The war between importers of RTA wooden cabinets and American kitchen cabinet makers is easily visible on official tariff exclusion applications.
 
Companies hoping to get an exclusion must explain to the U.S. Trade Representative's office why they think they deserve one. There's also a spot for comments from the public and organizations, who can choose to support or oppose the application.
 
The American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance (AKCA), which formed in March to file an antidumping petition against China, says the Chinese government's "manipulation and unfair trade practices" have led to a more than 75 percent rise in Chinese imports of kitchen and bath cabinetry since 2015, creating a threat to the $9.5 billion American industry.
 
AKCA submitted comments on the applications of several importers of RTA cabinets. On CNC Cabinetry's application, the AKCA wrote:
 
"RTA imports do not constitute a separate, niche market, but rather a part of the U.S. market, as they compete head-to-head with the cabinets and vanities produced by the domestic industry, regardless of whether they are assembled or in RTA form. Both assembled and RTA cabinets are comparable with regard to quality, lead times, and other purchasing factors."

​CNC Cabinetry countered:
 
"AKCA argues RTA cabinets are 'interchangeable' with domestic made-to-order stock, semi-custom, and custom cabinets. However, as emphasized in CNC’s request, short lead times and efficient delivery methods set RTA cabinets apart from the made-to-order cabinets produced by domestic manufacturers. These characteristics allow RTA cabinets to appeal to a completely different set of customers than made-to-order domestic cabinets."
 
Fabuwood – also applying for RTA exclusions – saw similar comments on its application.
 
RTA importers formed their own group, the American Coalition of Cabinet Distributors (ACCD) to fight the trade action earlier this year. Rather than emphasizing price, these RTA distributors say they are providing a product not available from most U.S. producers – a ready-to-assemble cabinet that can be delivered in days instead of weeks.
 
In October, the Department of Commerce announced an affirmative preliminary determination in the antidumping duty investigation of imports of wooden cabinets, vanities, and components from China, finding that exporters from China have dumped wooden cabinets in the United States at margins ranging from 4.49 to 262.18 percent.
 
The AKCA commended the preliminary determination, which it says is an important continuation of the work to address unfairly traded Chinese imports of wooden cabinets and vanities. Preliminary duties range from 4.49% to 262.18%, with most Chinese producers facing antidumping duties of 39.25%.
 
"This is a good next step in the process of leveling the playing field for American manufacturers, and we look forward to the final determinations," Perry Miller, president of Kountry Wood Products, said at the time. "Today's determination makes it possible to move forward and continue to fight for our workers and for American jobs. We are all grateful to the Department of Commerce for their continued work on this issue."
 
In response to the DOC's preliminary decision, the ACCD had said:
 
“It is important to understand that an affirmative finding does not in any way suggest that imports of RTA cabinets and vanities from China are causing injury to the made-to-order cabinet industry behind this petition. In fact, the U.S. cabinet industry overall is healthy and growing.  
 
“The distinct RTA cabinet market accounts for less than 10% of all U.S. cabinet sales. RTA cabinets fill a specific consumer need, providing a limited selection of options that are available to consumers in a matter of days – a dramatically faster turnaround time than made-to-order cabinet companies offer. The made-to-order cabinet industry does not offer this niche product, and there is no justification for trying to penalize a segment of the market that their U.S. production does not serve. Remember that RTA imports are already saddled with 25% duties due to the trade war with China, making additional AD/CVD duties nothing more than punitive." 

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Countervailing duties on plywood and softwood, tariffs on steel and aluminum are "having a profound impact on U.S. cabinetry manufacturers," says John Sherwin (left), a researcher with Freedonia Group.

After a 20.83 tariff was imposed on on Canadian softwood imports in November 2017 (including pine, spruce, and fir), softwood lumber prices jumped, and they have remained high since. Longer-term anticipated results include:
• an estimated 7% increase in the cost of new home construction in the U.S. (according to the National Association of Home Builders)
• surging profits for U.S. lumber producers.

In May 2018, the Random Lengths Framing Lumber Index hit the highest level since its inception in 1995, rising 30% from the previous year. (It has since lowered but not to pre-peak levels.)
 
Despite the price rise, supply was not impacted, and in a May 2018 survey, 31 percent of single-family homebuilders reported a framing lumber shortage. "These additional costs are leading prospective home buyers in the U.S. to either postpone construction, opt for a smaller home, or buy an existing home instead of building," Sherwin says. He will be presenting resuilts 
The issue is still in flux, as the United States continues to bargain with China on trade. In early December, President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to 90-day halt of a tariff increase from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese exports.

​The deal postponed a March 1 deadline for a new round of tariffs that would have be levied on oak, beech, maple, ash, cherry, moldings, rods, particleboard, various types of plywood, doors, charcoal, corks, and stoppers, and wicker and bamboo baskets. Furniture items include bedding, mattresses, car seats, wood chairs, furniture designed for offices, kitchens, chandeliers, and lamps.

However until it is resolved, the effects transcend housing construction alone, with remodelers and manufacturers of flooring, cabinets, and related building and construction products purchased by both professionals and DIYers worried about the longer-term effects. For example, consumers may not be as willing to finance lumber-intensive home renovations given the higher costs.

