The cabinet drawers and doors are essential parts of a busy household, especially in the kitchen. They are opened, closed, filled, sorted through, knocked into, and even forcibly shuttered. Drawers and doors are put through a lot and must be able to resist regular use and abuse. Kitchen cabinet drawers and doors are essential for storing daily life activities. As a result, guaranteeing the quality of your cabinet drawers and doors should be at the pinnacle of your cabinet manufacturer’s priority list.
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So if you are investing in a small renovation or significant upgrade in your kitchen soon and wondering what makes a good cabinet drawer or cabinet door? Then keep on reading to learn more.
- Made with High-Quality Materials
Quality cabinet drawers and doors are usually made out of solid hardwood. The typical five-piece structure and panel cabinet door is about 3/4 inches thick hardwood. The four frame parts, known as rails and stiles, commonly hold the main wood panel in place. The cabinet doors are constructed so that the spontaneous expansion of the core wood panel within the frame does not deform the door. Some other quality cabinet doors can be made from medium-density fiberboard centre panels (MDF). MDF centre frames are typically used on painted doors in which no wood texture is required.
If you are on a budget, an all-plywood construction is one option. Plywood has more bolt, fastening, and adhesive retaining power than particleboard. Plywood is manufactured up of layers of wood that run both longitudinally and across to provide its strength. It has a far better moisture resistance than particleboard, which is essential to consider in areas with faucets, sinks, and flowing water. Plywood can support a lot of weight for a long time and is far more resistant and durable to damage like dents, dings, and blow-outs. - Made with High-Quality Materials
Aside from the door and drawer itself, a hinge is also crucial for the overall quality of the product. Cabinet hinges are among the most critical parts of a kitchen cabinet. Without these small materials, you can open or close the door. Cabinet hinges come in many different styles. Regarding kitchen cabinet hinges, it is critical to utilize high-quality hinges. A kitchen cabinet door is expected to be opened and closed countless times. When using complete overlay doors, hinges are covered unless they are purposefully displayed for design. Rigid, wobbly, or unbalanced doors, and also cabinet doors that won’t close, can be caused by poor hinges. A good cabinet hinge has a soft-close function incorporated into the nickel-plated, solid steel hinges. The hinge should be customizable in six directions: left-right, up-down, in-out, left-right, etc., so that the hinges can be modified as cabinet doors adjust depending on the season’s temperature. Choose a manufacturer that offers basic full-overlay and six-way adjustable inset hidden hinge door hinges. Hinges must be able to withstand repeated use and must have stood the test of time. - Excellent Construction
The construction process of the drawer and door frame and their parts are other areas where excellent quality must be ensured. They are not something to take lightly. The drawer box must be sturdy and capable of holding tenths of kilos while being used a couple of times per day.
You can buy low-cost drawer boxes constructed of particleboard, plywood, plastic, or even metal. It has butt or notched joints on the edges that are solely held together with staples. However, the materials and structure of drawer boxes are significant because they are one of the first items in a room to wear out, mainly if they are poorly manufactured. Even if the frame is of average quality, it must have solid hardwood edges and backs that are at minimum 1/2 inch thick and dovetail joints. Generally, the bottom should be plywood with all four sides firmly fixed into grooves.
Furthermore, when you pull out a kitchen drawer from a cabinet, many people prefer not to see the drawer slides. Undermount glides that connect to the drawer’s base are typically more costly and of more excellent quality. A sturdy glide can smoothly open and close while supporting significant weight. Metal ball bearings or plastics are used in many slides. Ball bearings, steel, and some form of the gentle closing system are desirable. Assure slides, whether side, bottom, or corner mounted, are durable components with ball bearings or easy-gliding rollers. The majority of drawer slides are composed of pressed metal and are unpolished. Some, though, are available in a darker and browner finish. The highest-quality slides will not rust. To evaluate cabinetry slides, you should fully open the drawer and confirm that it is snug inside the drawer chamber. Many of the best kitchen drawers have glides that make it possible to expand the drawer, so you shouldn’t have to dig deep inside to grab anything.
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- Customizable
Custom adjustments are possible with a high-quality cabinet drawer and door provider. These changes give you a variety of sizes, designs, and unique features that are adapted to your kitchen’s specific demands and space. According to many consumers, Stock manufacturers offer far too few types and sizes. If you’re on a budget, though, a semi-custom cabinet with the appropriate kitchen drawers and doors for your space can suffice. Semi-custom cabinets with adjustments offer various dimensions, designs, and specialized cabinets at a low cost. Cabinet box sizes can be adjusted by 1/8-inch increments, completed interiors, beadboard edges or finishings, glass open-front or frameless doors, storage drawers, slanted end cabinetry, and non-traditional uses of ordinary cabinet drawers and doors are all available. - Comes With a Lifetime Warranty
While the warranty may not reveal anything about the drawer, door, or overall cabinet quality, it demonstrates how far the maker can stand by their product. If they guarantee a lifetime guarantee, they believe in the cabinet’s quality. You can judge whether that implies if they offer no genuine warranty. After five to ten years of use, low-quality cabinets will fail. Their guarantees may have lapsed by then. Considering that cabinet drawers, doors, and kitchen cabinets are one of the most costly items you will ever buy for your house, a lifetime guarantee can provide you with the peace of mind that your cabinets will last for as long as you live there.
Final thoughts:
High-quality kitchen cabinets should last a minimum of thirty years and provide practical, convenient storage. High-quality drawers and doors are essential components of functional kitchen cabinetry. Many consumers, however, report difficulties such as misaligned doors, collapsing, disintegrating drawers, weak hinges, and other issues far sooner than they think. These issues arise as a result of poor cabinet construction. Poor-quality cabinets cause consumers to have practical and cosmetic concerns and result in a higher-than-expected cost of maintenance. Pay attention to the following qualities above of well-built, high-quality kitchen cabinets, drawers, and doors to shop smart and avoid difficulties down the road.
References:
- Best Online Cabinets. 2017. Cabinet Composition: What Makes a Cabinet High Quality?. Retrieved from: https://www.bestonlinecabinets.com/blog/cabinet-composition-what-makes-a-cabinet-high-quality/. Retrieved on 2 June 2020.
- HGTV. 2020. How to Pick Kitchen Cabinet Drawers. Retrieved from: https://www.hgtv.com/design/remodel/kitchen-remodel/how-to-pick-kitchen-cabinet-drawers. Retrieved on 2 June 2020.
- Jewett Farms + Co. 2019. 5 Hallmarks Of High Quality Drawers. Retrieved from: https://jewettfarms.com/2019/06/06/5-hallmarks-of-high-quality-drawers. Retrieved on 2 June 2020.
- Premier Kitchen and Cabinets. 2019. Top 10 Characteristics of High Quality Kitchen Cabinets. Retrieved from: https://premierkitchensandcabinets.com/top-10-characteristics-of-high-quality-kitchen-cabinets/. Retrieved on 2 June 2020.
