Construction Methods and Materials

Cabinet Box/Carcass

The structure of a cabinet begins with the cabinet box, sometimes referred to as the “carcass”.  The cabinets you purchase from Loyal T. Cabinetry are constructed using solid hardwood veneer core (Baltic Birch in most cases) plywood only, NO PARTICLE BOARD.  The following lists the parts of a cabinet and of what materials it should be constructed:

• Sides:  the sides of the cabinet should be ¾” plywood.  The one exception is if the side of the cabinet is seen, in that case you can choose either a finished plywood side or a side that is a 5-piece construction.  With the 5-piece method, the side of the cabinet is made to look like a door.  In both methods, the wood and finish will match the rest of your kitchen.
• Bottom:  Often cabinet companies use a cheaper material where it cannot be seen.  At Loyal T. Cabinetry, what you can’t see is given the same care as what you see.  So, the bottom of your cabinet is made of ¾” plywood.  This provides structural value and also will not sag with heavy loads.
• Back:  The back of a cabinet provides strength for your cabinet.  Without a solid back the cabinet can easily rack, and doors and drawers will not fit correctly.  The backs of our cabinets are ¼” plywood, glued and stapled in place.

Face Frame

All of the cabinets from Loyal T. Cabinetry will be made with a face frame.  Frameless cabinetry is prone to racking and twisting.  The face frame stabilizes a cabinet, similar to the back of the cabinet.  If you desire a complete or full-overlay appearance, we can do it for you without compromising the cabinet strength.

Fasteners

All the joints in our cabinets are glued and pocket screwed together.  We do not use dowels.  Doweling is an inferior method of jointing two pieces of wood together.  For a further discussion on this and any technical issue, please feel free to call us.