Remodeling your kitchen or other area/s of your home can be a challenging, yet wonderful experience. You may be planning new cabinets, appliances, flooring, lighting, fixtures, and counters which could extend your project out three or four months and the best place to get started is right here at Webinetry.com.
The Perfect Remodel Begins with the Right Cabinetry Selections
Cabinets not only play a major role in transforming your space, they can represent a significant part of your overall investment. Since your cabinetry selections will set the dominant theme or design motif for your home’s interior as well as the budget parameters for your overall investment decisions, choosing your cabinetry wisely and upfront is the logical first step for any kitchen remodel. In fact, a successful remodel is the result of a hundred small decisions and your cabinet selections facilitate the floor plan which provides the road map necessary for all other remodel decisions.
To ensure that in the end, you are very satisfied and maximum value has been added to your home, you can get off to a great start at Webinetry.com. All in one convenient location, Webinetry.com brings together all of the essential ingredients you will need to experience the perfect remodel; one that will bring you years of pleasure.
Top 10 Reasons Why Webinetry.com is the Best Place to Start Your Kitchen Remodel
1. Wide array of choices for Designer Series Cabinetry in both ‘Traditional and Contemporary’ lines respectively Legend and Beyond.
2. Expert consultation for the most efficient and productive path to take for your remodeling project.
3. Educational content and incredible pricing and budgeting tools for smart decision making.
4. Fine Custom Cabinetry at factory direct prices.
5. Place to find specialized services from respected home improvement professionals—as needed or on-demand—specific to your needs, budget and timeframe.
6. Complimentary Services with comparison quote development and professional kitchen design rendering.
7. The Only Custom Cabinetry on the Web
8. Affordable Luxury of Fine Custom Cabinetry
9. Superior product 30-50% below home centers
10. Ability to Shop & Compare Online ‘from anywhere at anytime’ at Webinetry.com
(Did I say top 10; oh, one more minute!
11. European Cabinetry without European Price
12. Miss USA Judi Andersen gives her personal recommendation
13. Free Online Design
14. Best Price Guarantee
15. Lifetime Warranty
The list can go on forever, but the bottom line is that at Webinetry.com, you will have a great start; you will save time, money and aggravation while creating the kitchen or home improvement project of your dreams.
Conventional wisdom states that shopping for a major household item must be done in a physical location. Brick and mortar shops that sell custom kitchen cabinets or appliances have always been the norm when homeowners need to renovate. After all, most people want to see and feel the item they are about to purchase, particularly for high ticket items. However, the World Wide Web has changed our thinking over the past decade and online shopping for large home fixtures is fast becoming the new rule, rather than the exception. -resized-600.jpg)
According to recent U.S. Census Bureau data, there are over 110 million households in the United States and 62 percent of these homes have Internet access. Of those who have Internet at home, 85 percent shop online. This has created a huge marketplace in the virtual world, where businesses can offer their products and services online only or in addition to their storefront location.
The implications of meeting consumers’ demands online have created the need for businesses to obtain a web presence that can accommodate their service needs. These needs run the gamut for those who sell basic household items such as lighting fixtures or furniture, to larger organizations who sell home improvement and complete remodeling products.
With the tough economy, one overriding requirement for a company is to help consumers discover ways to improve affordability by keeping their costs as low as possible. In this light, those with moderate to proficient home improvement skills often take on the demolition and installation themselves, while it may be in other's best interests to contract the job to a home improvement professional. Regardless of how you want to go about remodeling, everyone seems to be getting more comfortable shopping online.
Some of the best home improvement sites can help you build your new kitchen from the comfort of your living room. You can browse and select products you like and visualize how they will look inside your home. When touching the product is important to making the best decision, some companies allow you to order samples, so that you can see and feel the item before making a final purchasing decision.
The advent of the online marketplace has made shopping more convenient than the traditional brick and mortar alternative. And with online sales forecasts on the rise, more and more homeowners will turn to the Internet to fulfill their home improvement needs.
Stay tuned!
Your carbon footprint is perhaps the latest trend in the environmental friendly movement. As defined by the ubiquitous online Wikipedia, a carbon footprint is "the total set of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event or product. Note that it is only the term that is a trend and not the movement which has real staying power now and for good reason.
According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 3 million people die each year as a result of air pollution or about 5% of the 55 million deaths annually worldwide. In the US, government studies have found that levels of some pollutants can be up to five times higher indoors than outside. Compounding the problem, other research cited by the EPA, indicates that people spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Thus, for many people, the risks to health may be greater due to exposure to air pollution indoors than outdoors.
