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Help - New Cabinets installed and shaker doors look wrong

16 years ago

We just recently had our kitchen installed, it is white shaker, although the overall look is lovely, my joy is dampened because there are gaps between the inside panel and the outer panels, is this normal? or should there be some caulking to hide the joints? Some of the joints paint job is also bad, very bumpy almost as though it wasn't cleaned properly. I will try to take pictures later today. Can anyone show me some pictures of their white painted shaker cabinet doors?

Featured Answer

Jon1270

16 years ago

Not sure what you mean by "inside... and... outer panels." When I think of shaker-style doors, there are no inside and outside panels; there are frames and panels. Can you clarify?

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Comments (6)

clg7067
16 years ago
I have shaker doors that I painted myself and I also have those cracks. I don't know of cabinet companies do caulking or anything like that. Maybe somebody else he has factory painted shaker style.
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raehelen
16 years ago
I have Shaker doors, stained, not painted, but I don't think you should have cracks. My door panel is inset into the frame, so there is no way that a crack would show up. I am including a photo of the inside of the door, and the top to show the inset.
live_wire_oak
16 years ago
A Shaker door is composed of vertical stiles and horizontal rails that have a groove routed into them for an inset flat panel. Because wood expands and contracts at different rates depending on the growth pattern of the wood, how it's cut, how it's finished, etc. and the humidity levels of homes vary widely over the season, the center flat panel must "float" free in the stiles and rails. If it were glued in so that it didn't move, your door panel would warp. No caulking or any other substance should restrict the free movement of your center panel, and the expansion/contraction will cause separation of the paint along the joint lines of the stiles and rails as well as between the stiles and rails and the panel. Many cabinet lines require a signed waiver explaining this to the customer. Using a MDF center panel instead of a solid wood panel on a painted door will minimize the expansion cracks, but nothing will stop them.
bayareafrancy
16 years ago
I recall reading that Crown Point Cabinetry specifically paints their panels and stiles before assembling them, in order to minimize the inevitable cracking of the paint junction.

If it is any consolation, I have 80 year old cabinetry with Shaker doors. After you put about 15 coats of paint on those babys, no more cracks will show!! Mine are solid as rocks!

Please post a picture if you get a chance.

Francy
lukaana
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you all for your input. Our doors are MDF, so I wasn't expecting the doors to have any visible seams I didn't have a chance to take pictures yet as we are not staying in our house due to the varnish smell of the cabinets, I will try to post pictures tomorrow.

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