Not only wood is affected - but raw materials for hardware as well, as steel and aluminum tariffs also carry significant implications for the U.S fasteners industry, which is an intensive user of foreign-made steel and aluminum. Because fastener companies primarily compete on the price of raw materials, US companies could lose share to foreign concerns as import costs for these metals continue to rise, or in some cases even go out of business.

There are literally hundreds of cabinet producers and probably thousands when you include all the local and small-business cabinet makers. While there is skill and craftsmanship necessary to produce quality results, producing quality doesn't necessarily require highly complex machinery or factory conditions. In other words, you may find a talented carpenter or local cabinetmaker with the ability to produce fine cabinetry.

Given the number of cabinet producers, you're probably asking what the differences are, if any, among them all. In reality, the differences are really found in the same general categories that make them similar. It's back to the car analogy again: the auto manufacturers all make vehicles that do the same job; they're just variations on a theme.

How They're Similar

• Materials - Cabinets are made from a finite range of materials and finishes so unless someone is making them out of bricks, most if not all will use similar materials (predominantly wood and wood-based products, melamine, laminate and some metals).
• Construction Style - Cabinets fall into two style categories - framed and frameless. Regardless of which manufacturer you choose, they'll produce either one or both of these styles.
• Options - Just like with cars, cabinet makers offer a varied array of options and price points.

How They're Different

• Stock / Semi-custom / Custom - How they're produced will vary among the manufacturers with some offering only custom pieces and others providing only stock or a combination of manufacturing methods.
• Quality - Not all manufacturers are created equal; there are those that offer more premium products in the way of materials, construction and options. Some manufacturers offer several product lines with graduated levels of what would be considered quality features (such as better materials and finishes).
• Access to Market - Some cabinet makes are available through big-box home retailers while others are through select dealers or designers. Other product lines are available through the internet with direct delivery to your door. Smaller local manufacturers may sell directly from their shop.

So what's the bottom line when it comes down to sorting through all the various cabinet makers? There's no right or wrong way to narrow down to a short list of candidates but here are some suggestions:

• Start by saving some ads from magazines on various manufacturers that appeal to you. Using the internet is a good way to find out more about them since most brands provide fairly good information on product lines, materials and construction. Most manufacturer websites will also tell you where you can find their products.
• Next, go out and look at some actual product. Even if the brands you like aren't available locally, still get out and view some products. You can do this by visiting any home-improvement retailer or by visiting some kitchen design firms. This way you'll actually see the differences in methods of construction and quality.
• Find some local cabinet makers in your area and visit them as a comparison to the large commercial producers.
• Finally, narrow your field of options based on your research and then focus on obtaining cost quotes for both the units and installation for comparison purposes.

So who are the best kitchen cabinet manufacturers? While it's a legitimate question, the answer isn't as definitive as you might think. And here's why:

There are makers of cabinets almost too numerous to catalog, let alone do independent tests on to determine who's best. I'm sure Consumer Reports has their short list of brands that they rate as good/better/best. But how many do they test relative to what's available in the marketplace?

Second, the determination of "best" is somewhat subjective. Sure, there are definite indicators of good quality and poor quality but there isn't one gold standard. One person may think that anything other than plywood construction is "poor" quality. However cabinets made with medium density fiberboard may be just as durable and last just as long. Let common sense prevail here. "Better" products are those made with stronger construction techniques and more durable finishes. But there aren't only 5 or 10 of these manufacturers out there.

To some extent cabinets are a commodity. There are probably hundreds of producers that fall into the "best" category if you look across the spectrum of national and local manufacturers.

Your most effective way to find the best brands are to look at what is available to you locally (both from a 'national' brand perspective as well as local producers) and see how they compare. Then, determine how they match up with your budget. What you should be shooting for is a kitchen cabinet manufacturer that can give you the most of what you're looking for (quality -- as you judge it, options, quantity, etc.) for what you're willing to pay.

In my opinion, that's your "best" kitchen cabinet maker. Because at the end of the day, even if someone was able to say that Brands A, B & C are the best brands, they may not be the best fit for your budget. You need to take some responsibility for understanding what makes cabinets good/better/best and make an educated buying decision. I think that's a more rational approach than simply relying on an arbitrary list of "great" kitchen cabinet producers.

Cabinetry Factory regularly tracks the latest cabinetry trends to ensure we have our finger on the pulse of the industry. White shaker style cabinets seem to be a staple the last few years, but check out what else is hot in cabinets:

Cabinet Color

They say the kitchen is the heart of the home, and people want their heart to have some style. Traditional wood tones for cabinets are out, and mixed materials are in, especially among millennial homebuyers. Sherwin Williams recently released its Kitchen Cabinet color card, here's what the company had to say:

• Paint vs. Stain - painted finishes have overtaken stained cabinets with whites and grays continuing to be the most sought-after
• The island - as the gathering place for entertaining, a kitchen island is a great place for a pop of color
• Two-tone - tuxedo cabinets have grown in popularity in recent years as a way to add visual interest
• Cabinet styles - shaker continues to be the leading cabinet style with hardware trending towards a more European look - straight, clean lines
• Hidden appliances - home buyers want the minimalist look. This means toe kick drawers and floor to ceiling cabinets that conceal appliances

Technology

It's no surprise that home remodeling is on the rise among millennials according to the 2017 Houzz & Home Survey. It only makes sense that kitchen and bath design professionals adapt their business practices to serve their younger audience through technology.