It makes sense then that indoor air quality is consistently cited ‘in many cases by as high as two thirds of U.S. homeowners” as a concern when they are evaluating environmentally friendly building products.
Cabinetry, Formaldehyde and C.A.R.B Control
There is growing concern about the harmful effects of formaldehyde vapors, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs), and Heavy Metals. Formaldehyde is a chemical that is often used in the manufacture of building products for our homes. With an increasingly bad reputation, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified formaldehyde from "probably carcinogenic to humans" to "carcinogenic to humans" in 2004, based on the increased risk of nasopharyngeal cancer. Formaldehyde was also designated as a toxic air contaminant (TAC) in California in 1992 with no safe level of exposure.
When formaldehyde is present in the air at or above 0.1 ppm, acute health effects can occur including watery eyes, burning sensations in the eyes, nose and throat, nausea, coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, skin rashes, or even more several ailments if neglected. (Disclaimer): As I was writing this piece, I saw this list of ailments above and wanted to cite the original writer. However, it appears that many cabinet companies have decided to publish it as their own content; so my compliments and thanks go to whoever actually provided the original intellectual thought on these health aspects.
Cabinet makers from ready to assemble stock cabinetry to fine custom cabinetry have an increased responsibility with this data as plywood and particle board use glues that contain urea formaldehyde and gases can be released over time, and as mentioned, are considered toxic and an environmental risk factor. As with any potential pollutant, the relative importance depends on how much of a given pollutant it emits and how hazardous those emissions are. In some cases, factors such as how old the source is and whether it is properly maintained are significant. For example, an improperly adjusted gas stove can emit significantly more carbon monoxide than one that is properly adjusted. This too is the case with particle board and plywood and what preventative steps a manufacturer takes.
Although this series of blogs will ultimately favor particle board for its overall environment friendliness, Crossroads provides options for particle board and plywood, so setting aside the debate for a moment, here is what you need to know.
As California Goes, So Goes the Nation
The state of California has led the U.S. as an early adopter of many environmental and health/safety initiatives. History has shown the U.S. market to quickly follow California.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency which has been commissioned to ‘promote and protect public health, welfare and ecological resources through the effective and efficient reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering the effects on the economy of the state’. In the last few years, they have lead dynamic transitions in business and government with sweeping new legislation challenging and in fact mandating businesses and the environmental community to reduce formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products including hardwood plywood, particleboard, medium density fiberboard, thin medium density fiberboard (thickness = 8mm), and also furniture and other finished products made with composite wood products.
Beginning in January of 2009, this legislation was enacted regulating the quantity of formaldehyde, which they define as a toxic air contaminant, emitted from composite wood sold, or used to make finished products in the state of California.
Both plywood and particle board have the capability to comply with very strict guidelines, from material origins and equipment to strict production standards and Crossroads has certificates for both product sets following rigorous testing by 3rd party independent labs. It should be noted for consumers that for plywood, costs to produce high quality certified products come at a premium. If you receive a quotation that is less in cost than a high grade particle board typically employed by leading fine cabinet makers, then the origin of the materials should be questioned.
Corporate Responsibility
Continually at the forefront of the industry, Crossroads is proud to contribute to this initiative making American households safer places to live. Here is a chart depicting emission limits for HWPW, PB, and MDF.
CROSSROADS CARB COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
Crossroads proudly meets or exceeds the stringent California Air Resources Board (CARB) emissions limits for levels of urea formaldehyde that went into effect on January 1, 2009 and Phase II which went into effect in 2010 which present emission levels at about half the amount required by Phase I. These compliance levels are the strictest in the nation and are designed to drastically reduce the amount of off-gassing of formaldehyde over time within the home. In addition to manufacturing with third party certified materials, Crossroads takes additional steps to mitigate the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can off-gas over time by edge banding all panels used in construction, whether visible or concealed. Although the new CARB regulation pertains only to products used in California, Crossroads has adopted this standard for all products we manufacture and distribute worldwide.
For helpful information from CARB on composite wood products, find resources at
http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/compwood/compwood.htm
Stay tuned for the All Wood Story. Until then, I look forward to your comments, questions, and/or opposing views.
If you been waiting for some better economic news before remodeling your new kitchen with custom cabinets and new appliances, the timing may be right.
