Replies

1. 
   oldusty | Aug 30, 2010 01:05am | #1

   depends on what you want

      Paul ,

               I first start out by asking you what you want to end up with ?

              There are many different levels of quality in Custom and Modular cabinets .

        When  you know what   style you  like and have chosen a specie or finish or paint you can then compare quality and cost.

         The kitchen is the money room of the house as you know , if it needs a kitchen , that detracts from the value . If it has a remodeled kitchen that looks Cheesy  that can also not compliment the home or value .

            When a home has a well built custom kitchen it will not only enhance the value but give many years of service , in some cases after 15 plus years the kitchen can still look new . It would be hard to say how long the average RTA kitchen will hold up , but  a decent custom kitchen will last longer and have more stuctural integrity during it's lifetime and yours .

       What I am saying is if you spend $4,000 for garbage but could of had the real thing for $6,000 , wheres the savings ?

       Give your local cabinetmakers a shot at it , if you could paint them  you'll save a bundle . Tell them you have a budget and want to know what you could get for it . You may be pleasantly surprised .

              good luck , dusty, a cabinetmaker

        

2. 
   chincha | Aug 30, 2010 02:12am | #2

      Hi Paul, like you said, kitchen cabinets are expensive, but , you are gonna get for what you paid, I think you should be start with this, are you planning to live  in your home for ever or you  are planning to sell the house in couple years, if you chose the firts option is better that you do a little bit of effort and get a decent quality of cabinets,  The cabinets from home depot are ridiculous expensive, just the doors are good, the other parts are craps, they used 1/2 inch particle board for everything, staple for to join the boxes, some pocket screws, some plastic attachment , etc... and the RTA does not make to much different with HD, that is why you get good prices, the cabinets boxes builded  with particle board make the cabinets affordable but in 3 or 4 years (depends of the use) you will see your hinges and doors falling down because the particle board can't hold to much, will be different if they use plywood.

     Solutions?, well you can change just the cabinets frames and doors IF you wanna change the kind of wood, and them you can choose your color and finish, but If you wanna keep the same kind of wood you can sand the frame and order just new doors (with different style if you want), you can order the doors on line but make sure that you can have the same finish on the cabinets frames, now If you wanna do a remodeling, like changes cabinets boxes and positions, that is other story !!!  I hope this can help you.

3. 
   bduffin104 | Aug 30, 2010 04:00am | #3

   The devil is in the details

   Hey Paul,

   I remodel kitchens, build cabinets, install other manufacturers cabinets and do general carpenter work when I'm not building furntiure. 

   Kitchen remodeling involves: demolition or removal of the old cabinets, appliances, counters, plumbing fixtures, electrical work, flooring and sometimes moving walls and ceilings.

   Putting it back together involves: framing, plumbing, electrical work, drywall, painting, new cabinets, new counter tops, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, new floors, new appliances and someone with experience and skill to install everything.

   The average kitchen remodel costs $25 to $30 thousand but can go much, much higher.

   I advise staying away from RTA cabinets as they offer no customisation what so ever. They are probably all thin particle board using the clever little connectors. They might have nice doors but otherwise POS.

   I would recommend a reputable custom cabinet maker ( like Dusty) or ordering from a dealer who's main business is cabinets and who has at least 10 years experience. There is a lot of details in ordering a set of cabinets. I generally would not expect that the person at HD would have the experience or expertise to get it right.

   I get  a lot of pleasure tearing out these old, embarrassing, dilapidated kitchens and after a couple of weeks watching them enjoy their gleaming new show kitchen.

   But be realistic, set a budget. Make sure you have enough money to finish the job. The only thing worse than a dilapidated kitchen is a half done remodel.

   Good luck,

   Bret

4. 
   PSeverin | Aug 30, 2010 12:41pm | #4

   Sometimes you can't have the best

   A variation on this theme I've wondered about is what is the experience of buying the carcass from a manufacturer and building the doors and drawer faces yourself.  I've heard from cabinet makers that they sometimes buy parts made by others, everything from the cabinet boxes to dovetailed drawers to  doors.  I think, even in Fine Woodworking you can find adds for makers of cabinet parts.

   And of course sometimes cost is the deciding factor.  When we built our house the question was what could we afford and ended up selecting melamine clad european cabinets we put together.  They were cheap and they have served us well for 30 years.   But at 30 years they're now blistered from moisture on the door bottoms, plastic drawers giving way and like Paul, we are looking to find their replacement.  

   Sad as it is, and contrary to the notions of sustainability,  in my experience we often only get to select from the bottom of the line in projects.   If it's well made and looks good, the developer can't afford it.   And even on those projects where someone has selected the very best and move out...the next owners often throw out $60,000 of custom cabinets because they don't like the color.

   Peter

5. 
   PaulPetr | Aug 30, 2010 09:47pm | #5

   Thank for Kitchen Cabinet Advice

   Thanks to all of you for giving me advice on the kitchen cabinet route.  When we purchased the house we anticipated that this would be an expense.  The original cabinets were builder grade close to bottom of the line with some type of white foil wrap (I believe that is what it is called) that is pealing at the seems.  No chance to refurbish them.  I am willing to put sweat equity in the project (rip out old, put in tile myself, purchase cabinets and install myself with the help of a friend).  We looked at Thomasville at HD, picked a simple design, went with maple but liked cherry and we do not have big kitchen.  It came to around $10,000 no install or counter or rip out included.  I understand that a person needs to make a profit off the job all I am asking for is for them to not make all the profit off of me on one job.  We looked at a web site called rtacabinetstore.com and it said no particle board included just real wood and plywood.  The only catch is that it is hard to trust in a product that you have not seen in person or at least known somone who has assembled or owned.  I like the idea of giving a local cabinet  maker a shot.  Besides the yellow pages do you have any suggestions?

   By the way, my dad made all of his cabinets from scratch in the house I grew up in many years ago.  I never really appreciated his tallent until now.

   Thanks again for your help.

   Paul