One trend that will continue to grow and make an impact on the cabinet industry is augmented reality. With new apps like those being released by Apple, it is easier than ever for people to see how a specific piece of cabinetry will fit and look in their homes. This type of technology will continue to change the way cabinet companies interact with customers.

According to recent research from Kitchen & Bath Design News and the Research Institute for Cooking & Kitchen Intelligence, technology enables clients to visualize the kitchen and bath projects they're considering and it also enables greater efficiency in business operations, saves time and allows for more effective communication with clients, suppliers and subcontractors.

Survey respondents reported their most-utilized technology tools are smart phones (82.7%), company website (77.1%), laptop computers (68.7%), design software (67.3%) and social media (62.7%).

Other commonly used digital tools include tablets, cloud-based storage, contact/email management software and business/design apps.

According to the survey, technology tools are used most frequently in the following areas:

• Project drawings or designs (71.1%)
• Product ordering (62%)
• Sales or marketing (55.6%)
• Client presentations (50%)

Cabinet hardware

Kitchens today trend toward clean lines and more simple designs, and with fewer wall cabinets and more drawers, the call is increasing for hardware to be more functional. Hardware should minimize noise while making use of every square inch of space. Here are some of the hottest trends in hardware right now according to the Kitchen and Bath Design News:

• Personalization - hardware should offer a stylish appearance but also must provide enough flexibility to allow for customization of storage to work for the specifics of how the space is used
• Flexible and accessible as lift doors and sideway/hideaway systems that promote the "invisible kitchen" look grow in popularity
• Higher capacity slides that offer smooth and seamless operation
• Soft close - this feature is quickly becoming a necessity rather than a luxury
• Champagne finish continues to be in demand for interior hardware, but there is a growing interest in titanium for products like hinges with a dark bronze look that allows it to blend with darker cabinets

​According to Woodworking Network, trends are also leaning towards no-hardware, push cabinets. This fits right in with the tendency towards clean lines and simple designs.

Kitchen cabinet quality is essentially a function of the materials, construction methods, finish and craftsmanship used in the cabinet-making process. There's variability in all of these ingredients which results in a corresponding range of cabinet quality.

What Exactly Is 'Quality'?
Before we get too far into the subject of cabinet quality, it will probably help to get a firmer understanding of just what that term means. "Quality" is something that's hard to pin down because at its root, it's subjective. One person's view of good quality may be another's interpretation of just "fair" or even "poor" quality. However, everyone of us still knows 'good quality', (whatever it means to us), when we see it.

You've no doubt looked at a product of some sort that you felt either demonstrated good quality or it didn't. Being specific about what it was that brought you to that conclusion is a harder task however. In the end it was probably because it either "looked" a certain way (sturdy, good attention to detail, no flaws) or if you actually bought and used the product, it met or exceeded your expectations in some way. Maybe it lasted longer than you expected or performed it's job with no hiccups.

Kitchen cabinet quality is no different. You'll encounter a range of materials and methods of assembly and in the end, you'll have to judge whether the product meets your quality standards.

What we hope to point out here are the important characteristics that define kitchen cabinet quality and the variation within the quality spectrum.

What To Look For In Kitchen Cabinet Quality
To start with you might be asking "Aren't there any standards that define good quality?" The answer is yes, there are some standards established within the industry but they're not "rules" that must be complied with like airlines that must conform to FAA regulations.

The KCMA, a cabinet industry trade organization, has established criteria that must be met in order to meet their certification requirements. However KCMA certification is elective and the lack of it doesn't imply poorer quality. At a minimum it gives you some baseline for the level of quality and durability a particular certified cabinet line has achieved or that other cabinet products can be compared to.

Beyond that there's also some basic common-sense standards associated with cabinet quality that will help you discern between better and poorer kitchen cabinet quality. This gets back to the point about 'knowing quality when you see it'. For example, thicker materials will be sturdier than thinner materials or construction techniques like dovetail joints are more durable than glued butt joints. But despite those characteristics that are plain and obvious, there are others that you might not be aware of like cabinet box reinforcement variations and drawer slide ratings.

So what should you be looking for to discern good cabinet quality? Focus on what the the basic components like the cabinet box, drawers and shelves are made from and how they're assembled. Also pay attention to the finish, how it's applied and the coatings that are used.

So read on! Hopefully in the end you'll have a good understanding of the range of kitchen cabinet quality and which attributes are better than others.

Cabinet Box Material And Construction
In their most basic form cabinets are nothing more than boxes that are made in varying sizes and of different materials. However that's where the similarities end. How these boxes are held together and the materials they're made from vary among manufacturers and even among product lines at any given manufacturer.

Materials
When it comes down to the materials that make up the box, there's debate over which is best because it depends what "best" means to the individual. Consider the options: solid wood (for face frames), plywood, particle board and medium density fiberboard (MDF).

Some cabinets also use a material called 'hardboard' for floors and cabinet back panels.

The material cabinets are made from is important because it plays a key role in the durability, longevity and quality of service the cabinets provide. Material properties such as rigidity, screw holding power and susceptibility to moisture and humidity will vary based on the material used in the cabinet's construction.

