MDF versus maple for built in desk
Patti Miller
5 years ago
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Comments (16)
everdebz
5 years agoPatti Miller
5 years agoRelated Discussions
can we talk about cabinetry pricing?
Comments (21)peytonroad: it's very funny you should mention contractors seeing the house before they bid as we don't let them! as a matter of fact, we don't even tell them what town we're in. we've had the same discussion with neighbors for years about how never to disclose too much info. the price goes up before they even know what the job is. as it turns out, our GC is a good friend who lives around the corner so we've had it easy up until this point. i sent out several emails to carpenters the other night and got one response telling me he wanted to come and measure "to get a better idea of the space". i let him know my measurements were accurate and the only person needing a feel for the space is me. it's not only that i don't want people jacking their prices up based on where we live, but i also don't want too many people coming and going ...school hasn't started yet so my children are home. call me overly cautious but i just don't feel comfortable with it. meanwhile, i rec'd a very encouraging quote from an online vendor with wood doors which come in a painted finish, which i like. they are sending me a few different door samples and they worked up the cost based on my drawings. the total cost of the laundry room will come in at around $1950, including shipping. my GC will install. while speaking with him about the situation he said he could work out the mudroom and pantry and anything else we needed. he just doesn't want to have to make too many drawers ...which i understand. i can easily use baskets in place of the drawers i have spec'd for the mudroom lockers, so that's probably what we'll end up doing. if anyone is interested, this is where i got the very reasonable proposal on the laundry: http://newarkcabinets.org/default.asp?page=antiquewhite while this business of building a house can be stressful, i am challenged daily and i rather enjoy it! whatever it is, bring it on ...just not too much!...See MoreMy custom built-in office was installed today (lots of pics)
Comments (22)We ran into a bit of a snag last night when trying to hook up our components--somehow the installers must have blasted our outlets as now none of them are working. Arguh!!!! We had our regular contractor out last week to move the plug for the charging station and he had to add a junction box. The wires were all pushed back in the wall so we have a sick feeling the installers must've nicked one with a screw. Luckily we've not made the second payment yet for the cabinets (odd they've not asked yet) so we do have some leverage to get a resolution. Who do you think would be responsible for the electrical fee to get it fixed? I'm just hoping they don't have to pull any cabinets off the wall to fix it. As for the rug/floor protector as much as I like this rug when I tried to scoot on and off a rug with my desk chair it was a PITA. I looked at the floor protectors and don't like them. I'd need two and I just don't see it working with the angled seating--unless I were to have one custom made and then there would be plastic over 1/2 the floor and first thing I see when I enter the room. Now I am thinking of using two wooden desk chairs with upholstered seats with no casters and just the felt bumpers on the bottom of the legs. I was originally thinking I'd need the wheeled chairs since we'd need to scoot out of the way to access the center drawers, but it's really not that bad and the felt bottoms allow for some slide without the scratching. So if I go that route, anyone have some suggestions for chairs? Should I look for an unfinished maple chair and see if the custom folks will stain them to match? I'm completely open to other ideas. saraschlos: Yes, I am shameless about copying good ideas and that shredder idea is a good one!...See Moreplywood versus 'furniture board sides'?
