Have you ever thought of building as a type of artwork? If you were to interact with a few construction workers or contractors, and then talk to them about their work, you might come to see it this way. Designing and building a whole structure requires some sort of artistic intellect. It might be a different sort of artistry than one would use to create a painting or a drawing, but it is art nonetheless.
On this blog, we are going to write about construction and contractors. We aim to do that from a range of perspectives, which should keep things interesting.
No one wants to spend money on cheap-quality cabinets that will show definite signs of wear after a few years of use. If you're buying new cabinets for your kitchen, you want strong, sturdy cabinets that will continue to look good for a very long time. That's not the easiest task if you don't know what to look for or what signals good workmanship.
Look for Dovetail Joinery
Joinery is the art of connecting wooden pieces, such as those in drawers, by cutting the edges to make them interlocking. Dovetail joinery is a type of joinery in which the interlocking sections are carved to look like triangles or dovetails. This is an extremely strong type of joinery and allows for a lot of friction and pressure to hold the pieces in place. In dovetail joinery, you can add a lot of glue to make the interlocking pieces permanently joined because so much of the surface area of one interlocking section touches the surface of the other section.
You Want Minimum Formaldehyde in the Materials
The wood used in cabinets is not cut from a tree and immediately fashioned into your cabinet fronts and doors. It's usually engineered and treated to withstand some environmental issues. Many manufacturers use wood that's been treated with volatile organic compounds like formaldehyde, which can lead to headaches and respiratory problems, among other issues. You can't see formaldehyde, and you might not smell it, but if you're sensitive to it, you'll certainly feel it. It is much better to get cabinets made from wood that has low VOC levels. Otherwise, you might find yourself having the cabinets torn out again.
Frameless Doors and Drawers Require Thicker Cabinet Bases and Backs
Cabinet doors and drawer fronts come in two main attachment styles. One is framed, and the other is frameless. Framed cabinet doors fit into the cabinet front, so the cabinet front forms an outline or frame around the door. Frameless doors and drawers simply close over the cabinet front with no frame outlining the door or drawer front. While both styles have their literal strengths, frameless doors require that the cabinet structure be thicker and stronger since the door itself offers no load-bearing support.
Cabinet brands like UltraCraft are known for their strong, frameless cabinets that use wood that is low in VOCs. When you have cabinetry that is built to last, you'll find it a joy to use and maintain. A company like Custom Cabinetry Direct has more information.