• Plywood is considered the premium option for cabinet boxes (other than solid wood used on the face frame). It's a strong material and solid-core plywood employs several layers of wood plies or veneers oriented at varying angles for stability and rigidity. Virtually all cabinet makers offer plywood as their upgrade or top-line cabinet box material over particle board or MDF. You don't see it the other way around so that should tell you something about plywood's stature.
• Particle board is widely used to make cabinet boxes and other components. It's covered with a melamine, wood veneer or vinyl laminate layer. It has drawbacks however in that it's susceptible to damage from water and liquids. Particle board also gives off formaldehyde vapors based on the constituents of the adhesives used to bond the wood particles. While this isn't anything new it is becoming a more prominent issue given the movement to build homes with healthier and eco-friendly products.
• MDF is another engineered wood product made up from wood fibers pressed and bonded together. Like particleboard, it's susceptible to water damage and it's also very heavy, adding to the overall weight that's suspended from the hanging rails on the back of the cabinet.

With regard to the reinforcing features, material selection plays an important role too. Preferable reinforcing parts are made from solid wood or plywood that are secured into dado slots cut into the cabinet's side, front and back panels or attached with screws.

Less preferable are smaller, thinner reinforcing pieces made from particle board and stapled or just glued in place.

Some cabinet manufacturers make corner gussets from plastic. Thick, substantial plastic that is securely fastened to the side panels is preferable over flimsy plastic parts. Here again, your eye can usually spot the superior products over the inferior ones (keep asking yourself, "does it look/feel solid or flimsy?").

Larger corner gussets are more effective than smaller ones because they 'reach out' and support more of the cabinet walls that they're attached to. This does a more effective job in keeping the panels square and rigid, particularly as the size of the cabinet box gets bigger.

Box Construction
In a broad sense, better, more durable cabinet boxes possess:

• Thicker, rather than thinner, side/end panels, floor and back panels.
• Some form of box reinforcement such as corner braces or I-beam braces
• A substantial hanging rail preferably made of solid hardwood in the back of the cabinet that's well-joined to the cabinet box itself (the hanging rail is what the cabinets are attached/hung from the walls with).
• 3/4 inch solid hardwood front frame (for framed cabinets)

The reasons for this are because thicker, reinforced panels with a solid front frame make for a more rigid and sturdy box with less chance of the box going out of square.

Your cabinets end up holding a substantial amount of weight from stacked dishes to canned goods. The shelves that directly support that weight rely on the brackets attached to the sides of the cabinet box. Thinner panels might bow or twist, particularly if they're not reinforced in some way.

The thickness of typical cabinet box side panels varies by manufacturer and product line. Thicknesses you'll see are 3/8, 1/2, 5/8 or 3/4 inch thick. Back panels range from 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Thicker panels provide more rigidity.

For comparison purposes take a look at the relative thicknesses of these typical materials used in cabinet construction. As you can see there's a significant variation among them.

The 1/8" hardboard on the left is used in some cabinets for the back panel. Typical cabinet box side panels are made from 1/2" stock with available upgrades to thicker material.

Drawer And Drawer Slide Construction
Cabinet drawers work hard because they hold a lot of the everyday items we use such as cooking and eating utensils. Because they're opened and closed frequently they take more of a beating than some of the other cabinet components. Better drawer construction means more durable and longer lasting drawers.

Cabinet drawers aren't complicated and there's just a few points to focus on. Pay attention to how the drawer box is constructed and the kind of slides they're mounted on.

Drawer Box Construction

Joint Construction - methods of construction involve dovetailed joints, doweled or rabbet joints, glue and staples or a combination of these.

Dovetailed joints are the most durable (provided they're tight with no gaps or looseness). Doweled and rabbet joints are next down the line with the glued/stapled joints at the lowest end of the quality spectrum.

Box Material - drawer box materials (for wood-based cabinets) include solid wood, MDF, plywood or particle board or a combination of these materials. This is one location where solid wood is still fairly common in cabinet construction. Solid wood combined with good joinery results in the strongest drawer box. This is due to the inherent superior qualities of solid wood over particle board such as screw holding capability and resistance to moisture. (Despite your best efforts, someday you'll end up spilling some sort of liquid into an open drawer.)
Bottom Thickness, Material and Retention - thicker bottom panels are better than thinner ones because the bottom panel supports the weight of the drawer contents. You'll see thicknesses ranging from 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch (keep in mind that 1/2 inch is 4-times thicker than 1/8 inch).
Drawer bottoms that are dadoed into the 4 sides of the cabinet box represent good construction because it 'captures' the drawer bottom.
Much less durable methods involve just stapling and/or gluing the bottom panel to the drawer box.

Drawer Slides
Slide Material - slides and their various parts are made from metal, plastic, nylon or a combination of these materials. Look at the rolling elements (the rollers or parts that actually allow the slide to move back and forth) and how the slide is attached to the back of the cabinet.
Stronger more durable slides will use roller mechanisms that have steel ball bearings and have metal attachment fittings where they fasten to the cabinet box.
Plastic and nylon attachments and rollers will be less durable than metal.

Load Rating - the load rating defines the amount of weight the drawer slides can support, which includes the weight of the drawer itself. Typical cabinet drawer slides are rated at 75 to 100 lbs. capacity. The higher capacity slides will handle more weight. Wider drawers or large pull-outs like recycling centers may require slides with a higher load rating.

