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For what its worth, this is what I know about cabinets
- the cheapest cabinets are virtually all particle board. Don't waste
your money.
- the next level is particle board except for the doors and facing.
Don't waste your money.
- the next level is particle board on the back and plywood on the
sides. This can be a decent cabinet if you are on a tight budget (and
they are not cheap)
- if the entire cabinet is plywood and real wood, you are paying top
dollar.
And
- a mark of a higher quality line of cabinets is how far the drawers
pull out. I doesn't do any good to buy a set of drawers where you
cannot get to the back 1/3rd of the drawer.
- a mark of a higher quality line is the quality of the finish. Shiney
oak in 3 basic shades is mainstream and abundant. Other more
interesting finishes may not cost you much more.
- the quality and functionality of hinges and other hardware is
important.
And
- if you are flexible about what you want to buy in terms of quality,
layout and finishes, you can save 30 to 60% by going to a cabinet
surplus place and buying cabinets that were ordered and never picked
up, or were returned. I did this on a remodel of a beach house.
- I am about to remodel my main house and my architect is telling me I
can have custom cabinets built for what I'd pay for moderately
high-end manufacturered cabinets, and I will end up with a much higher
quality set of cabinets. I've not checked out his approach yet in
terms of price.
In my opinion, most manufactured cabinets are crap. The super high end
ones are not so bad, but the price seems very high.
I would go to Home Depot or Lowes for layout and design ideas. I would avoid
buying from them if I could.
Doug
deborah@webguild.com wrote:
> Finally going to re-do my kitchen, but the choices and information is
> overwhelming. I am trying to avoid dealing with Home Depot and Lowes.
> >From what I am reading in the forums they have a poor record. Although I
> might still get a ballpark curiosity quote from them.
>
> I have had one quote from Sears so far for $13K, would have been $12k if
> we went to contract that day for a 9x11 galley kitchen, corian counter,
> no fancy cabs . I am glad we didn't sign up. It was our first visit, and
> we knew nothing. Not saying they're bad, I just have lots more
> questions now then I did that night.
>
> In any event, as I am trying to work with local companies, my problem is
> comparing apples to apples with the different lines they carry. Some do
> carry the KraftMaid and Merrilat. Others have Aristocraft, Brandom,
> CustomCraft, UltraCraft, Shiloh, and Medallion. I do not know any thing
> about these lines (not that I know anything about the others either),
> or how to compare them. I cannot seem to locate anything on most of
> them. Also if, a company doesn't carry the standard big guns like
> KraftMaid etc., does that mean anything?
>
> I just want a decent cabinet, not top of the line. The kids are grown,
> so no-one is running into them, slamming or swinging from them. And the
> way I see it, my cheap builder-supplied ones have held up fine for 10
> years (they're just ugly as heck), so anything I get should be a lot
> better. But I still do not want to get poor quality.
>
> Can anyone help me in comparing the quotes when they come in, and
> quality, what to look for etc. And if I do get a quote from Lowes or
> HD, any suggestions on their products to compare with.
>
> Also, after reading some comments, I decided to get a quote from a
> local custom-cabinet guy next week. From what I understand it may not
> be as expensive as I thought it would be. But, besides knowing he is
> listed with NKBA--which is how I found him-- I know nothing about his
> work. There is no show room to go in and push and pull drawers, see
> work etc. Any advice on this avenue would be much appreciated. I do not
> know many people who have re-done their kitchen using anyone but Lowe's
> and HD so I am searching with-out recommendations.
>
> Deborah
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Re: Kitchen Cabinet Choices
