 | Art Bryan
is president and owner of Southwestern Remodeling Contractors, Inc. Art started Southwestern Remodeling Contractors in 1970. Southwestern is a fully-licensed residential and commercial licensed general contractor in Wichita and the surrounding counties. Art has been a member of the Wichita Area Home Builders Association and the National Remodel Council since 1974. In mid-2000 Southwestern received the distinction of being named one of the "Top 25 Most Diversified Remodeling Companies in the United States.” Southwestern is listed as the 84th Top Remodeler in the country by Qualified Remodeling Magazine. Art can be contacted at his office at (316) 263-1239, fax at (316) 263-6230, or you can e-mail him at ARTSWR@aol. Com |
Home Improvement
2002-01-01 12:33:00
Kitchens... of ‘white’ and ‘bright
Question: I want white kitchen cabinets, and was told they are more expensive. Why is that, and what other characteristics of cabinets affect the cost?
Answer: A number of things affect the cost of cabinets. Wood, stain, door style, and of course, construction quality. Construction quality is a separate subject itself, and we won't discuss that right now. Wood choice can affect the cost of cabinets. Typically, Oak is the lowest cost. Then upcharges will apply for Maple, Cherry, and Hickory (Pecan). Painted cabinets are usually a Maple cabinet. It takes the stain best. Some painted cabinet doors are MDF, or medium density fiberboard. MDF is a man-made product that is molded to look like a raised panel for cabinet doors. As wood expands and contracts, a painted finish cabinet will show signs of the joints opening up. This is a natural characteristic of wood, but with a light colored painted surface, it is much more evident. Therefore, manufactures offer MDF for doors that are going to be painted. The whole door may expand and contract, but it is one unit, and does not show the signs of the joints cracking. The other reason that white cabinets are more expensive is that the finish is very unforgiving. Every little nick and blemish shows. Consequently, it is much more labor intensive to obtain a defect free finish. Door overlay also affect the cost of cabinets. Full overlay doors are the most expensive. Full overlay is when the door and drawer cover almost all of the frame of the front of the cabinet. This produces a much more unified or 'custom' look. It is also more difficult to get all the doors and drawers aligned properly so the minimal gaps between them are consistent. Standard overlay is when about 1" of the frame show all around the cabinet door and drawer. This is the least expensive, and is most popular in homes built since the 60's. Modified overlay is when the drawer is standard and the door is full overlay. Cost will fall in the middle for these cabinets.Question: My kitchen is in the interior of my house, with no windows. How can I get it brighter? Answer: Three things come to mind. First, is a skylight an option? Even a skylight on the north side of the house will bring in a lot of natural light. Second, is to put a ‘pass through’ into a room that has a lot of natural light. While the light that comes ‘through’ the opening may not be a lot, just being able to see out to the other area will make the kitchen more enjoyable. Third, consider the light source. Fluorescent lights tend to give off a very artificial light color. Think about installing recessed lights around the kitchen, and install halogen bulbs. These will give off very white light closer to sunlight. Don’t be afraid of putting too many fixtures in a kitchen, then putting them on a dimmer. It is much better to have too much light and dim it down, than not to have enough.
