A new kitchen is possibly one of the most significant decisions you’ll make regarding your home. It requires you to talk to experts like cabinet makers, look at different materials and colours, and consider the most desirable option for your home.
But a hurdle you may also encounter as you navigate this new and exciting world of renovations is determining quality. How are you supposed to know whether or not a kitchen you are thinking about installing is low-quality and, therefore, not worthy of your time? You’re about to find out.
The Construction Materials
Ask any cabinet maker, and they will tell you that one of the most dramatic differences between a custom-made kitchen and one you can purchase off the shelf is the construction materials. Many cabinets for bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms are made with plywood. However, some also feature MDF and particleboard, which are not as strong.
The best material type for cabinets is one that’s strong enough to handle daily wear and tear and will be resistant to heat and moisture. When you are having your cabinetry custom-made, a cabinet maker can walk you through the best options.
The Construction Quality
If you’ve ever bought low-cost, mass-produced furniture before, you’ll be well aware of its downfalls. Kitchen cabinetry is no different. Be on the lookout for glue and staples, which are a less desirable option than the likes of dovetail joints. Even check out the drawer slides, which should feature full extension slides, heavy steel, and sometimes, even self-closing or soft-closing features.
Shelving Quality
If you are going to be trusting your kitchen cabinet shelving with a year’s worth of baked bean tins, you want it to be up to the task. The reality is, not all kitchens are. You can tell a kitchen is low-quality by a shelving’s inability to stay firmly in place. If it sags under weight, it potentially features inferior materials.
The Finish
From the handles to the paint job and everything in between, the finish can say a lot about whether a kitchen is high or low-quality. Pay attention to how the handles sit in place, what they are made of, and what they look like on the inside of the cabinetry.
When checking out the paint job, look for signs of imperfections and easy-chip areas. All of these things can make a kitchen cabinet succumb to wear and tear long before it should.
How to Avoid Getting a Low-Quality Kitchen
Whether you are buying a new kitchen for your forever home, a rental, or a property you don’t plan on selling any time soon, there’s one thing you can do to avoid getting a low-quality kitchen. Talk to cabinet makers who specialise in crafting high-quality, bespoke kitchens to suit any home design.
Not only do they use some of the best materials available, but they allow you to be involved with the entire process of choosing the design, colours, and materials to suit your unique needs.
There are few things as heartbreaking as shelling out money for a new kitchen, only to find that it’s not lasting as long as you would have hoped. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of low-quality kitchens out there. Combat that problem by only working with the experts when the time comes to get home renovations underway.