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What to Look For in Kitchen Cabinet Construction

November 22, 2022

Cabinets play an integral role in style and function when renovating or designing your kitchen. Investing in good quality and durable cabinets is always worth the price for a prominent fixture in your house. There are many important factors to consider when selecting your cabinet construction method. Below, we speak about these elements and how they impact the overall quality of your kitchen cabinets.


Cabinet Frames

There are two types of cabinet construction: framed and frameless. Let’s review these below:

  • Framed cabinets: Framed cabinets are a typical American style, where the cabinet door gets secured to a frame. This construction provides a traditional look with more strength and a wide variety of design options. Furthermore, these cabinets have extra pieces of wood overlaid and “framing” the opening of the cabinet box. Generally, the edge of the frame aligns with the outside surface of the boxes’ sides.
  • Frameless cabinets: Frameless cabinets are more common in Europe but have recently gained traction in the states. With these types of cabinets, the manufacturer removes the frame and secures the door to the cabinet box. Because of the construction, these cabinets provide a modern look with additional storage space. They are an excellent option for smaller kitchens to maximize space. Opt for no frame or extra wood on the cabinet box for a cleaner, sleeker design.

Cabinet Doors

Cabinet construction consists of three types: partial overlay, full overlay, and inset. Each term describes how the cabinet door or drawer sits on or in the cabinet frame:

  • A full-overlay:  With a full-overlay cabinet style, the doors and drawer fronts almost completely cover the cabinet face. This look enhances a contemporary, modern, or transitional style. Since full-overlay cabinetry uses a significant amount of material during the manufacturing process, it costs more than a partial overlay. Additionally, these cabinets often don’t have a vertical face frame style between the two doors, which allows for easy storage of larger items.
  • A partial overlay: This cabinetry was the industry standard for many years, and you can see it in traditional-style kitchens. In a partial overlay, the door only partially covers the cabinet face frame, exposing large portions of the frame. Since the doors and drawer fronts are smaller and use less material than a full overlay, this style effectively cuts manufacturing costs.
  • Inset cabinetry: In inset cabinetry, the door and drawer fronts sit inside the cabinet frame openings, flush with the frame. It is the most expensive option for cabinet doors because of the high level of craftsmanship and various hardware required to create the flush panel. Inset cabinetry suits traditional and style homes well.
  • Panels: Kitchen cabinet panels are affixed to the exposed sides of cabinets, islands, and appliances to cover the exposed, unfinished sides of a cabinet box. Panels are available in decorative end panels, refrigerator end panels, dishwasher panels, and more. Designed to ”finish” unfinished cabinets, panels provide a consistent look throughout your cabinets.

Cabinet Materials

When undergoing cabinet construction, carefully consider the type of materials you wish to invest in:

  • Solid wood: Solid wood is one of the most popular kitchen cabinet materials, renowned for its strength, durability, and versatility. They’re easy to paint and hold up to wear and tear. Solid wood is also easy to maintain— you can even repair wood scratches by sanding and refinishing. Cabinet face frames and cabinet doors commonly feature solid wood.
  • Wood veneer: A wood veneer is a thin strip of solid hardwood peeled or cut from a log. Wood veneers can be attached to plywood, medium-density fiberwood (MDF), or particle boards to create wood-like panels. They are thin, lightweight, and can make the wood look without the cost of solid wood cabinet doors. Wood veneer is also durable (although less durable than solid wood) and easy to maintain and clean.
  • Plywood: This material consists of thinly sliced wood slabs (known as flitches) layered in opposite directions and bonded together with adhesive. Consider this option for cabinet boxes, drawer floors, shelves, and frames.
  • High-Density Fiberboard: This material provides the hardness and appearance of wood cabinets at a much lower cost. Its materials consist of wood fibers mixed with resins and glue. High-density fiberboard is also denser than solid wood and a more reasonable option than hardwood and plywood.
  • Laminate: Laminate is a resin pressed with heat that affixes to plywood or other fiberboards on the cabinet body. The material combines paper with your preferred design, color, or pattern. Factors such as price, strength, and tendency to peel from the core component depend on the laminate’s quality. For example, high-pressure laminate (HPL) will crack and chip less than low-pressure laminate (LPL).

Cabinet Assembly

Ready-To-Assemble (RTA) Cabinets

Ready-to-assemble (RTA) kitchen cabinets are exactly what their name indicates. They come in a flat pack, with each piece prepared, including screws, wood dowels, and hinges. RTA cabinets are generally less expensive and ideal for the budget-minded homeowner. Ikea is an example of a manufactured RTA cabinet. These cabinet systems ship in parts and take considerable time to put together.

Pre-Assembled Cabinets

Pre-assembled cabinets are fully built and functional for installation. The advantage of assembled cabinets is that skilled craftspeople make them in a factory. They use more robust materials and construction methods to increase the cabinet’s durability. Pre-assembled cabinets are more durable than RTA cabinets due to thorough quality control in a professional factory.


Conclusion

We hope you’ve learned more about the cabinet construction process and feel confident choosing your preferred cabinetry. Whether renovating or designing your kitchen, the Feinmann team can help you achieve your home goals. Reach out to us today to learn more.


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We loved having entire Feinmann team in our home and appreciated them treating it like it was their own. The work they did is all over-the-top gorgeous. They coached us to select products and finishes that will last a lifetime (and through our toddler), and the craftsmanship with which it was all executed certainly will hold up to time. I admire daily the integration of existing and new, and regret only that in time I’ll likely forget which is which. Feinmann is masterful at what they do. I really can’t say enough nice things about them, and their work.

- Cambridge, MA

From start to finish of the project our ideas were heard and creatively addressed. The quality of the final results are even better than we imagined. Our home feels completely new and we love the improved living space! As far as the team, they are fantastic, personable, timely, has great ideas and always seem to stay calm and in charge, ready to problem solve. The carpenters are a delight to work with and the quality of their carpentry and building skills are impressive, always smiling and offering a “can do” attitude.

- Leveling Up for Grand Entertaining

Feinmann is a top-notch company in every category! We have worked with them on three separate occasions: a complete kitchen remodel (2017), three bathrooms (2016), and a room addition (2011). Working with the Feinmann team was truly a great pleasure! Everyone in the company is committed to quality work, the projects were run proficiently and professionally, they provided the highest quality workmanship, and we always received timely responses to our questions and concerns. My wife and I would consider no-one else for our new project!

- European, Contemporary Kitchen Remodel

We are very happy with the experience we had with Feinmann in what was a pretty extensive remodel. First of all, their design team truly developed a great vision for the house, beyond what we had imagined. Through the remodel, which by its nature is an arduous process (living without a kitchen for a while), the Feinmann team was very collaborative and supportive, managed well and the results have truly transformed our house. We’re extremely happy with the outcome.

- Hosting Haven Meets Artistic Angles

Feinmann took a real interest in building a kitchen that would fit the design of the house and meet our needs. That was when we knew that they were the best choice for us. Anyone can rip out a kitchen and put in some new counters and cabinets, but we wanted someone who cared about design, style, and function.

- White, Waves and Blue Kitchen

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Lexington, MA. 02421

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