Comments (4)I worked as an engineer for a company who built about 250 high end cabinets at that facility per day. Most of the cabinets that came from that line were plywood sides, either 1/2" or 3/4". I became rather biased about it, and looking back, it was probably unjustified. To me, the important parts of cabinet construction are the face frame, the joints, and the back either being decent thickness or having nailers for strength were they are joined and also attached to the wall. This is just my opinion, but even though the plywood makes a very solid nice cabinet....Once it is installed, and forever more, no one will know the difference. The plywood does make for a bit more attractive interior, but probably not enough difference to speak of. Maybe in instances where a finshed interior is important, then plywood, or actually wood vanier sides are required. Of course you can vaneer partical board too, and then you still can't tell the difference once installed. I still have a bias toward plywood ends, but it probably isn't a logical one. More cabinets are made with furniture board sides than plywood, and there really aren't problems with them....See MorePainted Maple/Plywood Cabinets Vs MDF
Comments (28)Real wood, even the much more stable composites like plywood and MDF, swell with moisture and release that moisture when the air dries out. That will leave minute cracks at any joints. Today's professional coatings are much more flexible than the old oils of yesteryear, so the cracking won't be as apparent, but it will still occur. "Real wood" for cabinets is a term bandied about by the uneducated kutside the industry. Realistically, cabinets haven't been constructed of all solid wood panels since plywood was invented. Solid wood panels are the most unstable form of wood that exists. Plywood was a great leap forward in furniture construction. As was MDF. Technically, MDF is just as much "real wood" as is plywood if not more so because it's able to be much denser--To have more wood per cubic inch than plywood. They are both made of cross grain wood, it's just the plywood uses layers of cross grain veneers while the MDF uses tiny wood particles where the fibers lock together like wool does to make felt. Both can have issues with moisture if exposed, with the unprotected MDF swelling and the plywood delaminating If you want a painted cabinet with zero cracks anywhere, get thermofoil instead. You're not really wanting the natural characteristics of wood. You want plastic. Thermofoil will give you the look that you desire. Thermofoil wraps come in many many different colors today, and they are much more durable--and attractive--than yesterday's thermofoil. Just look at Martha Stewart's cabinets. No paint there. All high tech European thermofoil that most would be hard pressed to tell wasn't paint. Solid MDF that mimics a stile and rail construction will be the next most stable. It will not have any real joints to move as it would be a solid piece. The downside to that is that you aren't able to achieve sharp definition at the corners, so it always looks a bit "off". It won't really save you much in costs over thermofoil though if you have it hand painted instead of sprayed. However, hand painting instead of spraying can help with the perceived "plasticy" look, as can hand applying a slight glaze over a sprayed coat. That will also be an upcharge. Multipart MDF with an actual free floating inner panel and separate stiles and rails will be the next most stable when it comes to cracks. It's plenty strong enough and durable enough for most situations. Just like the solid MDF, if it's hand painted instead of sprayed, It's a much more realistic look because of the multiple parts and you will not be able to visually tell the difference between it and solid wood if hand painted. If it's sprayed, it tends to look a bit "too smooth" to the experts. The average person will not be able to see nor will they care. Next in line in stability comes wood rails and stiles and a MDF center panel. This helps a bit with the cracking between the panel and the frames, as that is often the most apparent spot, especially if the doors were painted after assembly which is very common. The spot where the stiles and rails meet have the wood grain going in different directions, so you will still get cracking at that spot, much more than a MDF frame. As I said, with the new latex paints, it's less apparent than with the old oil paints. Hand painting with the minor errors that entails will also help it to achieve the less than perfect natural look. The most prone to hygroscopic behavior is solid wood--which can be a bit misleading. Most "solid wood" recessed panel doors are not really solid wood. They are plywood panels with wood frames very much behaving like the solid wood with MDF panels I explained above. There is zero advantage of a plywood over MDF for the center panel if you are using wood frames. The MDF is probably cheaper for the same look. "Solid" raised panel doors (or solid reverse recessed panel doors) are the most prone to potential cracking. The panels are not "solid" in that they are created out of a single piece of wood. That would expand and contract horribly! The panels are constructed of several solid pieces laminated together and then machined with a profile before being placed into the stiles and rails. In addition to all of the usual suspect spots for cracking, these add the potential of cracking occurring between the laminated wood strips. They are the most authentic construction for very old homes, as plywood and MDF did not exist 150 years ago, but they will also give you the most authentic look. That means the potential of hairline cracks pretty much everywhere. All in all, the less processed product that the cabinets are made of, the more "defects" it will have. The more man made and processed a product is, the more "perfect" it becomes, with little variation in construction or appearance. More "natural looking" is a polite way to say "has natural defects that would not occur in a man made product". Some people want something expensive to look "shiny and new" always and those are the people who have little tolerance for the variations found in nature. Those people are the ones that should look to thermofoil to give them their desired "maintenance free and new" look. Some want their new kitchens to immediately look as though they've been there for years---with the natural patina of time built in. Most of us are in between, and we usually have our budget interjecting it's own constraints on our aesthetics....See Moresaratogaswizzlestick
5 years agoHal Braswell Consulting
5 years agoBeth H. :
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoMrs Pete
5 years agoPatti Miller
5 years agoPatti Miller
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