Browse Forums Kitchen Corner Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 21Feb 20, 2011 8:52 pm Make sure you see their work first. Small gaps between doors is a must! Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 22Feb 21, 2011 5:47 am Do you mean small as opposed to big ugly gaps? I will be inspecting the cabinets before they are installed and if I am unhappy with anything I will ask for it to be fixed. Also when installed I'll ask for any issues to be fixed too which gives peace of mind. Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 23Feb 25, 2011 11:30 am leanne27 Thankyou for the really great responses. So I have answers to these questions: HMR yes, boards are made in Australia, not China all 16mm cabinets are nailed and glued (he said a melamine glue) the drawers, runners hinges are all Blum, tandembox with soft close The vinyl wrap is Bonlex which is thermopressed but he doesn't know about UV protection gives a standard 7 yr guarantee for all work What do people think, is this looking like good quality? his price is less than half of the quotations we have received so I was suspicious that something was inferior but can't see it? mybe you should consider laminated doors rather than vinyl. Vinyl doesn't last as good as laminates. I also would want to have drawers where possible with a width of 80-90cm. Small cabinets, eg 30 cm are a vaste of space as they are only about 27cm inside. larger drawers are at the end cheaper than many small cabinets. Also a tall cabinet, 60cm wide with inside drawers (eg Blum website) is far better than a pantry with a few shelves that are 30cm or so apart. Also make a 'storage plan'. Eg, take a page of a newspaper of the size of your drawers and place your pots, plates etc on it. Consider what are the highest item that you still can close the drawer. Think of the overall hight of your cabinets, incl benchtop and kickboard. You can measure by using an ironboard which you can adjust to a hight you feel comfortable with. another measure is your angled arm minus 15cm. carcusses come in varies hights. I would prefer to have carcusses >72 cm, eg 75 cm and smaller kickboard (eg 10cm). Hanging cupboards are often fitted too high, more of a feature than functional. 50-65cm above the benchtop is a good hight. If you have corners in your kitchen, don't get a corner cabinet with one of these pull-out rotating shelves. They are flimsy and you have only 2 levels for storage. you are better off leaving a 'dead corner' and continue with a normal cabinet with drawers where you can have min 3 drawers or more. another thing that needs careful thinking are the handles. I hope i could help. Evelin Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 24Feb 25, 2011 1:08 pm blueblueblue Make sure you see their work first. Small gaps between doors is a must! Thats interesting you should mention door gaps. Off course there needs to be a gap between doors. I had one customer INSIST there should be NO gaps, and spend 30 minutes trying to convince me he was right. Best Price Wardrobes Sliding door robes | Walk in robes Deco panel | Mirror | Melamine 26 to 28 Cottage lane Hackham M: 0402 927 376 http://www.bestpricewardrobes.com.au Trade welcome Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 25Mar 03, 2011 10:02 pm All of the above info is great advice. The only other thing to add would be to ask for some testimonials from his previous customers. If he delivers a quality finished product he should definitely have some testimonials. If people get what they want, or better still, get something exceeding their expectations. They want to go out and tell the world about the experience they had dealing with that company. Good Luck... Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 26Mar 07, 2011 8:35 pm There is one thing missing from all this talk about quality... Edging.. you should be asking what sort of edging do they use on there cabinets and shelving. It's always the first thing to be chipped and wears easily. Where i work we use 2 mm edging and it's installed the proper way, a T join. Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 27Mar 20, 2011 10:18 am hi All, I have been following this thread, great information and advise. most of my questions have been answered, we are renovating the kitchen and trying to decide on the type of cabinet face material... we were suggested Vinyl Wrap and High pressure laminate and apparently they both are premium.... I read on this thread that the vinyl wrap can come off... any opinions on high pressure laminate? I have two kids under 5 , so didnt want to risk two pack paint. does the laminate last and is it easy to clean and maintain, what about the edges, do they chip easily? also I am more inclined to not get any handles but get the deep cut.. I am not sure what is it called... Many thanks for your opinions A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy? Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 28Apr 16, 2011 1:11 pm depends on how good you want them, there are so many variations, you need to decide what is most important to you , have a good chat with a cabinetmaker. Even then their definitions are different as to what is best... Make your own Organic Vegetable Patch, Learn How to Build a Pergola http://www.homestyledesign.com.au Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 29May 08, 2011 10:06 am Well I have now had my new kitchen cabinetry installed and I am 100% happy with it! I keep going in and looking at it, opening drawers, cupboards! The next step is to get my granite benchtop and the plumbing and electricity connected up so that I can then use it! Whne it's all complete I'll put up a photo depending on when I can find the battery charger Thankyou for all your helpful and invaluale suggestions. Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 30Jun 22, 2011 2:38 pm Congrats Leanne on your new kitchen! It looks like the time you spent researching and asking for advice has paid off. It's now time for you to reap the rewards. “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end” http://www.buildinganewhome.com.au Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 31Jun 26, 2011 10:11 pm We were lucky enough to find a cabinet maker that had several recomendations AND was the cheapest on price. So dont be spooked by a low quote...just ask to see some of his work. The expensive inclusions like german built hinges and runners are a personal choice, sure cheap rubbish will fail in a few years, but you dont need to spend a fortune to get a quality kitchen. Whats the point of spending big bucks on draw runners that will last 30 years when you know fashion will have moved on by then. Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 32Jul 28, 2011 5:27 pm sceen7 The expensive inclusions like german built hinges and runners are a personal choice, sure cheap rubbish will fail in a few years, but you dont need to spend a fortune to get a quality kitchen. Whats the point of spending big bucks on draw runners that will last 30 years when you know fashion will have moved on by then. Silly thing is there is only $200-300 difference between the cheap stuff and Blum. I know what I would be buying! Cutting Edge Kitchens and Cabinet Making http://cuttingedgekitchens.net.au http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cutting-Edge-Kitchens/290484196676 Mobile : 0419 430 575 PH: 9452 4772 Fax :9452 4772 cuttingedgekitchens@outlook.com Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 33Aug 15, 2011 3:45 pm In summary, No flat packs from ikea or bunnings 16 mm hmr construction with plenty of screws , not just a few brads ! 1 or 2 mm PVC edge nicely done on a quality edgebander Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 34Aug 15, 2011 3:52 pm Sorry pressed 'submit' by mistake. So no edges of the iron on variety And decent vinyl wrap rails, not off cuts of hmr edged All that springs to mind at the moment, Oh solid base or adjustable legs optional ( pro's adj. Legs no moisture problems later, con's poorer kick plate install. Reverse for solid base Hope that helps Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 35Aug 17, 2011 8:00 am Darren Stewart Oh solid base or adjustable legs optional ( pro's adj. Legs no moisture problems later, con's poorer kick plate install. Reverse for solid base We build our kickboards out of plywood so there isnt any moisture problems. Best of both worlds! Cutting Edge Kitchens and Cabinet Making http://cuttingedgekitchens.net.au http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cutting-Edge-Kitchens/290484196676 Mobile : 0419 430 575 PH: 9452 4772 Fax :9452 4772 cuttingedgekitchens@outlook.com Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 36Aug 18, 2011 6:50 am Nice! Marine? Cost heaps but worth it in the long run, I've seen the gables bursting the screws at the base, when there's too much weight on the legs, that's why I always overlapped mine. Not a patch on your ply solid bases, take a bit of time to set up but then it would fly! Perfect(as poss. ) scribes kicks with no gap at all between base and top of kick, sweet! Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 37Aug 19, 2011 5:40 pm Darren Stewart Nice! Marine? Cost heaps but worth it in the long run, I've seen the gables bursting the screws at the base, when there's too much weight on the legs, that's why I always overlapped mine. Not a patch on your ply solid bases, take a bit of time to set up but then it would fly! Perfect(as poss. ) scribes kicks with no gap at all between base and top of kick, sweet! Spot on! Cutting Edge Kitchens and Cabinet Making http://cuttingedgekitchens.net.au http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cutting-Edge-Kitchens/290484196676 Mobile : 0419 430 575 PH: 9452 4772 Fax :9452 4772 cuttingedgekitchens@outlook.com Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 38Aug 20, 2011 9:12 pm can never underestimate the role that kicks play, once they are leveled and scribed, they impact greatly on the overall install and finish of the cabinets. I see the benefits of plastic feet, but i prefer ladderframe kicks. Vinyl 2x1 timber rail instead of 16mm hmr, as it supports stone better where there are cutouts, such as cooktops and sinks. 16mm solid backs, not 3mm whitecoat stapled on the back of cupboards. Blum hardware, sure the cabinetmaker / kitchen guy can save himself $250 on average, but there is something about the Blum gear. It holds its adjustment far longer than the cheap stuff. Very important for longevity of the kitchen. Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 39Aug 22, 2011 8:14 am If it's explained to customer, look for an extra $600 you can have the best hardware and solid marine ply bases which will never rot and greatly improve the longevity and install quality, how many would say 'no thanks' on a $15000 - $20000 job Re: What makes cabinets good quality? What questions to ask? 40Aug 22, 2011 11:12 am Showing my age again but I can't see the words chipboard, ply, quality and cabinetmakers all in the same sentence equalling quality. My mother's house from the 50's had solid hardwood throughout all cupboards, rock solid and nearly 60 years on still looked fab Even the laminex she had put on in the 60s had no chips and few scratches - they just don't make them like they used to In my house we put in a chipboard kitchen and I see it as it is cheap and replaceable. I think quality and cost is from bench tops and appliances now, not the 'cabinetry' (runs and hides) Ardo That is so funny! I wonder how many people know who Larry Haun is these days. I have a couple of young guys we call Mo 1 & Mo 2 who run a crew of 6 boys and… 9 15584 I work with owner, he/she is my man on the ground and I instruct them when to visit the site and take photos and I have other tools in the bag. 4 15379 You can really use anything you want the main consideration would be how it looks once painted/finished - or the look you want. Cabinetmakers use MDF because its cheap… 2 10054 |