You see cabinet shops boast “All Wood Cabinets”, ours included, but what does it really mean?  I mean cabinets are made of wood, Right??  So, how could a cabinet shop not have “all wood cabinets”?  To answer that let’s start at the beginning and break down the parts of a cabinet.  First, we have the doors which are the biggest part of what people see.  Your doors are the pretty statement pieces and are usually made of whatever wood you’ve chosen.  Next, we have our face frame which yes, you guessed it, is the face of the cabinet.  The doors attach to the face frame and it is stained or painted and is usually made out of whatever wood you have chosen.  Now let’s stop right here, if your doors and face frames aren’t made out of wood then you’re probably getting some very cheaply made cabinets!!  So now we’re getting to the part where cabinet shops differ – the boxes.  The boxes are the actual cabinets, the foundation, what holds everything together and all of your stuff.  Yet this is where many cabinet shops(even a lot of name brands) want to cut corners and go cheap.  But why would you go cheap on the foundation? Because no one really sees it, everyone is looking at the pretty face frame and door!!  Many shops will use particle board for their boxes instead of plywood.  You may be asking “But isn’t particle board still wood?”. Particle board is referred to as “waste wood” material.  It’s made by mixing flakes of wood and sawdust together with a resin that many times contains formaldehyde.  Because of how particle board is made(from the leftovers) it’s cheaper than plywood but isn’t very durable or moisture resistant.  If particle board gets wet it will absorb the water and expand and then begin to crumble and break down.  Is this the type of cabinet you want holding up your sinks and around your pipes?  All wood cabinet boxes are made of plywood which is stronger and more durable.  It won’t crumble if it gets wet.

We saw the true difference between particle board cabinets and all wood cabinets just recently.  And I promise this is a true story!!  We got a call to replace some kitchen cabinets in a house that had a water leak.  The cabinets looked nice but the problem was the boxes were particle board and had started absorbing the water so they all had to be replaced.  Two days after installing new cabinets a water valve was accidentally left open overnight and the kitchen was flooded again!  The cabinets sat in water for many hours before the homeowner returned to the house the next day to discover it.  Thankfully, we truly are an “All Wood Cabinets” shop and the cabinets were fine.  The cabinets just had to be removed to get out all of the water behind them and then reinstalled, saving the homeowner much time and money.  All wood cabinets may be a little more expensive but you’re getting a much more durable cabinet, and if the unthinkable happens and you spring a leak you may actually be saving money.  I’m not guaranteeing that all wood cabinets are indestructible but they will last much longer and definitely hold up better around water and moisture than a particle board cabinet.  So if you’re looking to get a cabinet quote – check to see what types of materials are being used.