Particleboard vs. Wooden Cabinets

Those looking to build a new home or remodel their existing one are often unsure about which products will provide the best value. When it’s time to design or upgrade their kitchens, they are likely to have questions about the merits of wooden cabinets versus a particleboard alternative. 

Plywood is constructed by gluing sheets of log-cut wood together in a cross-grain pattern. The cross-grain method make plywood more durable than a solid cut of wood. After the wood sheets are pressed into a composite, they are covered with a wood veneer.

Particleboard is a composite made by binding together wood chips and wood particles with glue or resin. Next, the composite product is made into a wood sheet by using either pressure or a mold. The sheet is then “finished” by wood veneers, a laminate, or by painting. 

Is Wooden Cabinetry Better than Particleboard Cabinetry?
Both Offer Advantages As Well As Drawbacks

Construction
Plywood hold both mechanical and glued joints better than particleboard. Glued joints are actually preferable to mechanical fasteners like nails and screws, and that’s why higher-end cabinetry uses glued construction.

Durability
Particleboard can be durable if it’s constructed properly. However, it does scratch and dent more easily than plywood, so will not hold up as long as wooden cabinets.

Strength
Proper manufacturing can improve particleboard’s strength, but plywood can hold more weight due to the way the individual sheets of wood are interwoven. Wooden cabinetry is also lighter than particleboard, and if you plan to hang large upper cabinets from a soffit, your installation crew will have an easier time moving and maneuvering a plywood box.

Moisture-Resistance
Resistance to moisture is important in a room where water plays a big role. In the kitchen, water is used frequently – either to cook or wash dishes – and there’s always a risk the sink could leak. Steam from boiling water or even high humidity can also affect the materials used for kitchen cabinets. Compared to particleboard, plywood is more water-resistant, and even though water use could eventually impact wooden cabinets over time, plywood’s structural integrity will remain sound for a longer period than a cabinet made from particleboard. Particleboard is susceptible to swelling or warping in high-moisture environments.

Quality Variation
Particleboard is a product sold based on industry-set quality-control standards. Particle size and density are graded so you always know what you’re getting. There’s no such standardization in plywood construction, and you may run into trouble when the boards are delivered. 

Voids or holes in the plywood can make mechanical joint construction using nails or screws a difficult task. If you need to return faulty plywood and wait for a new delivery, that means lost time, and lost time on a construction project equals lost money.

Finishing
It’s easier to apply finishes to particleboard due to its flat and slick surface, which never needs to be sanded. Plywood has a rougher surface because of grain patterns, so it will be more time-consuming to properly finish wooden kitchen cabinets.

Cost
The materials used to make particleboard are considered to be waste, so they’re cheaper than using solid sheets of wood. Additionally, the manufacturing process for particleboard is more streamlined, which also brings down the cost.

Plywood is more expensive than particleboard, and usually for good reason. But your customers may be limited by their budgets. It will come down to a conversation between you and your clients to determine whether particleboard cabinets or wooden kitchen cabinets will provide the most value for their projects.

Quality Factory direct kitchen Cabinetry and Economical Pricing
Cabinetry Factory is the #1 kitchen cabinet factory in Vietnam. We manufacture high-quality wooden cabinets and particle board kitchen cabinets at our facility, and because we eliminate the middleman, we can offer outstanding prices to cabinet distributors. Contact us and we are ready to be your partner!