Kitchen cabinet shopping can be a bit of a minefield as there are so many options for finishes and it can be a bit confusing about what everything means, veneer, foil wrap? Which is best? Whats a carcass? Which is the most durable door material? A kitchen is also a very considered and expensive purchase so its not a decision you should rush into without first doing your research and making sure you are getting the kitchen you are after.
Below I have broken down some of the most common queries I have had with regards kitchens and their finishes for you so you can choose your kitchen with confidence,
What is a Kitchen Carcass?
This is the main body of the kitchen unit and is generally made from MDF. This structure helps support the worktop, has the internal shelving that make up the cupboard, supports the plinth and is also the structure onto which you hang your door. Most carcasses come with a service void at the back of them, this can be anywhere from 30mm to 45mm and is where your electricians and plumbers will run all their pipework so its out of sight.
Many are of the assumption that if they are keeping their carcass and only changing the doors that this will be a massive cost saving. This is only a little bit true. Yes you are saving the cost of the carcass but most of the cost is in the construction of the doors so the savings aren’t as high as you might expect
Kitchen Door Materials decoded; What do they mean?
MDF Lacquer - A door that has numerous coats of paint, it provides a durable and smooth finish
Veneer - Thin sheets of wood on top of MDF
Painted & Lacquered - Gives a really good smooth finish
Foil wrap gloss - Wrapped on top of MDF - Its like coating a weetabix in a foil colour, in some lights you can see the texture.
PVC wrapped - this is one of the cheapest finishes, its has a very thin layer of colour and an MDF inner
Foil wrap - al pieces individually wrapped all the way round with an MDF inner
MFC - AKA Melamine faced chipboard. Entry level in terms of expense but relatively strong. The chipboard core will expand and blow if moisture gets in at all.
Veneered gives the beauty of real wood without the fear of warping. A thin layer of timber is applied onto MDF to give the impression of a single piece of wood. This can be left with a natural finished and stained or can be painted any colour you desire. The beauty of this option is if you want to change the colour in the future its easy to do so as the layer of timber means you can sand it back and paint over.
flat pack or rigid built kitchen. which is best?
What do these even mean? Flat pack is your IKEA type scenario where everything is separate and you need to build it all from scratch, cue lots of arguments!
Rigid Build means that the carcass is delivered built but without the door attached.
Most companies are offering rigid built but Howden’s and Ikea still lead the way in flat pack. There are pros and cons for each of these, namely:
flat pack is generally cheaper as there is less to do in the factory
the upfront costs can also be slightly cheaper however this is a more laborious route once its home and you could find that the labour costs to put it all together add up
More chance of missing parts
Its doesn’t require as much space to store if you need to
Rigid build can take a bit longer to be delivered as it needs to be put together
It takes up more storage space so if you aren’t quite ready to have your kitchen fully put together you will need to find somewhere to store it
As there is less to put together it can be cheaper in terms of labour
So hopefully I have decoded a bit of the kitchen jargon that many in the industry use for you and you can be more informed when you go ahead and purchase your new kitchen.
