New Kitchen Cabinet Alternatives
Kitchen Cabinetry Alternatives
New Kitchen Cabinets can be the most expensive component in a kitchen remodel. First, determine whether your cabinets need to be totally replaced, resurfaced, or simply repainted. If your current kitchen cabinets are from the 1950s or earlier there’s a good chance they’re built better than most on the market today.
If space is the issue, there are ways to maximize what you already have. Increase storage by adding shelves within the cabinets, or changing doors to drawers under counters. Pan for a recycling collection area to minimize clutter. Pullout shelves can be added that allow you to retain the existing cabinet doors as well.
Existing kitchen cabinets can be completely transformed and updated with cabnet
refacing – replacing the cabinet and drawer fronts while keeping the base cabinetry. By refacing them, you could end up with a premium-quality kitchen that looks brand new–at a fraction of the monetary and environmental cost.
Whether refacing your cabinets or installing new ones, be careful with kitchen cabinets constructed of particleboard or conventional medium density fiberboard (MDF). Not only can it fall apart if wet, it often contains urea formaldehyde, which can emit irritating and unhealthy fumes for decades after it’s installed. Environment and health friendly alternatives include:
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Formaldehyde-free MDF made with exterior-grade resins for added durability.
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Agricultural fiber panels (called wheatboard or strawboard) free from formaldehyde binders. In dry and protected areas, they are an excellent option, and make use of an underutilized resource: plant stems left over from grain production. Applying veneers or finishes increase the durability of wheatboard.
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Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified exterior-grade plywood. The Forest Stewardship Council sets standards to certify forest products from responsibly managed forests (see ww.certifiedwood.org for more on sustainable harvest wood products).
For more information on kitchen cabinets or home remodeling, feel free to contact the experts at:
ZMK Construction
Michel Khozam
Email: michelk@zmkconstruction.com
Phone: 619-654-9419