According to the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) shows that remodeling will continue on the upswing.
“A recovering economy should stabilize house prices and consumer confidence levels, encouraging homeowners to reinvest in their homes and undertake deferred repairs and replacements,” said Eric S. Belsky, managing director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies.
The LIRA, prepared quarterly by the Remodeling Futures Program, estimates national homeowner spending on improvements in the current quarter and three subsequent quarters. LIRA findings are based on eight major indicators that strongly correlate to remodeling spending – including shipments of building materials (Census), the Pending Home Sales Index (National Association of Realtors), the Remodeling Market Index (future business expectations, the National Association of Home Builders), and the 30-year Treasury Bond yields (Federal Reserve Board).
“It looks like spending will pick up on an annual basis at the end of this year and will accelerate as we move through 2011,” says Kermit Baker, director of the Remodeling Futures Program.
Another report, U.S. Remodeling Sentiment Report by Remodelormove.com shows that after a year of steady remodeling declines in 2009, the interest in remodeling stabilized in 2010. However, their reports suggests that the size and scope of the remodeling projects are much smaller when compared to 2007/2008.
However, the report is not all bad. While the size and number of remodels is down, interest from homeowners who are in a position to remodel, indicated that their initiative was strong and their taste for higher-end designs and expensive materials remains.
More than 12 percent of respondents reported that they plan to use expensive materials in their remodel; almost 50 percent reported that they are excited to start their remodeling project; and 84 percent plan to start in the next 12 months.
For a homeowner looking to remodel their kitchen, the timing couldn’t be better as direct buy manufacturers such as Crossroads Custom Cabinetry offer some of the lowest custom cabinetry costs in recent history. These lower costs are associated with their factory direct business model that was born out of the recession.
If you are a home improvement professional, architect, designer, remodeler, contractor, or builder, Crossroads invites you to consider Crossroads Professional Network Program as the best avenue available today to empower your business to be on the front end of this expected upturn.
If you are a homeowner or home improvement professional, then start Your Kitchen Remodeling Project Right Here at Webinetry.com.
View the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity Report
Perhaps one of the super laws, the law of relativity tells us that everything in our material world is only made real by its relationship to something else. “Hot” only exists because we compare it to “cold.” Whether we realize it or not, we all rely on this theory to give intrinsic value to many things in our life. Businesses also rely on relative comparisons in quality, price, service, etc. so consumers can determine what they feel will best suit their needs and budget. It is quite possible, that with the 10’ X 10’ sample kitchen, Albert Einstein is rolling over in his grave.
As I mentioned in my last post on this subject when referring to the importance of having a reliable relative pricing unit for custom cabinets, the 10’ X 10’ sample kitchen was born of a need to be able to advertise cabinetry in a consistent manner no matter the product or manufacturer in order to convey relative price differences of different styles and finishes.
What was conceived was a minimal two wall configuration that contained the basic elements of a typical American kitchen (Refrigerator, Range, Dishwasher, window and sink). The walls were made to be 10 feet each, so as any total cabinet product cost was calculated; it could be easily dived by the 20 lineal feet of the walls to come up with a “price per foot”. No accessories, mouldings or hardware is included in the price and the cabinetry placed to a 7’ (minimal) height standard.
The basics of the base model
This was an attempt to establish a base or ‘basic’ model as the automobile industry has done well, where the consumer has a decent understanding of where they are on price and can add features and accessories from that base point; in fact, the root meaning of base is to simplify or be at the beginning of something.
If only it were that simple for kitchen cabinetry, the 10’ X 10’ could have accomplished what it was conceived to do – give a price for any product configured exactly the same thereby giving relative price differences between the compared examples. There are various versions of the 10’ X 10’ kitchen utilizing different cabinet sizes but they all do the same thing. For service oriented kitchen cabinet providers who seek to identify consumers’ needs and desires for their actual space, the 10’ X 10’ has no value. They are used by mostly by big box retailers, online sellers and many smaller price oriented suppliers of cabinetry to advertise cabinetry prices; and it works.
The issues with this ubiquitous model are many
Without getting into an exhaustive debate on business ethics and society, allow me to state that the use of the word “typical” is probably the most egregious issue as that the layout is anything but representative of the typical American kitchen. It is in fact a fictitious layout whose primary goal was to fill the space in the most inexpensive way thereby ensuring any pricing message is compellingly low. Often in advertising, a beautiful “real world” kitchen image may be shown with pricing for the 10’ X 10’ kitchen for the shown door style, and may or may not have a full explanation of what the pricing represents, which only compounds the misrepresentation further.
