Quality kitchen cabinets blend beauty and functionality, providing lasting storage for 20 to 30 years. However, some cabinets wear out much sooner, leaving homeowners with issues like crooked doors, sagging drawers, and warping due to poor construction.
To avoid problems, look for these essential features when selecting cabinets:
All-Plywood Construction. First, look for cabinet boxes made entirely of plywood. These are sturdier than particleboard, which is prone to moisture damage and structural weakness. Swita Cabinetry’s boxes are made from 3/4-inch maple plywood, while some manufacturers use 1/2-inch or less.
Full-Height Back Panels. Next, consider cabinets with thicker plywood back panels for enhanced durability and stability. Lower-quality options often use thin panels that don’t hold up well. At Swita Cabinetry, we use 1/2-inch thick maple plywood for our back panels, ensuring a solid structure.
Solid Wood Dovetail Drawers. Opt for solid hardwood boxes with dovetail joints, like those from Swita Cabinetry. These offer superior strength and durability compared to lower-quality options with inferior construction methods.
Soft-Close Hinges. High-quality, adjustable soft-close hinges are essential. If humidity causes shifting in your home, you can easily adjust the hardware as needed. These hinges not only ensure smooth operation but also prevent doors from slamming.
Undermount Soft-Close Drawer Glides. When it comes to drawer glides, choose quality options that support heavy loads and provide full access. Steel glides with a soft-close mechanism guarantee quiet operation. At Swita Cabinetry, we use Blum tandem slides and hardware with soft-close technology, ensuring reliability. For large drawers, we utilize heavy-duty slides.
Custom cabinets meet your unique needs
Fully Assembled Cabinets. Consider cabinets that arrive fully assembled and finished from the manufacturer. These are typically more robust than ready-to-assemble (RTA) models, which can be complicated and time-consuming to assemble and finish on-site.
Face Frames. Framed cabinets offer added stability and support for hinges and glides and come in various styles, such as partial and full overlay. On the other hand, frameless or Euro cabinets require precisely level walls, doors, and drawers for proper alignment.
Customizability. Custom cabinets are increasingly popular due to their various finishes, sizes, styles, and storage solutions. Customized cabinetry meets the unique needs of your kitchen or bathroom, while semi-custom options allow for some modifications to suit specific requirements.
Precise installation makes products perform better, last longer
Expert Installation. Remember, expert installation is crucial. A trained professional with years of experience knows how to hang your cabinetry precisely for lasting performance and safety. Homeowners should seek out full-time installers for this critical task to ensure the ongoing performance of their investment.
Warranty. Lastly, a lifetime warranty reflects the manufacturer’s confidence in their product. At Swita Cabinetry, we want you to enjoy your cabinetry for many years. If problems arise at any time, we are here to help.
Focusing on these features will help you confidently choose quality kitchen cabinets that will enhance your home for years to come.
WHERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT QUALITY CABINETS?
Please make an appointment to visit our showroom at 144805 Hwy 153, Mosinee. For kitchen cabinet ideas, see our Facebook page @switacabinetry or Pinterest @switacabinetry.
BY KARLA SWITA
Karla is married to Pete, and they own and operate Swita Cabinetry together.