For a well made cabinet the following components are key

Before you buy cabinetry, here is what you want to know.

a) The cabinet box should be build of plywood and not of particle board.
b) The drawer box sides should be built of solid hardwood such as maple or Lyptus. The drawer box bottom should be made of plywood and it should be connected to the hardwood sides by a “dado”. A “dado” is a groove cut into one piece of wood into which another piece of wood will fit snugly. In addition to inserting the plywood bottom into the dado joint the connections should be glued so that the drawer bottom does not rattle.
c) The drawer box should be dovetailed and not stapled.
d) The d rawer glides should be full extension under mount and of high quality.
e) For regular size drawers the rating should be no less that 75 lbs weight capacity and for bigger drawers such as pots and pans 110 lbs eight capacity should be used. Most drawer glides of high quality have a soft close mechanism. A good cabinet box should have at least ½” plywood back and ¾” plywood sides. The hinges should be of high quality and a soft-close function is an added bonus. Ask for NO added “urea formaldehyde” materials and low or zero VOC paints and stains.

The green movement is on the go but what is there to a green cabinet?
The first thing you need to worry about is the chemicals that are used in the most conventional cabinetry. The worst chemical added is called “urea-formaldehyde”. This chemical is found in the glues that are used in the production of cabinetry and also in the plywood, MDF (medium density fiberboard) and particle board. It is a proven carcinogen. Even low levels of this chemical can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and skin. It especially affects smaller children and pets. Urea formaldehyde is proven to cause cancer of the nose and throat.
There are cabinet manufacturers that produce cabinetry which is free of this chemical. Another nasty component in cabinetry to watch out for are “volatile organic compounds” also knows as VOC. Major sources of man-made VOC’s are solvents such as paints, stains and clear coatings. Long term exposure to VOC’s can contribute to “Sick Building Syndrome” and respiratory, allergic and immune problems are associated with exposure to VOC’s.

Make sure that the cabinets you purchase are free of both Urea Formaldehyde and VOC’s. Many cabinet makers will promise you that they are, do not just take their word for it have them prove it to you. Your health and well being is too important. If the environment is of concern to you, and it should be, than you want to make sure that your cabinetry is produced by an FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) approved and certified cabinet maker. If the cabinet maker claims that they have an FSC certification, ask them for the number and check them out on the web at www.fscus.org and click on “certificates in the US”. A cabinet maker must be certified by the FSC organization in order to produce FSC certified cabinetry. It is not enough that they purchase FSC certified lumber to make your cabinets. Their production practices must also be certified in order to ensure that they are limiting their impact to the environment and not adding any non-certified materials to the construction of your cabinetry.