The 10’ X 10” sample kitchen is a clear case of having a nice after photo with no relevance to a before photo. Unfortunately to their ultimate disappointment, many consumers get very excited about being able to have this beautiful kitchen or something comparable at the advertise amount. Even adding an “as shown” pricing message often fails to overcome the initial excitement of the low 10’ X 10’ price message.
The following disclaimer is typical when the 10 X10 sample kitchen is used in advertising:
“The 10' X 10' Kitchen is a sample kitchen for simple price comparisons of our different cabinet styles offered. The actual cabinet order for your layout may be more or less, based on overall size and cabinet options selected. The 10'x10' Sample Kitchen is based on the 12 cabinets listed below and does not include molding, decorative hardware, countertop, sink/faucet or appliances.”
As so often is the case, many of us do not pay proper attention to the small print. In the case of selecting custom kitchen cabinetry suitable to individual tastes, spaces and budgets, the 10’ X 10’ is a slippery slope that ends many times in disappointment, lost time, and frustration.
There is a better way!
Stay tuned as next time, I will introduce Crossroads Virtual Kitchen (CVK) as the clear alternative. Crossroads has bridged the pricing unit gap with a reliable budgeting model for consumers and home improvement professionals. I will also provide a chart with CVK and the 10X10 lined up side-by-side so that you can personally discover and verify why CVK is what the kitchen cabinet industry and consumer truly deserve.
What are your issues, comments, etc. related to kitchen cabinet pricing?
As many of you know, it’s not easy to continuously come-up with engaging, intelligent, on-target topics of interest to the professional communities of architecture, interior design, home building, contractors and to the mass community of home owners!
Since we launched KBI in late 2009, we have written more than 100 in-depth articles about the affordable luxury of fine cabinetry, remodeling trends, the state of the home improvement industry, how to market and build your business Online and more…..You really investigate the KBI site, have a look around, and share your thoughts!
Now, as we prepare to dramatically expand our content this year with video, professional photography, forums and fun competitions, we invite you to join us.
If you have a blog, article, newsletter, etc. that is already produced or an idea that’s burning a hole in your psyche and need a place to upload it or get additional exposure, send me an email (jamesa@webinetry.com) and we’ll work out a plan.
Nowism
In previous posts, we have focused one eye on Foreverism, but if we expect to create custom cabinet customers for life, we must simultaneously focus the other eye on its counterpart, Nowism. A term like “Nowism” conjures up many possible interpretations, so let’s begin the discussion by establishing a workable definition provided by Trendwatching.com:
Nowism | “Consumers’ ingrained lust for instant gratification is being satisfied by a host of novel, important (offline and online) real-time products, services and experiences. Consumers are also feverishly contributing to the real-time content avalanche that’s building as we speak. As a result, expect your brand and company to have no choice but to finally mirror and join the ‘now’, in all its splendid realness and excitement”.
In an ever increasing affluent world where the time needed to secure the basics of life is ever being reduced and where goods are plentiful, the status derived from obtaining them is becoming less important. What has become more important than having the item itself is the experience of obtaining the item. Thus, this focus of obtaining the experience and the drive to collect as many experiences as possible—living in the now, so to speak—has become the game.
In our constantly accelerating online world, instant gratification is ever easier to obtain. For custom cabinets in particular, if the experience is less than satisfying the next is only a click away. More than any other single factor, the development of the internet has hastened this thirst and addiction for the next experience as quickly as possible. According to a business study by Deloitte LLP’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications, the need; no, the demand for instant gratification not only applies to individuals, but to entire communities. Companies are then obligated to go beyond their ‘customers for life’ mindset and by thinking what it will take for community success. In their report, they present the stark reality of this expanded playing field.
Some of the biggest obstacles to creating a successful community are getting people to:
• Join (24 percent)
• Stay engaged (30 percent)
• Keep returning (21 percent)
These statistics, particularly the attrition rate represent a whole new set of metrics that an organization must be aware of while learning to satisfy customer needs now. The perfect example of this now phenomenon is the social media world of Twitter. Millions of people, services, products world wide all connected and Tweeting in real time. It doesn’t get any more “now” than that. The conversation is visible in real-time and to everyone.
How is the Kitchen Cabinet Industry Responding to Nowism?
