How to Choose the Ideal Materials for Your Kitchen Cabinetry
How to Choose the Ideal Materials for Your Kitchen Cabinetry
The kitchen is one of the most used spaces in a home, and everyone needs a lot of storage space. But kitchen cabinets are more than just storage spaces and play an essential role in the whole outlook of the kitchen. It is crucial to understand on what basis the cabinets will be designed and identify the purpose. Whether it is to revamp your kitchen’s look or add storage capacity, you need to ensure a balance between style and functionality.
When it comes to kitchen cabinets, it’s essential to choose materials that can withstand daily wear and tear. There is a wide range of materials and styles you can choose from when it comes to materials used for kitchen cabinets.
Many factors come into play when choosing and deciding between materials for kitchen cabinets.
- Market trends
- Colours and tones
- Home decor and more
Doing online research enables one to be up to date with the contemporary tastes and preferences with regards to the type of cabinets. This would be beneficial when choosing an appropriate type of cabinet type and structure.
There are three major types of materials used in today’s cabinetry: pre-finished, post-finished, and solid timber.
Besides solid timber, substrates are the base materials used for all cabinetry. No matter what the finish might be, there will always be a substrate under the surface material. There are two main substrate types: particle and MDF (Medium Density Fiber) board. The main differences between the two materials are listed below.
Look | MDF has a smooth finish as it consists of wood grains of the same size. | Particle boards do not have a smooth surface consisting of wood shavings and chips. |
Density | MDF has a higher density level than particle-board. | Particle boards have a lesser density level. |
Durability | MDF is quite durable. | Particleboards are relatively less durable. |
Weight | Heavier than particle boards | Lightweight. |
Moisture | More resistance to water. | Must be Anti-moisture treated |
Lifespan | High quality MDF is long lasting | Particle boards can last much longer |
Price | Costlier than particle-board. | Cheaper. |
Typical substrate thicknesses can range from 12mm, 16mm, 18mm, 25mm, 32mm.The most common thickness used for joinery doors and panels is 16mm and 18mm.
Pre-finished materials are materials such as melamine, acrylics, and pre-finished veneer. These materials are defined as pre-finished since the finished surfaces have already been attached to the substratewhen delivered to our factory.The boards are then cut to size and edged using an edge bander. The quality can vary depending on the fabricators’ edge bander and glue type.
To find out more on what affects the quality of pre-finished materials, you can visit one of our MS&MR Kitchens showrooms for more detail.
Pre-finished materials are generally hard-wearing and can be used in Modern Luxe, Industrial, and Minimalist designs. The finishes range from matte, semi-gloss, and high gloss and come in a wide variety of solid, woodgrain, and metallic colours. At MS&MR Kitchens, we choose the most reputable local suppliers such as Laminex and Polytec to ensure the quality of our raw material can withstand the test of time.
Post-finished materials include mainly 2-pac (Acrylic paint) and vinyl. They are post-finished because the doors are cut to shapes, patterns, and sizes before the final finish is applied. For 2-pac and vinyl to apply evenly, the substrate is generally Raw MDF or Paint Grade Satin MDF.
The main characteristic of the post-material is that they don’t need to be edged and can have patterns routed into them. Vinyl has limited colours but can be finished with woodgrain for pattern doors. 2-pac however, has more varieties of colours since it can be any paint colour. Also, customers can choose finishes from high gloss, semi-gloss, and satin (near matte).
2-pac and vinyl can vary vastly in their durability. Vinyl is very hardwearing but can peel over time. This is especially true around areas exposed to heat such as around the oven or directly above the cooktop. On the other hand, 2pac can be chipped similar to the acrylic paint on your car.
Solid timberis one of the most durable materials available. This was once one of the most commonly used materials for kitchen cabinets. However, due to cost and the extensive availability of alternate materials, there is less solid timber being used for joinery. However, there had been a revive in recent years of using solid timber features such as solid timber benchtops.
Plywood sheets coated with hardwood veneer; plywood is laminated wood pieces that are glued together. The durability and strength of plywood are determined based on the grade, where grade AA and A are considered expensive, and the rest would be a little bit cheaper. No matter which grade you choose, a good cabinetmaker would know how to work with each of those grades to your advantage.
Compact laminate is made from layers of recycled paper fibres that have been dipped in resin and dried. These layers are stacked and sandwiched between laminate before being compressed under high pressure and heated to permanently meld together. Not only does this manufacturing process ensure an incredibly strong and dense structure, but it also enables the laminate to be made of varying thicknesses. Compact laminate is usually used for outdoor use as it is relatively “waterproof”.
There are various reasons MS&MR Kitchens is your go-to for kitchen cabinet needs. Customising cabinets according to the clients’ taste, preference, and need, creating maximum storage for small spaces, drawing up the best designs in the market that are aesthetically pleasing – we’ve got them all covered under one roof. No matter how big or small the job is, we can help you get the best out of your kitchen space with high-quality kitchen cabinets. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can renovate or create new kitchen cabinets for your home.
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