Quality Features of Fine Cabinets – Drawer Construction

• Quality Features of Fine Cabinets
• Hardware Types and Quality
• Drawer Construction
• Interior Options
• Cabinetry Box Construction
• Finish Type
• Subjective Items

Drawer Construction

The one component of cabinetry that tends to be scrutinized is the drawer box itself. Drawer boxes can be made from materials such as hardwood, particle board, plastic, steel and aluminum. A good quality drawer should have strong joints as well as a bottom of adequate thickness. Many people look carefully at the way the drawer is put together and totally ignore the thickness of the bottom of the drawer, It is important to remember that the drawer will only be as strong as its weakest component.

The most common drawer is a wooden drawer. Many manufacturers are now producing wooden drawers with what is known as a dovetail joint. This joint interlocks the side members of the drawer box and creates an almost inseparable joint. However drawer sides that are made from steel and aluminum can be made very strong and functional. These drawer boxes generally have the slide mechanism integrated into the drawer side which gives the user a wider drawer. These drawers generally have a thicker bottom than conventional drawers and usually carry a lifetime guarantee. However, these drawers are usually as costly as a quality wooden drawer box. Most quality producers use either a wood dovetailed drawer box or a modern extruded aluminum drawer box.

Dovetailed Wood Drawer Box	Extruded Aluminum Drawer