Mounting Location - drawer slides are mounted on the sides (sidemount) or under the drawer (undermount). Sidemount slides result in a narrower drawer and less interior space for a given cabinet width compared to undermount slides because of the room the slides occupy on the side of the drawer.
While this isn't necessarily a durability issue as it relates to quality, having more drawer space by using undermount slides is usually preferable over a smaller drawer. Higher-quality cabinet lines use undermount drawer slides over side-mount slides.

Extension and Adjustability and Special Features - slides are classified by how far they allow the drawer to extend. They can be 3/4 extension, full extension and over-travel.
Full extension and over-travel slides allow the drawer to be pulled all the way out (or past all the way for over-travel drawers) which affords access to the entire drawer all the way to the back.

With 3/4 or "normal" extension a portion of the drawer remains inside the cabinet. You'll have to bend over to see or fish out the contents in the back. The lower the drawer is on the cabinet, the more inconvenient this gets.

Adjustable drawer slides are another good feature to have. They allow the drawers to be realigned in height and side-to-side as needed should they go out of alignment over time due to wear or shifting.

Better quality drawer slides also include added features such as soft-close action which causes the drawer to close itself once it's pushed past a certain point.

Shelf Thickness, Retention And Adjustability
Thickness And Material
Despite their simplicity the shelves are another key component in your cabinets because they carry the major part of the load within the cabinet. Thickness and material choice are the important factors since they govern both the rigidity and strength of shelf.
Plywood and solid wood are the best choices for shelf material as they provide better rigidity than MDF or particle board for a given thickness and shelf span.

Obviously the thicker the shelf, the more rigid and less prone to sagging it will be. Also, shelves that have a reinforcing strip made from solid wood or plywood attached to the front edge or underneath are more rigid than shelves without this feature.

How a load is place on a shelf will determine it's strength and resistance to sagging. In the case of kitchen cabinets the load is the 'stuff' you store on the shelves like dishes and food items.

Don't underestimate the weight of some of these items - lift your entire stack of dinner plates sometime to get a feel for what your cabinet shelves experience. The weight of a stack of plates, bowls or canned goods can add up pretty quickly and the closer to the center of the shelf you store them the more strength that shelf will need.

In general, shelf thicknesses range from 1/2 to 5/8 to 3/4 inch. The thicker 3/4 inch shelves are the preferable option based on their increased rigidity over thinner shelves.

If you work with a custom manufacturer you should be able to specify whatever thickness you want. They should also be able to guide you on the best thickness for a given span length. Although most cabinet shelves top out at 3/4 inch thick, don't hesitate to go thicker on a custom cabinet if you need the extra support.

Retention And Adjustability
Adjustable shelves are obviously more versatile than fixed shelves. Good quality cabinets will have adjustable shelves or at least more of them than fixed shelves. For adjustable shelves make sure you're satisfied with the clips that hold up the shelf. Metal clips are sturdier than plastic clips.

Shelves need to be strong but so does the hardware that holds them up. Look for metal supports rather than plastic. Also, look for supports that appear "right-sized" for the shelf span. There's no hard and fast rule here but brackets with a longer "reach" under the shelf are better than small ones, provided they're made from a solid material appropriate for their size.

Note the small size of these shelf-holding pins in the picture on the right. Wider shelves and heavier loads might tax brackets of this size. The way the brackets are held into the cabinet sides is also important. Long shelves that support more weight put a heavier load on the brackets.

Brackets that are just pins inserted into a hole in the cabinet sides aren't as durable as shelf standards.

Shelf standards are metal channels that are attached to the inside walls of the cabinet box that accept metal clips to support the shelves. In some designs they're recessed inside a dado cut into the cabinet wall.

They may be a bit more obtrusive looking but they offer a sturdier alternative than small pins pressed into a hole in the side panels of the cabinet.

Cabinet Finish
A good quality finish not only makes your wood cabinets look nice but it also goes a long way in protecting your investment. Why is that? Well, consider the environment your cabinets operate in.

Have you ever had boiling pasta or lobster on the stove? Or maybe you have a stove-top grill. There's lots of moisture, greases, and temperature changes that occur in a hard-working kitchen. That's not to mention the many times the drawers and cabinet doors are opened and closed or leaned on with dirty or greasy hands. Then there's the occasional spill of vinegar or ketchup down the front of the cabinet door. A good quality cabinet finish will go a long way in making sure your cabinets aren't phased by this onslaught.

Elements Of A Quality Finish
Look for the following components in a quality cabinet finish:
Catalyzed varnish or lacquer - a catalyzed varnish or lacquer has properties that enhance the durability of the coating beyond non-catalyzed varnish/lacquer. These qualities allow it to weather the harsher environment that kitchen cabinets are subjected to. Non-catalyzed coatings aren't as durable and will be more susceptible to damage.
Note: you may see references to 'conversion' varnish or catalyzed conversion varnish. This is also a durable coating material.

High-solids content - a finish, usually a varnish, with a high solids content provides more protection for the underlying wood and stain. "High solids" means that there's actually more solid 'particles' within the coating system. Those solids help to build up the coating thickness which ultimately provides a durable shield over the material underneath.

