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Types of Cabinet Construction
Framed Construction:
This type of construction is the "old-timey" way that we have made
cabinets since we first started. A cabinet is a 6 sided box. In this
case the front of the cabinet is the strongest part, and uses a frame
to receive all of the parts. This construction is readily identified by
the reveal the doors and drawer fronts show, thus exposing the hinges.
The drawers are small because of the presence of the frame. generally
the interiors are wood products finished naturally. Cabinets have been
made this way for 200 years or more.
This may be the opposite
of national trends, because most of the
country's larger cabinet manufacturers still build framed cabinets as
the norm. There is a specific variant on framed construction, in which
the door is inset into the frame, which may or may not be
beaded.
Carter's
Cabinet Shop now offers framed
cabinets, thanks to our partnership with Conestoga Wood.
Please visit our Cabinet System
page for more information.
Frameless
Construction:
This type of construction is also called "European" or "32mm"
construction. It started in Germany in the 70's and migrated to the
United States in the 80's. The 6 sided cabinet boc is reduced to a 5
sided box. This makes the remaining cabinet components stronger and
thicker, and eliminates the face frame entirely - hence the name
frameless. These cabinets are known for full overlay appearance - the
doors and drawer fronts go all the way across the face of the cabinet
and the hunges don't show.
Some consumers think this
has to be done with a contemporary European
styled door, but it doesn't. Carter's builds a hybrid version of this
cabinet, cladding the outside in a variety of woods and finishes, so
that it looks very traditional. We can also style in with a
contemporary door so that it would look European. Because of the
absence of the face frame, the cabinets have more interior space in all
3 planes, height, width and depth. also the drawers are some 2" wider
inside for the same size cabinet. Carter's Cabinet Shop prefers this
type of construction. It is superior in quality for strength and
durability; and also less expensive to manufacture. Other cabinet
companies consider this an upgrade cabinet and sell it for more. We
consider it an upgrade cabinet and sell it for less. It accounts for
90% of our sales. Again this is backwards from the norms, where
frameless cabinet sales are only about 30% of the national traffic. We
consider ourselves ahead of the times.
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