What Should Cabinets Be Made of?

Types of Woods

• Despite the location or room in your home, cabinets must be made with a high-quality wood. For beginners, the wood should be easy to work with in terms of cutting and painting when the cabinet is complete. Softwoods and hardwoods are easy to work with and often provide a strong and reliable cabinet when finished. Hardwood is more expensive but also provides a clean finish similar to hardwood floors. Plywood is also an option for more experienced woodworkers; it is harder to work with but can save you some money in the end.

Screws, Nails and Hinges

• Although cabinets may appear as though they are solely made of wood, additional tools and supplies are used to keep the wood pieces in place to form the cabinets. While some people rely solely on nails to keep the pieces together, others use wood glue as an initial adhesive followed by nails as well. The nails are often inserted on the side pieces, so they reach into the top and bottom frame of the cabinets. The nail heads are often hidden by additional cabinets placed side-by-side or by sandpapering plus a layer of paint. Some may cut off the nail head after hammering the nail in place.

Additional Tools

• All cabinets with cabinet doors require hinges to keep the cabinet doors in place. The hinges are responsible for opening and closing the cabinet doors when you need to get something inside. Kitchen cabinets may solely close with a simple knob or handle. Cabinets located outdoors or in garages may require a hinge lock to keep the items within secure and safe. Cabinets that are exposed frequently, such as kitchen and bathroom cabinets, may have molding or trim on the door for an aesthetically pleasing look.

Assembly Procedure

• Follow proper assembly when building your cabinets. Create the wooden frame first by assembling the side panels with the top and bottom pieces of the cabinet. In addition, add any shelving to the cabinet before closing the rectangular frame of the cabinet consisting of the four sides. The shelf and the frame are connected using nails and the hammer. Use a square ruler and a level when assembling to ensure each connection is even. Finish the cabinet by adding the back panel first, followed by the cabinet door with the hinges.