UV protection - finishes and coatings that include constituents that resist fading from ultraviolet light are desirable over those that don't. Cabinets in a sunny kitchen will be exposed to fading from the UV light present in the sunlight.
​
Regardless of who you buy your cabinets from make sure you understand what they're finishing process entails. Good wood finishing, particularly when using coatings like a catalyzed varnish, requires knowledge, tools and the right conditions to achieve a quality result.

​Think that all kitchen drawers are made alike? Well think again! Dovetail drawers offer many benefits that regular drawers just can’t match, continue reading to find out just what these benefits are!

Dovetail drawers require a different type of construction than standard kitchen cabinet drawers, and are usually regarded as a higher quality drawer option for homeowners. The difference between dovetail drawers and other, more traditionally constructed drawers, lies within the type of joint used in dovetail drawers.

The type of joint constructed for dovetail drawers is known as a ‘locking joint’. The dovetail ‘locking joint’ is constructed from wedge-shaped channels cut into the wood, that interlock with one another from either side of the drawer, creating a box. The wedge-shaped pieces are called ‘tails’ and ‘pins’, and provide a very strong joint that is quite resistant to force once the two sides are assembled.

The dovetail joint is so strong that oftentimes when a drawer breaks, it is not at the point of the joint. Not only is the ‘locking joint’ itself strong, but the joint’s surface is large enough to offer an unusually large area for gluing. Glue is stronger than wood, and therefore the more space that is available for gluing allows for an even stronger drawer box.

Due to the construction of the joint, dovetail drawers also offer the largest storage space. British dovetail drawers, which are the type we have been talking about, allow for the largest possible drawer, regardless of the type of furniture. French dovetail drawers are a proper choice for specialty furniture, like pieces with curved fronts. Joints on French dovetail drawers are constructed slightly different, with the drawer side sliding upward into a long groove at the drawer’s front.

​The advantages of dovetail drawers are in the construction of their joints. They offer a stronger drawer, with a larger holding capacity. While these drawers are associated with a higher quality drawer, this is not always the case. There are many options for drawer construction, and picking the correct drawers for your kitchen cabinets should include strength and storage.

Nobody likes the sound of banging cabinet doors and drawers. And while you can’t do anything about the nuisance caused by these during the rush hour at lunchtime in your local diner, there is a way you can rule this out at home.

You may have heard the terms “self-closing” and “soft-closing” before, but they are not the same. Self-closing systems operate on a spring-like mechanism that pulls in doors and drawers as soon as they are opened, which isn’t always silent. Soft-closing systems, on the other hand, stop the drawer or door when pushed to a certain point, and then activate hydraulics to pull them in the rest of the way, thus shutting them without sound.

According to Cabinetry Factory, self-close drawers have been in the industry for many years, but soft-close pieces are only just beginning to get popular. It seems Europe is the hotbed for testing out these new technologies before the rest of the world picks them up.

Drawer Slides
Drawers in the 50’s and 60’s contained noisy metal slides on their sides, known as Grant slides. And then inexpensive epoxy-coated slides with ball bearings were created in the 80’s. These revolutionized the mechanism of drawers and quickly became the mainstay of the furniture industry.

When the drawer is a side-mount type, 1/2 inch clearance is required on either side. This is to accommodate the ball-bearings and stamped-steel of the slide. Nowadays, springs for self-closing and pistons for soft-closing are also being incorporated in the design.

In the olden days, soft-closing pistons contained oil, but those had many disadvantages. Currently, these pistons are air-driven, which has drastically reduced the resistance offered by the drawers when you try to pull them out. But one needs to always keep in mind that drawer slides function in a slightly different manner when the drawers are filled.

In case the cabinet design is of the soft-close under-mount type, then the drawer is constructed slightly wider and with a recess underneath to accommodate the slide and piston mechanism. For this a 1/8 inch clearance is given under the drawer. But if your drawer was originally constructed for side-mount slides, then you shouldn’t attempt to retrofit slides underneath it.

Drawers that are side-mount type have four pieces while the under-mount type has five. This is because the front of the drawer is separately fitted to the box once the slide is in place.

Nowadays, kitchen cabinet manufacturers have started incorporating the soft-close feature with the side-mount slide. But if you are a DIYer, then it is better to go for epoxy-coated slides as they are easier to put together without expertise.

Door and Hinges
Cabinet doors can have many different kinds of hinges – knife, exposed barrel, and European cup.

Knife hinges are called that because a small part of the hinge sticks out like a knife. A spring mechanism can make this a self-closing system. Exposed barrel hinges, on the other hand, have their entire spine visible externally, and need a magnetic catch to allow the door to swing freely. European cup hinges are built inside the door with an internal spring for self-closing.

If the cabinet contains a soft-closing feature, then it also contains an additional piston in the hinge mechanism. A blocking element is then needed to determine the position of the piston and the softening effect on the swing. Since cup hinges are built inside the side of the door, the soft-closing system may either be built-in or snap-on.

​Soft-close slides, hinges and doors are perfect for homes that don’t want neighbors to complain of banging door and drawers, and prefer peace and quiet.

Where we live – and the methods and products we use to build our homes – can help or hinder the environment. According to the EPA, more than 500 million tons of construction and demolition debris are sent to landfills every year. Once the products are installed, Americans tend to waste more than 180 gallons of water per week and roughly a third of home energy monthly. Fortunately, kitchen and bath manufacturers are working to make products healthier for the environment and for homeowners. 

