Creating the Perfect Home and Garden

Important Questions to Ask When Having Cabinets Custom Made

Custom-made cabinets can be a great choice for your kitchen, bathroom, garage or workroom, or any room of the home that needs added storage. Getting those cabinets made from scratch allows you to choose just the right size of the cabinets themselves, as well as the size of the interior shelves and other such features. When you're ready to talk to a cabinetmaker about custom cabinets for any room of your home, note a few important questions and details to go over with him or her so that nothing is overlooked when it comes to the cabinet manufacturing or installation process.

Ask about installation hardware 

A cabinetmaker may not provide installation hardware for the cabinets, as this hardware may vary depending on your home. An installer may need to use different hardware for stucco versus drywall, for a steel-framed home versus stick built, and so on.

However, a cabinetmaker may recommend certain types of installation hardware for the various types of wood that are used for the cabinets or for the thickness of the wood. Whatever the case, ask if they provide or will recommend the right installation hardware to protect your new cabinets while ensuring they're installed properly.

Ask if they come assembled

Not all custom cabinets are actually assembled before they're shipped to your home, as fully assembled cabinets may be more likely to get damaged while in transit versus panels that are separated and packed individually. If the cabinets are not assembled before they're shipped, be sure to ask what tools are needed for their assembly if you're not hiring an installer to manage this work for you. This will ensure you have all the tools necessary to put the pieces together properly and securely once they arrive.

Ask about weight limitations and other protections

Standard kitchen and bathroom cabinets are typically meant to hold standard household supplies, so if you plan on using your cabinets for anything other than dishes, linens, and the like, it's good to ask a cabinetmaker about weight limitations and other such details. Storing heavy tools, heavy appliances, certain chemicals and oils, and other such items in cabinets may ruin the finish, put too much weight on the shelves so that they crack, or otherwise damage the cabinets.

A cabinetmaker may want to reinforce the interior shelves, add a protective coating to the wood, or otherwise ensure the cabinets are durable enough for your intended use, so always ask what may be needed to protect your new cabinets in these cases.


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