The kitchen cabinet industry is a significant part of the remodeling and home improvement industry. According to NAHB and the Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS), they estimate the remodeling market at $280 Billion in sales and is on pace to top $350-$400 Billion in market size over the next ten years.
Even with this industry size, the home improvement sector needs to speed up to the realization that as home improvement consumers embrace and even expect to receive what they desire now, they will highly utilize the Internet to browse, explore ‘lifestyle, design/architectural trends, shop, find the right ‘qualified professional’ who can help them realize their dream, etc. Additionally, they will:
1. Expect intelligent tools to help them minimize decisions that they would have to make at the showroom.
2. Want fast, quick responses “via personal contact” from every media including instant message, e-mail query, etc.
3. Rely on social networking as a dominant “qualifier.
4. Make decisions based on the fact that your: Reputation Online is Huge!
Note: This last point is worth reading twice as with consumer communities hooked on “Nowism”, instead of the old days where an unhappy customer would tell 10 of their friends, if a customer is happy with your service moving forward, their message spreads to more than thousands; instantly!
The brands that fail to grasp and engage this “Nowism” are doomed to a shrinking old world economy. Those that grasp the new opportunities this paradigm represents will flourish among this brave new real time world.
Stay tuned for next time as Nowism Goes Mobile!
What ways can you think of that companies and marketers can embrace and demonstrate this trend?
In order to set conditions where all could agree on the reasoning and need for change, I have discussed in two previous posts, the history of the 10 X 10 sample kitchen and how it simply fails with a litany of shortcomings as a reliable pricing unit for custom cabinets. Providing no real value aside from empowering retail establishments with an effective advertising gimmick, the 10 X 10 has proven to be a great disservice to the home improvement consumer for too long.
A Better Way Has Arrived
Finally, Crossroads Virtual Kitchen (CVK) is well on its way to establishing a reliable pricing unit for the kitchen cabinet industry helping it to transform into an Internet savvy industry poised for healthy growth and success in the new millennium. As consumers increasingly discover smart and convenient ways to budget for their homes with CVK while being empowered to bypass the expensive multi-layered dealer and home center channels, their confidence to invest in their homes will once again be ignited.
What Makes CVK Different?
Crossroads has created CVK to actually contain the typical amount of cabinets found in today’s average kitchen but more importantly includes drawer base cabinets, a tall oven cabinet, refrigerator panels, 24” deep wall cabinet above the refrigerator and functional corner cabinets. It includes a large crown moulding, light valance moulding and finished toe kick to trim out the installation properly. The overall cabinet heights are 90” instead of 84”. The goal was to create a price sample that is representative of a real world kitchen and still have the ability to compare different door styles, wood species and finishes to gain insight into the relative price differentials.
Serving the needs of the consumer, Crossroads CVK allows them to make informed conclusions for their home remodel and is indeed unique today as it:
- Provides a reliable pricing unit and budgeting tool for fine cabinetry.
- Is based on cabinetry estimated in the real world for actual sized American kitchens.
- Includes items that are critical to meeting requirements for your kitchen’s safety and functionality.
- Doesn’t demand costly add-ons as essential items are added; not to mention upgrades.
- Enhances affordability for amenity items on your wish list.
Also included in CVK on selected styles are values added at no cost for premium finish options including glazing, burnishing, hand padding, cow tailing, washed paint, and speck distressing; additionally, on selected designer options, unique physical distressing features reminiscent of antique furniture have been included such as sand through, joint crack, wood splits, worm holes, nicks, corner & edge wear, rock indents rasping, hand rubbed, and worn options.
Ensuring each customer is thoroughly and accurately informed, each CVK option provides a specification chart applicable to the virtual kitchen being viewed detailing the quality and luxury features inherent in each selection along with any applicable premiums and an actual floor plan.
I personally invite you to explore the difference CVK can make for your kitchen remodel and you will realize what many others are, that Crossroads Virtual Kitchen (CVK) is the long awaited, reliable pricing unit for consumers in search of confidence in their custom cabinet shopping experience.
What are your issues, comments, etc. related to kitchen cabinet pricing?
Norma Rodriguez of @Home Magazine recently sat down with Michael Baugus, Crossroads CEO to discuss specifically why Webinetry.com is the best place to start your remodeling project.
It wasn’t long ago when shopping for custom cabinets, many homeowners would focus only on the look of the cabinets; and sometimes to their detriment and long term dissatisfaction, ignore the most important feature of the cabinets- the material used to make the cabinet box.