At Cabinetry Factory, sustainability is not just a buzzword, it is the basis upon which our company was founded and is central to everything we do. First and foremost, Cabinetry Factory is about a worldview that our place on this planet is shared. Through our company and the products we create, we hope to change how people interact with environment in their daily lives and, in doing so, inspire a generation of people to innovate toward a more sustainable future.

All our kitchen cabinets are Carb 2 compliant, meaning they adhere to the lowest and most strict formaldehyde emissions standard of .05 ppm. All wood or wood-based products emit formaldehyde, but the cabinet manufacturing process for some companies can greatly increase these emissions. We are taking steps to ensure the air around is healthy and free of carcinogens in all our cabinetry products.

Cabinetry Factory take responsibility for the environment and the safety of our customers and employees, and takes conscious steps to minimize the overall impact of our operation on environment.

All sawdust generated in our cabinet manufacturing process is collected, removing 98 percent of dust particles. This eliminates virtually any discharge of wood dust into the atmosphere. Our dust collection system not only provides a clean air environment, it also uses a computer controlled, variable frequency drive system that saves a considerable amount of electricity. Sawdust is regenerated to produce heat.

We use eco-friendly paint for kitchen cabinet finish. It has no measurable level of formaldehyde or hazardous air pollutants, and extremely low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The air filtration system in our finishing department removes 97 percent of particulate matter, keeping our air clean inside and out.

​A successful finished project first starts with a creative design and then becomes fully functional and inspired during the manufacturing, however, all it takes is a few hiccups during the installation process to turn success into failure and turn a happy customer into a disgruntled one who.

One of the best ways to ensure a successful project is through personnel: You must hire the best people and hiring a great installer is as important as hiring a great designer. An installer should not only be skilled in construction and assembly methods, but they also should be problem solvers, great at time management and skilled at customer service and communication, among other attributes.

Once you’ve hired that person, below are few tips on how to prepare your customer for the install, how to make the jobsite more efficient and how to deal with the common challenge of uneven flooring.

Homeowner preparation
Homeowners have a role to in ensuring a successful closet installation. In fact, how well they do their part is key to the process. Following are seven tips you can share with customers so they can make the proper preparations before installers arrive:

Clean Up: Make sure the room is completely empty and the walls are blank. Not only should all personal items be removed – clothing, shoes, purses, etc. – also remove any moveable item such as shelves, cleats, baseboards and clothing rod.

Paint: Closet walls should be painted at least two days prior to the installation giving the paint time to dry. Painting the walls helps to give the closet a fresh facelift especially if the customer ordered an open back closet system where the wall can be seen. Painting walls to contrast with the color of the closet system can also give the entire closet a
new look.

New Floors: All flooring should be cleaned or replaced prior to the installation of the closet system. Once the closet system is installed, it will be a challenge to remove it if the homeowner later decides they want new floors.

Clear the Area: Remind homeowners that closet installation is light construction, so they should remove all pictures, mirrors and knickknacks in the immediate area since the installers need a clear path to the closet and its surrounding area. If the walls that adjoin the closets have artwork or decorative items, those items should be removed as well so that any hammering won’t cause something to shake or fall.

Plan a Playdate: If the homeowner has small kids, suggest that plan a play date at someone else’s home since there will be construction materials lying around. Also, they should plan on where to keep their pets for the day since the workers have to carry materials in and out and you can’t constantly watch the door for a pet that’s not allowed outside.

Decorate:  Shop for finishing pieces such as rugs, chairs, footstools and other accents, before the installation begins will allow the homeowner a seamless transition to their new system. This is also the time to replace all old hangers with new ones to give the closet a showroom look.

Make Time: Homeowners should decide on how they want to organize the new closet – whether it’s color coordinating or sorting by seasons. Then schedule enough time to organize clothing and shoes before putting them back in the closet. This is a good time to clean your shoes and purses, get certain items dry cleaned or properly store your occasion clothes.

Make the jobsite efficient
Dan Rush, a professional trim carpenter, specializing in cabinet installs, has the following tips on how to improve efficiency and productivity on the jobsite.

Evaluating Tool Usage: Take time to identify and separate your tools into these three categories:

Daily or weekly use – Keep these in your site kit.

Occasional use – Pack separately but keep in your truck.

Rarely/never used – Put these is your shop’s storage.

This helped reduce his truck cargo by 30 to 40 percent.

Site Tool Kit: Rush uses a Systainer system because it offers a unified approach to tool organization and transportation. Now, along with four Systainer boxes, a worktable, compound miter saw, vacuum and step ladder complete his site kit.

To minimize trips between the truck and jobsite, he decided on a 24 x 48-inch lightweight work cart with 8-inch pneumatic wheels. The large tires help negotiate curbs, gravel drives, cords, etc. on site. Using the Systainers and work cart, saves him 30 to 45 minutes daily.

Site Work Area and Clean Up: An MFT worktable is the center point of his site shop, with the work cart and Systainers set up next to it in the same order each day. A consistent loading plan ensures proper workflow, as well as the ability to immediately notice something out of place on a crowded jobsite.

