Here Are Some Tips to Buy a Kitchen Cabinet

Kitchen cabinets not just add manner and classiness to your kitchen but also add value to your home. They are to be considered and invested into as a major purchase. Therefore, make sure that while buying new kitchen cabinets, you buy the best ones available. Also ensure they are all worth every penny spent.

You might consider several steps that may be noted in the process of buying a kitchen cabinet:

• Firstly, decide upon a budget for the kitchen cabinet as these cover about fifty percent of the kitchen remodeling expenses. And not just decide upon it but also try and stick to it when buying the cabinets.
• Next, you need to measure the space that is available in the kitchen for the cabinet. This is to decide upon the size and number of cabinets required or that might fit in. This helps you get a rough estimate of the price.
• You then have to decide upon whether you want a stock cabinet, semi-custom cabinet or a fully customized one. Stock cabinets being less expensive are restricted in terms of style, shapes and size choices. Semi-custom ones are standard sized but offer design and styles varieties. Custom cabinets are expensive but built as per customer design and style specifications.
• Also, choose and select options with regards to custom items that include wine racks, cabinet pantries, pullout shelves and knobs or maybe handlers. Herein, while stock cabinets offer limited options, semi-custom and custom cabinets provide limitless solutions. Choose the kitchen cabinets on their usability. The more the usability the better it is.
• Also, you will have to choose the quality of the cabinets that you want from solid frames to reinforced corners and also closed backs and solid frames.
• And finally, there is style and color that you will have to decide upon. For this you can look upon magazines, online galleries or even personally visit the cabinet stores. Again, stock cabinets are available in limited styles while semi-custom and custom cabinets offer a lot more.
• Most importantly, the cabinet should probably match the architecture and the interior design of your home. It should not look out of place as it mars the beauty of your kitchen.

Also, while looking for and buying kitchen cabinets, you should always consult a hardware specialist. This is because there are numerous manufacturers of decorative hardware. Therefore, as we look to buy those with the best quality and reputation, a specialist could certainly be very helpful. Also visit the stores or warehouses and take a look at the cabinets and their prices before you decide to purchase any.

Another thing is to do research well on the internet for reputation of the manufacturers and the quality of cabinets made by them. You might also look for cost effective deals that might be available online.

www.LKNcabinets.com is the home for LKN Cabinets and Remodeling. We are an affordable quality cabinet provide to the Charlotte, NC area.

Kitchen Design Basics – Cabinet Drawer Hardware

Cabinet drawer hardware is one aspect of cabinet design where there are many options. In this article we will outline some of the more common option for cabinet drawer slides.

Epoxy Coated Drawer Slides

These are the most common type of slide and ones you will see on all the inexpensive cabinets available at the large home improvement centers. These are the default slide that you will also see in most new subdivision developments. Available for as little as $2 in bulk, they are serviceable, but do not provide any of the desirable features of the hardware listed below.

Side Mounted ball-bearing slides

These are a good mid-range option. Much stronger than the epoxy coated slides, they also add a substantial feel to the drawer slide operation. These are available with a full access option, meaning that the drawer will pull out the full depth of the drawer, unlike the the epoxy slides which only partially open.

Under mount Slides

These are the most popular slide upgrade. They are the most visually pleasing as all of the hardware is out of sight since its mounted under the drawer. These too are available with a full-extension option. Many also feature a soft-close feature which has become quite popular. When paired with a dovetailed drawer, these are synonymous with the highest quality cabinets.

While the drawer slide selection may seem like a minor consideration, in reality spending an extra few dollars on upgraded hardware can greatly improve the utility and convenience of your cabinets.

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Remodeling Your Kitchen is an Investment Which Pays For Itself

The price of kitchen and bathroom remodels range widely depending upon several factors.  One of the biggest factors that will determine how expensive a remodel will be is the quality of materials.  Higher quality grades of cabinets, countertops, and flooring all require more highly skilled laborers to produce.  Most of the highest quality materials are not produced in a cookie cutter fashion, such as the average run of the mill cabinets or laminate countertops which can easily be found in any large brick and mortar hardware store.

 A jump in price is extremely common from basic laminated chipboard cabinets, which are found in every basic new home,  to real solid wood cabinets, whether it be oak, maple, or especially exotic woods like African Sapele.  The same is true of countertops. 

Laminate countertops are the easiest and cheapest manufactured countertops available.  Much like laminate cabinetry, laminate countertops are simply a manufactured pattern that is glued onto a section of chipboard.  While the selection of colors and patterns of laminate countertops has increased, granite and engineered stone countertops have almost infinite color variations not to mention that granite countertops are the most durable and versatile of all countertop material.

Invariably, when a homeowner remodels a kitchen or bathroom, cabinets and countertop material make up a very large part of the budget.  The reason for this is due to the fact that both components receive the highest amount of wear and tear.  The cliche “you get what you pay for” is very true in regards to kitchen upgrades.  The actual kitchen hardware, such as, drawer pulls, drawer slides, fold out racks, etc. can either last 3 months or 20 years. Many home owners are surprised and shocked to find out the cost of the hardware alone when remodeling a kitchen can easily reach into the thousands depending upon the size, layout, and features a kitchen offers.

As of 2007, the average price of a kitchen upgrade was in the neighborhood of $40,000.  This figure is largely skewed due to the housing and overall real estate market enjoying a huge boom in the past decade.  A realistic everyday expectation for kitchen remodels can be achieved for well under $20,000.  While that is still a substantial figure, it should not be viewed as an expense, but an investment.  Homeowners can realistically expect to recover at least 97% of the cost of upgrading a kitchen with the sale of the home.

www.LKNcabinets.com