Kitchen Cabinet Choices

 Finally going to re-do my kitchen, but the choices and information is
overwhelming. I'm trying to avoid dealing with Home Depot and Lowes.

might still get a ballpark curiosity quote from them.

I've had one quote from Sears so far for $13K, would have been $12k if
we went to contract that day for a 9x11 galley kitchen, corian counter,
no fancy cabs . I'm glad we didn't sign up. It was our first visit, and
we knew nothing. Not saying they're bad, I just have lots more
questions now then I did that night.

In any event, as I'm trying to work with local companies, my problem is
comparing apples to apples with the different lines they carry. Some do
carry the KraftMaid and Merrilat. Others have Aristocraft, Brandom,
CustomCraft, UltraCraft, Shiloh, and Medallion. I don't know any thing
about these lines (not that I know anything about the others either),
or how to compare them. I can't seem to locate anything on most of
them. Also if, a company doesn't carry the standard big guns like
KraftMaid etc., does that mean anything?

I just want a decent cabinet, not top of the line. The kids are grown,
so no-one is running into them, slamming or swinging from them. And the
way I see it,  my cheap builder-supplied ones have held up fine for 10
years (they're just ugly as heck), so anything I get should be a lot
better. But I still don't want to get poor quality.

Can anyone help me in comparing the quotes when they come in, and
quality, what to look for etc. And if I do get a quote from Lowes or
HD, any suggestions on their products to compare with.

Also, after reading some comments, I decided to get a quote from a
local custom-cabinet guy next week. From what I understand it may not
be as expensive as I thought it would be. But, besides knowing he is
listed with NKBA--which is how I found him-- I know nothing about his
work. There is no show room to go in and push and pull drawers, see
work etc. Any advice on this avenue would be much appreciated. I don't
know many people who have re-done their kitchen using anyone but Lowe's
and HD so I'm searching with-out recommendations.

Deborah

  For what its worth, this is what I know about cabinets
- the cheapest cabinets are virtually all particle board.  Don't waste
your money.
- the next level is particle board except for the doors and facing.
Don't waste your money.
- the next level is particle board on the back and plywood on the
sides.  This can be a decent cabinet if you are on a tight budget (and
they are not cheap)
- if the entire cabinet is plywood and real wood, you are paying top
dollar.

And
- a mark of a higher quality line of cabinets is how far the drawers
pull out.  I doesn't do any good to buy a set of drawers where you
can't get to the back 1/3rd of the drawer.
- a mark of a higher quality line is the quality of the finish.  Shiney
oak in 3 basic shades is mainstream and abundant.  Other more
interesting finishes may not cost you much more.
- the quality and functionality of hinges and other hardware is
important.

And
- if you are flexible about what you want to buy in terms of quality,
layout and finishes, you can save 30 to 60% by going to a cabinet
surplus place and buying cabinets that were ordered and never picked
up, or were returned.  I did this on a remodel of a beach house.
- I'm about to remodel my main house and my architect is telling me I
can have custom cabinets built for what I would pay for moderately
high-end manufacturered cabinets, and I'll end up with a much higher
quality set of cabinets.  I have not checked out his approach yet in
terms of price.

In my opinion, most manufactured cabinets are crap.  The super high end
ones are not so bad, but the price seems very high.

I'd go to Home Depot or Lowes for layout and design ideas.  I'd avoid
buying from them if I could.

Doug

deborah@webguild.com wrote:

 
We had our kitchen cabinets replaced about three years ago.  After
looking at Lowes and Home Depot we found a local man who made them for
us and the charge was less than if we had gotten them from a store.  He
used plywood instead of particle board (what the builder cabinets that
came with the house) had.  He also ordered the cabinet fronts and
drawer fronts from a company in Ft. Lauderdale.  I can't remember the
name of the place but they have a web site and you can go there and
look at the different styles.  I've been happy with mine.  Before you
do anything, take the time to get estimates from local people and be
sure to get references - call the people and see how happy they are.
...ask neighbors or friends who may have experience with these people
and last but really important, call the consumer service bureau where
you live.  Check on the company (ies) you are thinking about hiring and
make sure there aren't any complaints on record, and do they carry
insurance.  It's a big expense....and you want to get it right.

You can Google for cabinet manufacturers in Ft. Lauderdale.....I found
them that way once even though I had lost the paper with the name on it.

 Dottie, is  the guy who did your cabinets in Fort Lauderdale? Because
that's where I am and if you can give me the name I'd appreciate it.
I'm assuming you are happy with the work.

I have been asking around but not getting many positive
recommendations. In this area, as you probably know, it's very hard to
get good contractors. So many people I know are not happy with the work
they had done, no matter who did it. HD, Lowes or anyone. You can't get
people to show up etc. It's awful.

Someone mentioned:

I'm getting conflicting information on this. People are saying the new
engineered wood used now is better quality than the cheap particle
board used in the past. They say it's actually decent quality and I
shouldn't have any problems with it. Any other thoughts on this?

I also still not sure on framed vs. frameless. Anyone have any opinions
on the pro and cons of either?

Deborah

 
No, we are in Tampa Bay.  But he ordered the doors and drawer fronts
from a place in Ft. Lauderdale.