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Understanding
Cabinetry Types
Job Built
Cabinetry/Site Built:
A trim carpenter or
"cabinet person" actually builds the cabinetry on the
wall, one board at a time. There are no backs in these cabinets,
your wall is the back. Usually the shelves are part of the
structure that holds the cabinet together and thus, not
adjustable. Birch or oak plywood is usually used. Finishing
these cabinets is a major job and usually not included in the
price you receive when quoted. They are often priced by the
"running foot," typically very expensive and drawers
and accessories are at extra cost.
Items to note:
sheetrock "backs," fixed shelves, visible nail
holes, poor
interior finishing, raw plywood edges, inconsistent exterior
finish.
Shop Built
Cabinetry:
A local cabinet shop
builds your kitchen or bathroom cabinets, which are then taken
to your home and installed. This type of cabinetry has backs and
sometimes will have adjustable shelving. The cabinets are not
finished in the shop, but taken to your home and installed prior
to finishing, thus, the finishing (i.e.: painting, staining, top coating)
is done in the home. The finishing process is time consuming,
expensive and it’s cost is not typically included in the
cabinetry quote, thus making the cabinets seem inexpensive at
first. When completed with all finishing items (pulls/knobs,
interior finishing, accessories you want/need), the cabinets
normally are more expensive than the semi-custom and custom
cabinetry built by the factory craftsmen.
Items to note:
mouldings (if any) in different woods, brushstrokes in
the finish, multiple coats of paint, which tend to cause
chipping; poorly
finished interiors such as exposed plywood edges
and visible nail heads, rough surfaces, inconsistent finish/color
from cabinet to cabinet, as well as cheap sides and hinges.
Custom Made Cabinetry:
Each cabinet is built specifically for you and your home. In the
Kitchen and Bath Industry, we often hear cabinet shop builders
refer to their cabinetry as "custom," implying that
since they build it for you, theirs is the only cabinetry that
is truly built for your home. This is not correct. Factory
custom cabinetry is built for your home, to fit your space,
exactly. The difference between factory built cabinetry and shop
built cabinetry is simply, quality. Factory built
cabinets offer higher quality construction, finishing, interior
appearance, hardware and accessories. The factory cabinetry is
built and finished by craftsmen who have the advantage of better
quality tools.
What is the best way
to experience the difference for yourself? Be a thorough shopper…ask
questions and expect complete answers. Open cabinetry doors,
drawers and roll-out shelves. Check out how everything is
finished and held together. And the best hint of all Kitchens
By Design, Inc. of the Charleston area in South Carolina can offer? Ask the
design firm you’re considering for three references of clients
they’ve completed work for in the last 9 months. Then call
each past client. You owe it to yourself and your home to know
everything there is to know about the design firm’s
performance and products, before you make the commitment.
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