Kitchen cabinets are a staple feature in every kitchen to store ingredients, kitchenware, and other kitchen essentials. However, kitchen cabinets are exposed to a lot of heat and moisture, which is why it’s essential to carefully pick the material you’ll be using for your kitchen cabinets. One shouldn’t only choose their kitchen cabinet material to fit the style and aesthetic of their kitchen but should consider the fact that the kitchen cabinets will be subjected to weight, steam, heat, and various other liquids. As such, we’ll be taking a look at different materials you can use for your kitchen cabinet to help you choose the best one:
Solid Wood
Let’s start with the classic. Timber or solid wood is one of the most common and classic options for kitchen cabinets and can provide a natural and warm feel to your kitchen. Wood can be stained and varnished, or even painted to customise and protect it. Each type of wood has its distinct appeal and can fit well in both traditional and modern kitchen and home styles. However, wood is relatively high maintenance, and extra preventive measures should be taken to prevent it from warping and rotting due to water or moisture, or from being damaged by insects such as termites. Wood is also easy to dent due to impact and is difficult to repair, so you have to be careful when using it.
Plywood
Plywood is a cheap and durable material made up of laver of wood (or “plies”) glued together, and can come in different styles and designs, and can also be customised to mimic natural wood. However, when choosing plywood as a kitchen cabinet material, you’d want to choose either MR or Marine plywood. MR or Moisture Resistant plywood are designed to withstand a certain level of moisture, preventing it from suffering from water damage such as warping or rotting. Marine plywood, on the other hand, is waterproof plywood, which can be a bit more expensive than commercial MR plywood, but is more durable and resistant, making it last longer and end up being the more economical choice in the long run.
PVC
Moving on from wood, you do have to option to use PVC as they’re affordable and quite easy to install. PVC is a smart option when it comes to kitchen cabinets as it is both oil and waterproof, and are available in a range of colours to fit any kitchen design and motif – some are even faux wood. Not only that, but PV is also termite-proof, corrosion resistant, and relatively easy to maintain, but they are not fire resistant which is why you have to be careful not to install a PVC cabinet near an open flame such as a stove.
Aluminium
Aluminium kitchen cabinets look sleek and modern and would fit most contemporary homes. They’re a bit more expensive, but aluminium is significantly stronger and more durable, as well as rust-resistant and are unaffected by heat or humidity. However, they’re a noisy material and also tend to dent and get scratched.
Conclusion
While the design, positioning, and size of kitchen cabinets are important, it’s just as important to carefully pick the material to be used for your kitchen cabinet to last and do its job of safely storing your kitchen essentials. So, if you’re just about to add kitchen cabinets, or if you’re planning on renovating your current kitchen cabinets, it’s best to consider using these materials for the best results.
