Particle Board versus Plywood boxes - does it really matter?

11 years ago

Okay, we're still deciding on cabinetry - I think we're going with KraftMaid canvas with cocoa glaze - (waiting for votes on that from another message I posted) but now we also need to decide if we want particle board or plywood construction for the boxes. Does it really matter?? They both have the same warranty. I don't want to go cheaper and be sorry but this kitchen is adding up left and right and we need to make decisions about things we haven't even thought about!

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Comments (4)

a2gemini
11 years ago
I have Brookhaven - they are not particle board but still a wood composite vs plywood.
This might help you make up your mind....
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg1020404519236.html
The composite is stronger but not really designed to hold screws as well.
jakuvall
11 years ago
Unless veneer interiors are important to you there is no need to upgrade. You might want to get the exposed ends upgraded.
Screw holding power is arguable- all the screws for hinges go into plastic inserts whether particle or ply. The screws used for drawer glides, "euro screws", are specifically designed for use with particle. Statistically at least- according to the US Plywood Assc spec particle screw holding strength is greater.
Kraftmaid uses the same grade of particle board as Brookhaven. I have sold both in the past- neither one currently.
Bottom line IMO is before payong for an upgrade look at a cabinet that already come with ply. You can either save money OR get a better all around cabinet. Sometimes both.
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I have a Kraftmaid frameless line (since discontinued) installed in 1990. High-density 1" particleboard with laminate veneers (interior and exterior) thicker than what is used nowadays. Having a lot of experience with particleboard bookshelves in the last 35 yrs - we have something like 6,000 books, a lot of them seriously heavy art and history books - I knew this was no problem as long as the cabinets were no wider than 32". There are different qualities (as others have pointed out) of plywood, particleboard, and MDF. The Kraftmaid cabs were a very good quality, so I had confidence that I would have no problem with sagging shelves. The cabinets have been perfect. In one base corner Lazy Susan cab one of the hinges finally loosened - I have a very bad habit of leaning on the door as I bend down to get something out! My handyman took off the door, plugged the hole with quick-set epoxy, redrilled it for the hinge and popped the door back on. No problems, solid as a rock ever since (5 years ago). The shelves are rated for 75 lbs. I have Lazy Susan base corners and pull-out pantry units, all heavily loaded, no problems. Had a small leak in the sink cab for six months and didn't find out till we replaced the whole faucet. A tiny quarter-sized piece of the laminate bubbled up slightly, no cracking though. Sink cab was unaffected otherwise, and in fact you can't see the flaw, you can only feel it. I love these cabinets. I put dishes away wet without worry. They clean up faster and easier than anything I've ever owned. An added advantage was that when we put in a bank of 20x16' picture windows, the UV increase was a nasty surprise. Destroyed the flooring and killed the refrig in less than 10 years - but laminate has very high UV resistance, unlike wood. Pure luck! I'm seriously toying with the idea that when we go to resell, of installing an IKEA kitchen and taking these cabinets with me. They're better made than the St. Charles cabinets I checked out at HD's Expo two years ago.
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Thanks for all of the replies...it's taken me awhile to get back online, I've had sick kids. All this info is good. In my case, the cabinets are framed (inset, Shaker style), with maple plywood boxes and maple hardwood (which will be painted). All lower cabinetry is drawers with the exception of cabinets for the pantry (floor to ceiling, 15" interior depth), the cabinets under the sinks, a tray cabinet over the wall oven, a utility closet (floor to ceiling) and dish cabinet (counter to ceiling). Based on this, I will stick with the 5/8 inches unless someone else chimes in with objections/different advice. Live_Wire, thanks for the info on the hanging rail, that was a good reminder to double-check these details. Babushka cat, you are right on. Thank goodness this cabinetmaker has worked a lot with other folks on our team and their end product is excellent. But I agree, some items were verbally agreed upon and not spelled out in our contract. We are lucky in that the cabinetmaker is standing by their word. But others in our situation might not have been so lucky. My recommendation to those who are using a custom cabinetmaker is to ensure everything is laid out in the contract beforehand. Unfortunately, in our situation, some items were not apparent until we reviewed the shop drawings. So it's important to work with someone that you can trust to do the right thing in the end and stand by their work. And I'm willing to pay for items that I think are fair (i.e., we did not discuss and are expensive add-ons); and our cabinetmaker has not charged us for smaller items/changes. A good end result! Davidro1, I already had chosen our cabinet style, but just strongly recommended frameless to my best friend who is redoing her kitchen. Her space is limited, so even more important to utilize space efficiently!
