If you’re thinking of remodeling your kitchen, when selecting the kitchen cabinets one of the first decisions that must be made is whether to choose a face-framed or frameless cabinet box.
A framed cabinet has a hardwood frame on the face of the cabinet carcass. This frame masks the raw edges of the plywood or particleboard sides, adds rigidity to the cabinet and provides a strong base for attaching hinges. The doors and drawers are installed on the face-frame in three ways: inset (flush with frame); partial overlay (covers the door and drawer opening) or full overlay (hides almost all of the face-frame).
With a frameless cabinet box, there is no face-frame at all. The 5/8-inch to 3/4-inch sides are connected with a mechanical fastening system or dowel method of construction to equal or thinner size tops, bottoms and backs. The side core material gives it rigidity. The door and drawers cover the entire face with the hinges on the inside, thereby offering a clean unbroken appearance. Hardware is necessary to open the door since the door and drawers are close together. Frameless cabinets are also referred to as “European cabinetry” because they have been the standard in Europe since World War II.
A major advantage of the frameless cabinet is total accessibility to the cabinet’s interior. The stiles and rails of the face-frame cabinets reduce the size of the door opening, which makes drawers and roll-out accessories significantly smaller than they would be in the same size frameless cabinet. With frameless cabinets, you could gain up to 15 percent more storage.
One very important thing to remember in frameless cabinets is that an experienced installer is necessary. Wall cabinets may be hung on a rail or screwed directly to the wall. Base cabinets may have leveling legs or be mounted on a leveled toe-kick base. All doors and drawers have to line up perfectly and clearances are crucial.
Visit the new Kitchens Etc. showroom at 2122 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, website at www.kitchens-etc.com , or call 253-0981.