Another time saver: Rush uses a dust extractor with a number of his tools. On average, it saves 15 to 30 minutes during clean-up time.

Uneven flooring
Anothy Noel, a cabinetmaker and former contributor to Closets & Organized Storage has a few tips on how to deal with a common problem on jobsite - uneven floors. When the floor is uneven, you can typically get away with shimming a system up to ¼ to ½ inch. But what if the floor slopes up to 2 inches?

Tip 1: Panel Sizing

Cut the panels and scribe the toekick.

A.      Start with the panel at the lowest end (do not cut that panel)

B.      Place the panel in place

C.      Draw a level line from the top of the panel to the end of the system

D.     At the location of each panel, measure from the floor to line – that’s the height of your panel. Cut the panel on the bottom and continue to the last panel

E.      Scribe toekicks in to fit

Tip 2: Hardware Tricks

Mounting hardware can help correct problems in closet spaces that are out of plumb or out of square. Some closet installers, for wall-mounted systems, use brackets that provide an allowance of 1-1/4 inches of play in several directions.

Tip 3: Filling Gaps

Scribe tape, self-adhesive edgebanding, can be used for small gaps. For gaps larger than 3/8 inch, the entire closet organizing system is shrunk down in the design stage and fillers are included.

Tip 4: Scribe Moulding

Make a scribe moulding with the HPL and scribe it to fit the wall and then laminate it to the edge of the board. Fill in any tiny gaps with caulking.

On wood cabinets the finish is just as important as how well the cabinets are constructed. The finish not only provides aesthetic appeal but is a key component in the protection of the underlying wood surface. It needs that protection from the moisture and chemicals that are typical in a kitchen.

(Keep in mind we're talking about wood cabinets here. Cabinets covered in laminate or melamine aren't coated with these types of finishes and surface treatments.)

The amount of material to explain the science behind the varnishes, lacquers and other cabinet surface treatments could fill a book but it's not necessary for a basic understanding of how a cabinet is put together. What we'll focus on here are some of the common finishes that you're apt to encounter in your cabinet research and their important features.

Materials
These are the most common finish treatments that you'll find on kitchen cabinets:

• Paint - The benefit of paint is that you have a limitless color pallet available to you. You're not limited to a range of browns and other earth tones like you are with wood stains.
• "Milk Paint" is an alternative choice to the standard enamels that are used on cabinetry. It's an organic-based paint made from milk protein, lime and natural pigments. The basic 'recipe' has actually been around for hundreds of years. Milk paint's benefits include it's good durability and strong resistance to water. It also adheres well to wood. It has it's own unique decorative appeal and is reminiscent of the texture of paints used on antique and period furniture.
• Stain - Wood stain is a topical color treatment that alters the natural color of the underlying wood while allowing the grain pattern to show through. Wood stain requires a sealer on top of it for protection.
• Varnish - Varnish is a combination of oil and resin that's used to provide a protective layer over the wood and any other surface treatment like stain.
• One of the finishing terms you'll probably encounter more often than not is "catalyzed varnish". It sounds high tech and in some respects it is. In more simple terms it defines a type of finish that uses a "catalyst" to cause or speed up a particular reaction between the chemicals in the finish, usually to achieve some specific result. Catalyzed varnish incorporates compounds that make it harder and more durable than it would be without them.
• Lacquer - Lacquer is another top-coat protective sealer used on cabinets and furniture. It's made by dissolving a resin in a solvent. It too can be "catalyzed" and you'll see references to "catalyzed lacquer" in various cabinet.
• Glaze - Glaze is a pigmented but transparent or semi-transparent coating that's applied over a base coating such as paint or stain. Glaze is used to enhance the look of cabinets by highlighting the underlying base color and bringing out surface detail. When glaze is applied and then hand wiped some of the glaze remains in the corners and recesses of doors, providing additional visual highlights.

The Finishing Process
The cabinet finishing process is dependent on the type of finishes used and the individual cabinet maker's capabilities and formula. Large cabinet manufacturers may have sophisticated facilities and processes to apply the finish whereas smaller cabinet makers may take a simpler approach or even farm out the finishing process to a local firm that specializes in that type of work.
​
Wood cabinet finishing involves a number of steps that involve preparing the wood, applying the surface treatments and baking the finish. For an example of one large cabinet manufacturer's method, check out the Cabinetry Factory finishing process of cabinet door​. It's an example of the multiple steps that are taken in the cabinet finishing process.

Larger cabinet makers may have the resources and advanced production capabilities to produce consistent quality finishes. Smaller shops may not have the same capabilities. One of the things on your checklist when researching smaller cabinet shops should be their finishing process. Achieving a quality finish requires controlled conditions free from airborne dirt and dust. Some finishes require baking to cure. That's not to say that high-tech production facilities are the only way to achieve a quality finish. Just be sure you understand your cabinet maker's finishing capabilities and whether they'll produce a product that will hold up to the rigors of the kitchen environment.

One final point to remember is that the finish options you choose have a bearing on the final cost of your cabinets. Finishes that include hand-rubbed treatments or multi-step coating applications take time and ultimately raise the cost of the cabinets. Glazing can produce some nice effects but it's an additional step in the process. Ask yourself whether it's absolutely essential in your kitchen style. Otherwise you may be able to save some money on simpler finish treatments.