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I would like to thank everyone who commented on the problem. The cabinets are 5/8". I am most concerned about the following: (1) If I choose to have the carcasses remanufactured in plywood I worry that the doors may not fit exactly right. These are frameless cabinets and the tolerances are very tight. When you look at them all you see is doors. How the doors hang is critical to the asthetics of the cabinets. If the cabinets were framed cabinets how the doors hang would not be as critical. (2) In frameless cabinets particle board and mdf seem to be the standard because of the stability of these materials over plywood. In frameless cabinets it is important to maintain the squareness of the cabinet. Without a face frame the frameless cabinets must use materials that do not change shape with changes in humidity and temperature. The KD is teling me that I already have the best material(industrial grade particle board) for the type of cabinet that I have chosen. Any comments? (3)If I take the particle board carcasses I worry about it's moisture resistence and endurence over time. Can anyone comment on the quality of this particle board based on the specifications I listed? From reading posts on the internet I understand there is good and bad particle board. Is this a good one? Thanks for all of your comments.
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Plywood doesn't absorb orders, that is a lie. That said, plywood is okay for face frame cabinets, but it warps too much for frameless cabinets. Mdf is better as long as you don't use the scrap for stretchers, use solid wood instead. Plywood also has thickness issues that are tough to get around at times, leaves offsets when cabinets meet up, or affects the assembled lenght of the cabinet run. Furniture board? That is just another name for particle board that the factory made cabinet resellers like to use. Mdf is Masonite, pretty much. Looks the same, fine dark brown or light brown color, and is consistent thickness, stiffer than some particle boards, as as one poster said, it paint really well and stays flat. As to making one peiced doors, not so much. The problem is that eventually the hinge inserts will work loose. We like MDF raised panels, but use solid wood, usually maple, for the door stiles and rails so you got a hard wood for the knob and hinge attachment points. What you can do, well if it says all wood, they got you. The Consumer Protection Agency says particle board and MDF is all wood. There is one product, Classic core, that has thin layers of MDF that can be sanded prior to laying up the outside veneers, so that it is uniform thickness through out the bundle. There are three layers of plywood in the middle, it seems more stable and holds screws better than MDF. But, MDF is what I used in my kitchen and I just installed new cabinets in my mom's kitchen that were MDF. It is the best in my opinion.
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Fori
11 years ago
Probably not a difference. Some folks splurge on plywood on the sink cabinet since it's the most likely to suffer water damage.

And anything with big giant heavy drawers would probably hold up better with plywood.

Be sure you like the look of the interiors of whatever you get.
stacylh
11 years ago
My husband does lawn maintenance on several lots and properties for a high end home builder. I met with the local cabinet company that supplies this home builder with all it's cabinetry work and the salesman shared with me a lot of the ways the home builder saves money and still provides a "high end" kitchen.

The most important thing was that the builder uses particle board instead of plywood on everything but the end cabinets. He does full extension drawers on some, but not all cabinets. He doesn't even use the soft close hinges or drawer slides. I have seen several of the model homes from this builder and they are stunning, especially the kitchens. If the cabinet company offers a warranty on it, then all the better. I really don't think it's something you'll spend a lot of time thinking about once they're installed.

Therefore, I would think you'd be fine with the particle board, except maybe doing the ends, sink cabinet, or the heavy drawers in plywood, as previously mentioned.

HTH!

Particle Board versus Plywood boxes - does it really matter?

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a2gemini

jakuvall

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