Kitchen Cabinets: Tips for Finding and Buying the Right Cabinets

 Many homeowners are finding it more difficult than ever to sell their home and move to larger homes due to the drop in home sales and tighter mortgage regulations. This is why home renovations are on the rise. Homeowners are looking for ways to make their homes more livable and increase their home's value. Renovating your kitchen is a great way to increase value and give it the feeling of a brand new home.

The kitchen cabinets are the most expensive item in your Kitchen cabinets remodeling budget. Your kitchen cabinets will influence many other kitchen decisions. The style and layout of the kitchen cabinets will determine your countertop, hardware, and appliance choices.

Traditional, store-bought cabinets can take up to 8-10 weeks to deliver. This is why it is important to choose the right cabinet for you before any remodeling or demolition of your kitchen. You can order cabinets online, which could be delivered in 2-3 weeks depending on the style and construction. Later in this article, we will discuss the differences between cabinets.

It is important to establish a budget and a floor plan before you start looking at cabinets. It is crucial to calculate all costs involved in your kitchen remodel, as the average cost of a kitchen remodel is $40,000-50,000. Even though it might seem daunting, even the most novice DIY homeowner can design and plan their kitchen using precise measurements and a few templates. You can save a lot of money by not hiring a designer to design your kitchen.

If you feel that this is a project you feel comfortable with, you have two options: hire a professional kitchen designer or visit one of the local home improvement centers to take advantage of their free design services.

Cost of cabinets can be affected by several factors: brand, construction, wood type and features. It is important that you research all options. You will discover that higher prices don't necessarily mean better quality. Some cabinet lines are less well-known, but they will have stronger constructions.

These tips can help you make the right choice when shopping for kitchen cabinets.

Kitchen Cabinet Wood Choices

You can choose from a variety of wood options, whether you're looking for custom-made cabinets, stock cabinets or RTA cabinets. Laminate or veneer-finished cabinets are more expensive than solid hardwood cabinets such as Oak, Maple, Birch and Hickory.

Face Framed Kitchen Cabinets

The most popular type of kitchen cabinet construction in America is face-framed. It is usually cheaper. This construction method involves building a kitchen cabinet's face from hardwood pieces. The cabinet face is usually constructed from several 1"x2" horizontal and vertical hardwood pieces. The face frame is attached to the front of the solid plywood or particleboard kitchen cabinet box. You should look for cabinets made of solid wood or solid plywood to make the cabinet box.

Particleboard and fiberboard are more prone to warping or sagging from moisture. Solid Plywood sides can be found in mid-priced RTA cabinets. The cabinet boxes and face frames are attached to the cabinet box and drawers by attaching the cabinet doors and drawer faces made of hardwood or laminated cabinet doors.

Frameless (European-Style) Kitchen Cabinets

Frameless kitchen cabinet construction has become more popular as frameless kitchen cabinets can be considered more modern. Frameless cabinets have no face frames. Kitchen cabinet doors attach to the sides of cabinets and are secured using pins or dowels. This type of construction has two advantages: it allows for more cabinet space, and the hinges can be completely hidden. This is how most kitchen cabinets come "ready to install".

Kitchen Cabinet Finishes

Natural woods can be used in many kitchen cabinet finishes. There are many cabinet finishes available, including stain, paint, and glazing options. There are many different distressing methods that can be used on kitchen cabinet surfaces. There are a variety of options, including Antiquing, Rasping and Rub-through.

You can also choose from a variety of laminates.

Kitchen Cabinet Sizes

There are many standard sizes and shapes for kitchen cabinets, but you can also specify and have custom sizes made - and at a cost. Stock cabinets are generally cheaper than semi-custom or custom cabinets, and have shorter lead times. Unless custom-built, most manufacturers stock standard sizes. This means that a kitchen you've bought at a supply store or designed by a professional can usually be transferred to another line of cabinets.

Kitchen Cabinet Quality

Do not cut corners on the quality of your kitchen cabinets if you intend to live in your home for many decades. They are used frequently and abuse often, so only the strongest cabinets will withstand the test of time.