EDUCATION
What Makes a Quality Cabinet
Upper Canada Woodworking is known for its custom, quality cabinets
Face frame Cabinet construction
- Solid wood that is applied to a plywood or melamine cabinet box
- This construction has a real traditional look. It has added strength and protection to doors and drawers. Some of the finest cabinets are made is this traditional, back to pioneer roots of fine cabinetry and quality.
Properly made doors and drawer fronts
- Make sure all joints are glued properly. If a door is not glued well it will split over time along the seam where the two pieces meet
- Selecting wood for colour and flatness
- Poorly selected colour will show as dark spots or uneven grain on stained wood products. Being properly informed on how types of woods and stains mix together is important for long lasting quality and appeal
- If the wood is not milled square and flat, the possibility for a warped drawer is likely to occur
- Eased over edges
- If edges of doors have sharp corners, the finish will have a problem adhering. As a result, the shifting will cause some areas to show raw wood underneath.
- Proper amount of finish material
- On stained cabinets, it is important to have stain followed by a coat of sealer to lock in the colour. Two high end solid top coats is a minimum requirement for a quality finish.
- On painted cabinets with a solid colour, it is important to have two coats of primer and two top coats as a minimum for a quality finish.
- Melamine Vs. Plywood interiors
- White or wood grain melamine is a man made product of tiny wood chips that have resin to adhere them together. It is finished off with a thin layer of white finish or a paint of maple colour is applied
- Most cabinets today have melamine interiors to keep costs down and the ease of use in manufacturing. Melamine can be cut effectively on computer controlled machinery.
- The disadvantage of melamine is vulnerability to water damage. They also tend to sag over time because of board memory. Melamine is very easy to chipping and damage, particularly on exposed ends.
- Plywood cabinets are made from wood layers of solid wood overlapping each other for a strong, flat surface. Exposure to water will not compromise the integrity of the parts. Cost of manufacturing however, does go up considerably with plywood because of the cost of raw materials and the more skilled labour involved in manufacturing.
- Plywood offers a lifetime material that will not need replacement.
Solid Back Panels
- Full ¾“or 5/8” panels applied to the back of cabinets ensure the cabinet is square and strengthened. The whole cabinet and the screws for installation can be placed anywhere. Though unseen back panels add strength and durability to the cabinet
ADDITIONAL CABINETRY OPTIONS
- furniture legs
- tilt out trays
- spice racks
- cutlery trays
- pull out cutting boards
- wicker baskets
- linen hampers
- recycle centers
- garbage cans and pull outs
- half moon & lazy Susan shelves
- tray dividers
- towel racks
- glass inserts and glass shelving
- wood carvings
- hood fans