly put. Laminates are a non-renewable substance because they are constructed of plastic-based polymers and paper that have been highly compacted. Some are acknowledged to emit harmful gases into the atmosphere.
- Wood VeneersWood veneer, an extremely thin coating of solid hardwood stripped from a log, is an additional alternative for kitchen cabinet components. Although it is used in considerably lesser quantities than hardwood, this material offers several advantages compared to solid wood. Similar to laminates, veneers are solid wood sheets or slices that are adhered to a composite framework. The required colour and texture are then achieved by staining and polishing these sheets.Advantages
Wood veneers are more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than solid wood since they employ only thin slices of the material to cover huge surface areas. A possibly sharp-edged kitchen might appear softer with veneers. You can give veneers matte, semi-gloss, or high-gloss finishes through treatment. Since wood veneer is both light and stable, it is favoured over other surface finishes. True solid hardwood also comes in an inexpensive form called wood veneer.
Disadvantages
When veneers are subjected to natural light, they frequently become discoloured. After some time, the sheets need to be polished, much like wood. If the surface is not thoroughly polished, you might notice water stains. Veneers are also not usually resistant to scratches.
- PlywoodAnother common cabinet material that has many advantages is plywood. It is made by laminating several layers of wood together on top of one another using a combination of glue, pressure, and heat at varying angles to produce strength. Compared to particle boards, it is far more robust. Plywood is frequently coated with a decorative wood veneer to give the illusion of wood for cabinet frames. Because it is the engineered wood alternative with the greatest strength, it is ideal for shelves, frames, drawer floors, and cabinet boxes. The costs, sturdiness, and aesthetic of plywood will vary depending on its grade.Advantages
Many people believe that plywood is the greatest material for cabinets since it is incredibly durable, resists moisture, unlike solid wood, is very malleable and is simple to install. It is unquestionably the greatest material for shelf backs, drawer bottoms, and cabinet panels. Plywood has the finest strength-to-weight ratio among all the top cabinet materials because of its distinctive construction. Plywood may also be easily replaced and repaired. Additionally, it is more durable than other materials and matches up to piercing better. Plywood is quite affordable and widely available. It is more costly than laminate and particle board but significantly less expensive than solid wood.
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Disadvantages
Ensure you are utilizing the proper material thickness for every part of the cabinets. Generally, thinner plywood is employed to construct cabinet backs, while thicker plywood is utilized for the sides and bottoms of the drawers. Cabinets made of plywood could be inconsistent. It could be more challenging to assemble plywood cabinets if there are gaps or spaces where the panels are joined.
- Medium Density FiberboardMedium-density fiberboard (MDF) is a fantastic choice for your doors and drawers if you’re searching for a material with qualities that fall between plywood and particleboard. MDF is sturdier than particleboard because it is made of tiny fibres. Medium-density fiberboard is a compound material manufactured from recycled fibres, wax, and resin, all of which are compressed and bonded in a high-pressure system. It has gained popularity since it is used in common mass-produced cabinets. Advantages
MDF is robust and incredibly durable because of its distinctive structure of tiny fibres. MDF is resilient to expanding and warping due to changes in temperature and humidity. Because of this, medium-density fiberboard surfaces are smooth and lend themselves nicely to painting or staining. Furthermore, in terms of cabinet materials, MDF has a better screw-holding capacity and is pretty simple to work with.
Disadvantages
Other cabinet materials, such as plywood or oak, are stronger than MDF. If cabinets and drawers are too full, they could droop and become damaged. Due to the materials used to create MDF, some individuals are wary of it. The medium-density fiberboard generates the most formaldehyde gas out of all the compressed wood. Therefore, you should conduct additional studies before using MDF if you have serious concerns about the materials utilized in your home.
- ParticleboardParticleboard is another common cabinet material frequently mentioned in contrast to plywood. Low-density fiberboard (LDF), often known as particleboard or chipboard, is an engineered wood product created by compressing recycled wood materials like wood shavings and mill wastes and moulding them into sheets. Laminate or a wood veneer is bonded within it to give particleboard a more visually acceptable appearance.Advantages
The particleboard is reasonably priced. One of the most relatively affordable cabinet material varieties on the market is particleboard. Because particleboard is manufactured from leftover materials, this is true. Mid-grade cabinets typically offer more cost savings than a high-grade cabinet set built of plywood. Particleboard of a high calibre can be exceedingly strong and long-lasting. Just be careful to choose a high-quality alternative. For interiors of cabinets and drawers, particleboard is among the top alternatives. It is affordable, lightweight, and simple to cram into the required places.
Disadvantages
Particleboard is generally only very durable if you obtain a high-quality variety. Particleboard is fragile in compression and tension because of the way it is made. Because it is not moisture-friendly, particleboard can deteriorate and change colour when damp. Particleboard drawer bottoms and cabinet shelves might slump if they are filled with items.
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Summary
Thanks to the range of cabinet materials available, it is possible to locate and purchase kitchen cabinets that are both long-lasting and within your price range. Ordering ready-to-assemble or RTA cabinets can help you get the most for your money because they are shipped in flat containers that are less costly to transport than large, heavy pre-assembled cabinets.
Your kitchen cabinets made of higher-quality materials will be stronger, more long-lasting, and even raise the value of your property when and if you choose to sell it. The materials will endure longer the greater the quality of the materials. Cheaper, lower-quality or less resilient cabinetry may be more susceptible to deterioration or will not last as long as their more costly, more robust counterparts. And because of this, you’ll need to change your cabinets far more quickly, which could eventually cost you more over time.
So keep in mind that spending a bit extra now on kitchen cabinets could save you more later on in terms of money and stress. Knowing the types of materials used in cabinets will assist you in choosing the ones that will last the longest and ensure that your budget works for you when you spend it on high-quality kitchen cabinets.
References:
- Architizer. 2021. How to Choose the Right Kitchen Cabinet Materials for Your Project. Retrieved from: https://architizer.com/blog/practice/details/cabinet-materials/. Retrieved on 30 November 2022.
- Laurysen Kitchens. 2020. Pros & Cons Of Kitchen Cabinet Materials. Retrieved from: https://www.laurysenkitchens.com/blog/pros-cons-kitchen-cabinet-materials/. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- Livspace. 2021. An Ultimate List of Materials for Your Kitchen and How to Best Use Them. Retrieved from: https://www.livspace.com/in/magazine/kitchens101-kitchen-cabinet-materials. Retrieved on 30 November 2022.
- Oppein Home. 2022. 7 Popular Kitchen Cabinet Materials to Choose. Retrieved from: https://www.oppeinhome.com/7-kitchen-cabinet-materials-to-choose. Retrieved on 30 November 2022.
- Remodel Works. 2019. The Ultimate Guide To Cabinet Materials. Retrieved from: https://remodelworks.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-cabinet-materials/. Retrieved on 30 November 2022.
