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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Under Cabinet Lighting How To

Under cabinet lighting is a great way to brighten up any kitchen. A set of recessed lighting can liven up and show off your countertops. It used to be a major undertaking to try and install under cabinet lighting but luckily there are kits available now that make it a snap. There are a few ways to do the job so read on for a few under cabinet lighting how too tips.

When choosing under cabinet lighting you have a few options available. You can go with either a small direct spot light or full length recessed fluorescent tubes. Both offer an attractive look to accent the kitchen. It just boils down to personal choice.

For the sake of simplicity let’s look at installing a set of lights that doesn’t need to be hardwired back to your main circuit panel.

The first step is to head down to the hardware store and pick out an under cabinet lighting kit.
Once you’ve picked out the right light for your kitchen, installation is a breeze.

Measure the entire length of your cabinets. This will determine how many lights you need. A good rule of thumb is to use 1 spot light every 18 inches.

Start the first light far enough from the end of the cabinets to allow for equal spacing of all the lights.

Use a few small finish nails to tack the lights to the bottom of the cabinets. Make sure the nail is short enough that it won’t protrude completely through the bottom of the cabinet.

Continue tacking lights up until you reach the end of the string.

Place an inline splice into the under cabinet lighting wiring as close as possible to an electrical outlet. The cabinet lighting kit should have this included in it.

Now splice the power switch to the lighting into this wire. Cut off any excess line and connect up an electrical plug to the end of the wire.

Next use a staple gun to staple up the wiring. Be careful to center the wire in the staple to avoid cutting into the wire. If the wire is too long to lay flush in a straight line between the lights you can snake it along the underside of the cabinet. Since the wires and lights are hidden it doesn’t matter how the wiring is run, you can’t see it.

The final step is to finish work on the lights. Working down the light string, pop bulbs into the sockets making sure they’re tight. After all the lights are installed simply snap on the decorative covers and that’s it, you’re done!

Plug in the lights and flick the switch. Stick your head under the counter to make sure that all the lights come on.

These few under cabinet lighting how too tricks can help simplify the installation of a new kitchen lighting system. There are plenty of options available, all you need to do is spend a little time looking for just the right one that works for your kitchen.

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Choosing A Good Quality Kitchen Cabinet

If you are planning for a kitchen renovation or shopping for a new kitchen, it is important to choose correctly what should go with your new kitchen. If you will be spending a lot of time in the kitchen, isn’t it just right to make it a functional space with all the possible comforts it can offer? Additionally, it should be durable to last for a long time and withstand against possible heavy use.

You will find that most kitchen cabinets are made of different kinds of materials, depending on the price tag. These are often made of particleboard, plywood, medium density fiberboard (MDF). Rarely can you find kitchen cabinets that are made completely out of solid wood.

Particleboard is the most commonly used cabinet material. The components of a particleboard consist of wood shavings, sawdust and other wood by-products. Pressure is used to glue these materials together. Particleboard exhibits outstanding screw-holding capacity.

Medium density fiberboard, or MDF, is a high-quality core material. This is made of finer components than particleboard. Unlike particleboard, MDF can be shaped because it has smoother and cleaner surface which can be painted.

Plywood is a composite material made of layers of wood plies. Its composition and the manner each ply is positioned provide this material equal strength in all directions. Plywood usually provides a good cabinet material, especially when it is covered by wood veneer. A cabinet made of plywood covered in wood veneer is referred to as solid-wood cabinet. Therefore, a solid wood mahogany cabinet that you may find in your favorite kitchen store may not at all be solid mahogany but is probably made of plywood covered in wood veneer. Bear in mind that it may only be plywood but it may still be a high quality product. It is often a common misconception that sheet goods like particleboard, medium density fiberboard and plywood possess lesser quality when used as a building material for kitchen cabinets compared with solid wood. On the contrary, sheet goods are even better than lumber in many ways. Solid wood is more expensive than sheet goods. Solid wood is poorly suited to most kitchen cabinet parts. It absorbs moisture. It is often unstable, as it shrinks and swells in response to humidity changes. It can warp and crack when used for sides, bottom, top and back of cabinets. Experts believe that even the best cabinets are made with plywood. However, cabinets made of particleboard or medium density fiberboard can sometimes exceed the quality of plywood made cabinets – depending on the manufacturer. Particleboards are usually used for cabinet interiors to reduce cost since these are cheaper compared with plywood. Cabinets made from these engineered wood products like particleboard, medium density fiberboard and plywood are considered solid wood once covered with veneer, or even paint.

Finally, wood finishing also provides an important factor in determining the quality of a kitchen cabinet. Factory finishes that are found in stock cabinets are more consistent, smoother and last longer compared with cabinets finished in custom shops. This is because large kitchen cabinet manufacturers utilize an automated finishing process. Automation results in a more consistent finish which small cabinetmakers find very expensive to maintain.

www.LKNcabinets.com