According to Wikipedia, cabinet making is “the practice of using various woodworking skills to create cabinets, shelving and furniture. Cabinet making involves techniques such as creating appropriate joints, dados, bevels, chamfers and shelving systems, the use of finishing tools, such as routers, to create decorative edgings, and so on.”
But, there’s more to it. The wood you select for your cabinet making project may seem like a straightforward choice. However, wood may be affected by the environment you live in, so it may be worth your time to do a little research. For example, a Denver cabinet maker has to consider that the Mile High City has an elevation of 5280 feet, has a semi-arid climate and four distinct seasons. The summers are hot and dry, with little precipitation, and the winters vary from mild to cold in Denver.
The choice of wood for a Denver cabinet maker is paramount. Even with proper care, cabinets made of wood will be vulnerable to the effects of weather and if not chosen properly, may deteriorate over time. With the weather conditions in mind, materials for cabinets should be carefully selected. Woods like teak, cypress and bamboo are excellent choices for Denver as these woods can easily handle the weather, and water is never a problem for them. They still need to be protected, of course, and a good maintenance schedule would include teak oil or something similar.
Another option for cabinets in the Denver scene, is stainless steel. You will never have to worry about rust or warping. Nowadays, even plastic cabinets look fabulous and are available in different colors. Or they can be painted or stained to look similar to wood cabinets. Cabinets made of plastic won’t rot, warp or deteriorate with changing weather. The downside is that stainless steel and plastic cabinets might look a bit too industrial for an indoor kitchen and may be best considered as an attractive outdoor option.
Before closing, let’s take a look at cabinet refacing. Sometimes new cabinets are the only option, especially if your existing ones are not structurally sound. But assuming they qualify for refacing, it is certainly an alternative worth exploring. See our article Reface of Replace?
And yes, if you choose wood as your refacing material, all of the above guidelines still apply. But refacing makes your cabinets LOOK like NEW and does not require you to remove the existing cabinet cases. Only the old doors and drawer fronts are removed and then the existing cabinet boxes are refaced with either wood, veneer or thermo foil.
The major benefits of refacing over making new cabinets is that they do not require the entire kitchen to be remodeled, the project will cost about one third the price, it can usually be complete in just a few days, and good quality materials can be used for making the doors and drawer fronts. Your kitchen is entirely operational during the entire process of refacing, unless plumbing or electrical work is required. You can even add new cabinetry if required during the refacing project.
If your cabinets aren’t in good condition and are not eligible for refacing, new cabinets are your only option. If you live in Denver, hire a cabinet maker who knows what he’s doing and understands the importance of wood selection in a semi-arid climate.
Whichever process works for your particular situation, a good contractor will deliver an end result that will make you proud.
