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Disadvantages of Particleboard Cabinets

March 13th, 2010 Leave a comment Go to comments

There are only a few disadvantages of having kitchen or bathroom vanity particle board cabinets. Many European style cupboards were fabricated using this material during the late nineteen eighties into the years of two thousand.

Not all is bad with these flake board boxes. If the manufacture knows where to not put the material, then the odds are in your favor that your kitchen or bathroom will last a long time. Most prefab cabinets are made out of PB.

Three Place Where Particleboard Should Not be Used

1) Countertop backsplashes
2) Cabinet toe kick plate
3) Sink cupboard bottoms

These three areas above are the most susceptible places for cabinets getting water damaged. Because the tile, wood, Pergo, and linoleum floors get mopped using water, when the liquid gets between the floor and absorbs into a particle-board toe base, deterioration begins to occur over time.

Countertop backsplashes should never be fabricated out of particleboard. These areas should always have either plywood or pine as the core material that is laminated with Formica plastic laminate. The disadvantages of using particleboard in this area are huge. Once water absorbs into a chip-board splash, swelling begins and completely ruins the beauty of the countertop.

The interior of the sink cabinets is where the largest amount of water damage occurs with cabinets. I only say this because I have taught many people how to fix a water damaged sink cabinet bottom. It almost needs to not be said, but the sink area is the most susceptible area where leaking water will damage particleboard.

The way to avoid the disadvantages of having particle board in these areas is to insist on having your cabinet manufacture use ply-wood or pine where in place of using flake-board. This should not add much to the expense of your cupboards and it will perhaps add a little less maintenance to your kitchen or bathroom set of cabinets through the years.

If you are purchasing cabinets form a home center you may just be stuck with what you get. Obviously this is to your disadvantage if you are concerned about having particle board in your kitchen or bathroom vanity cabinetry.

Categories: Cabinet Making
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