This is why at Crossroads Academy, we go to great lengths to educate all kitchen cabinet consumers on the various construction types, the differences between framed cabinetry and full access cabinetry, the best places to buy kitchen cabinets, and even to introduce quality and luxury features inherent in fine custom cabinetry to those that haven’t had the opportunity to experience them first hand.
Now, we will set out to clarify, in a series of posts, a topic that is growing in controversy (and confusion), Plywood vs. Particle Board. So let’s begin with a simple question and a not so simple answer.
Question: Which is better Plywood vs. Particle Board?
Answer is “it depends”.
Both plywood and particle board have features and benefits that make it suitable for different situations; however, since our focus at Crossroads is that of making the luxury of fine custom cabinetry affordable for all, I will cut through the persuasive rhetoric and take an early stand for particle board. I don’t feel this is a disclaimer however, as most major cabinet manufacturers are in agreement.
As you venture out to read up on the topic, you’ll quickly discover that it isn’t easy to separate fact from fiction, and that there are compelling sounding arguments on all sides. So in order to gain a greater understanding of particle board and plywood and what will be right for you, we will examine the nature of these two products by diving into several stories, which fuel these debates, with the goal of using our best logical and analytical reason to identify the facts.
So this introductory post will be followed up with a three-part series, stories if you will, on why particle board is taking the LEED.
1. The All Wood Story – This story looks into the appealing sound of all wood, what actually is all wood or who is charged with defining and enforcing what constitutes all wood, how does plywood and particle board relate, and finally, what’s does it all mean to you, the consumer.
2. Made to Last Story – In terms of any product having a long usable life, we are all interested in having our investments last as long as possible relative to our investment. For cabinetry, we hear a variety of terms including dimensional stability, structural integrity, and resistance levels to the elements such as temperature, light, moisture, pressure, etc. Warning: One thing you will take away from this story is that many products are NOT made to last a lifetime.
3. The Environmentally Friendly Story -For anyone that is actively trying to make environmentally conscious decisions, they know that many times, it is the simple and small choices we make in our homes that can make a world of difference to our environment. This post will focus on how these building materials impact the environment; and the best ways to protect the air quality in our homes by selecting products that minimize the release of fumes and gases.
If you are getting ready to make a purchasing commitment and need to know the conclusion on this final post now; ultimately, you will be able to conclude that when you select new cabinetry made from today’s engineered wood, such as Crossroads custom cabinetry, you can be assured that you are making a decision that contributes to better indoor air quality.
Let’s conclude this Introduction to this series with some loose definitions.
Plywood is a series of wood veneers, sheets of wood cut from a log, glued together in a cross grain pattern making a composite sheet. Because of the cross grain pattern, plywood is more stable than solid wood. Wood expands and contracts in the direction of the grain. By alternating the grain pattern in each layer of veneer, plywood balances most of the stresses caused by moisture and heat cycling. Exposed plywood faces are finished with veneers of cherry, maple, birch etc.., painted, or have a sheet of low pressure melamine applied. (melamine is a paper product with a print or image on the surface hardened with an aluminum oxide coating)
Particle board, or particleboard (or chipboard in the UK, Australia and some other countries), is a composite material/sheet wood product. The sheet is made by combining wood particles with a binder and either shaping via a mold and press operation or a continuous heat and press process. Since the sheet is a composite of wood fibers that are distributed in random orientations, there is little or no directional movement. Particle board products are classified by their particle size and overall density. The higher the density the heavier the product, in general terms. Additionally, sheet products have grades based on quality control standards set by the industry. Exposed surfaces can be finished with either wood veneers, painting if the material is suitable, or a laminate low pressure melamine.
The term particle board is very misleading and a favorite of marketers who are promoting plywood as superior to particle board; they typically prey on consumers’ misperceptions of particle board which is not difficult to do since there are different grades of particle board like flake board, chip board, oriented strand board, etc. They even drop in my favorite ‘saw dust’ to pigeon hole someone’s view.
So we will conclude by saying that the industrial grade particle board utilized in today’s manufacturing of cabinetry will be better served when we refer to it as Engineered Wood; and I will continue to refer to this more as we reason together and as the stories unfold.
Before we move to the All Wood Story, stay tuned as we lay the ground work on formaldehyde emissions and C.A.R.B. Compliance--without which nothing else will matter.