Cabinet Solutions
As a forward thinking Company, combined with more than 20 years’ experience in the Kitchen and Bathroom remodel industry, CRS now supplies, distributes and installs cabinet and door systems, using only the highest quality materials and construction methods to fit your requirements. Each cabinet is crafted to perfection, paying close attention to features that other companies consider upgrades.
CRS offers a wide variety of styles and finishes to match any space in your home or office, as well as the ability to customize any cabinet at competitive prices.
As an industry leader, with state of the art manufacturing equipment and cutting edge technology, including 3D image software, CRS is able to deliver and professionally install a custom kitchen, bathroom, and or family room within 4 – 5 weeks at a considerable savings.
For Customers who are looking for faster delivery, we also offer an extensive line of pre-made frame cabinets which are ready-to-ship throughout North America within 2 – 3 weeks. Cabinets are sold flat packed for quick & easy installations, specifically tailored for people who are handy enough to self-install, assisted by our helpful training videos. Click here.
Applications include:
- Kitchens
- Bathrooms
- Family Rooms
- Basement
- Entertainment Centre
- Pantries
- Wall Units
- Fireplaces Mantels
View our door option designs and styles - click here
The cabinet industry is broken down into two basic constructions methods called framed and box. While construction and quality varies among manufactures, the difference between the two constructions is how they look and amount of accessibility you have to the inside of the cabinet.
Framed (Face-Frame) Cabinet Construction
Framed cabinets have a wood 'frame' around the front outer edge of the cabinet box. If you visualize a basic wood box, the face frame is made up of several pieces of wood that are fastened to the forward edge of the cabinet, framing the cabinet box. The face frame provides some added rigidity to the cabinet box, helping it to remain square and sturdy.
Box (Frameless) Cabinet Construction
Box cabinets are often described as a "European" style because they do not have a face-frame which offers a bit more accessibility than framed cabinets. This is because there is no inside edge of a frame that's partially blocking the perimeter of the cabinet. opening, however the amount of storage space in a box construction drawers is greater than with framed cabinet construction because the drawer box is bigger for a given cabinet size (in other words, the drawer box has to be smaller on framed cabinets to fit through the face frame opening).
Cabinet Materials and Construction
Materials:
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Solid Wood – Is solid homogeneous wood all the way through. The only variation might be boards or panels that are several pieces of solid wood joined together. |
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Particle Board – Is engineered wood product that's made from wood chips and particles that are combined with an adhesive and fused together into boards and panels. Particle board makes up a large percentage of the materials used in today's cabinetry, from the panels that make up the boxes to shelving. |
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Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) – Is another form of engineered wood product that's made up of wood fibers. The fibers are combined with an adhesive under pressure and formed into boards and panels. MDF has a finer texture than particle board and is denser and heavier than particle board. It's used in cabinet doors, shelves and cabinet boxes. |
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Plywood – Is a higher grade of engineered wood products which is often sold as upgrade. It's made up of thin wood "plies" or layers of wood that are glued together in a sandwich form. Usually the plies are oriented with their grain direction at varying angles with respect to each other to give the board or panel more rigidity and stability. Plywood is used for shelving, doors and cabinet boxes. |
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Plastic Laminate – Is the same material used to construct laminate countertops although it's usually thinner when used on cabinets. It's basically a plastic product, formed by fusing paper and plastic resin together under heat and pressure. Laminate's used for covering cabinet boxes and/or doors to provide a easily-cleaned surface. |
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Melamine – Is another plastic-based product that is used to cover cabinet surfaces. It's a popular material for covering particle board panels that are used in making cabinet boxes. One type of construction you may see involves cabinet boxes made with melamine and wood veneer over particle board. The melamine is on the inside part of the cabinet and the wood veneer is on the outside of the cabinet box. |
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Thermofoil – Is a thin vinyl film used to cover cabinet boxes, doors and drawer fronts. The vinyl usually starts as a rigid film that's then heated and formed over the substrate material, typically made of MDF or particle board. |
Cabinet Construction Methods
Cabinet construction methods will vary based on manufacturer, level of quality and durability. Stronger joints mean more durable cabinets. Described below are the most common methods used to construct wood cabinets:
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Dovetail Joints – consists of joining two boards together at right angles, which is widely used with drawer boxes. The ends of two boards or panels are notched with v-shaped cutouts that mesh with corresponding notches on the adjoining panel. If done correctly, these types of joints are considered extremely solid. |
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Mortise and Tenon – is another method using a square "post" protruding from one end of a piece of wood that fits into a square hole or cutout in the mating piece. This type of joinery might be used to fasten the pieces of a cabinet's face frame together. |
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Dado – is a groove that is cut into a board or panel that the edge of another board or panel can fit into. A good example is the sides and back of a cabinet drawer that are dadoed to accept the edges of the drawer bottom. It is a stronger way to secure the drawer bottom instead of gluing or nailing the drawer bottom edges to the side panels. |
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Rabbet – is a notch or step that is cut into the edge of a board to accept the edge of another board to form a 90-degree angle. It's similar to a dado cut except one side is left "open". |
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Doweled Joint – this method uses round wood dowels that are pressed and or glued half way into holes drilled into one piece of wood. The protruding part of the dowel is then fit into holes drilled into the mating piece of wood, and is often used to join the sides of drawers or cabinet boxes together. |
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Butt Joint – involves joining the ends of two pieces of material which are brought or "butted" together, edge to edge. Some form of mechanical retention like nails, screws or glue is needed to hold this joint together. |
Nails, Screws, Staples, Glue – are used to either reinforce the wood joints.
Cabinet Boxes and FramesMaterials:
Cabinet boxes are made from particle board, MDF or plywood. Solid wood panels normally are not used to construct the cabinet box except for the face-frame on framed cabinets. Panels made from these wood products are usually covered in either wood veneer, plastic laminate, melamine or thermofoil.
Construction:
The cabinet box is essentially just a box. The key point to understand is that there are several methods used to reinforce the box and make sure it remains rigid. One approach of reinforcing the cabinet box involves the use of triangular braces in the corners of the box. They are made from either particle board, MDF, plywood, solid wood or plastic. Another reinforcing feature uses a "beam" brace that runs from the front of the box to the rear on the inside of the side panels or along the back from side to side. The beam brace usually fits in a dado slot in the side panel.
Drawers
Materials:
Cabinet drawers are predominantly made from the same materials that are used to construct the cabinet cases such as particle board, MDF, plywood and solid wood. On higher quality drawers more of the drawer parts tend to be made of solid wood to stand up the abuse from more frequent opening and closing. Drawer fronts, the part of the drawer that you see, tend to be made from solid wood, painted MDF or covered with thermofoil material.
Construction:
The way a drawer is built plays a large role in its durability and longevity. The drawer box is made up of two side panels, front and back panels and the bottom. Most cabinet drawers have a separate front piece that's attached to the front drawer-box panel although on some drawers the drawer front and front panel are the same piece.
The parts that make up the drawer box can be assembled in several ways. Dovetail joints that are tight form the strongest connection at the corners of the drawer. Doweled joints where one side of the drawer box has dowels installed on one end that fit in holes in the mating panel end is another form of joinery. Drawer bottoms that fit into dado slots in the drawer slides are stronger than bottoms that are just nailed and or glued to the bottom of the drawer box. Glue, small nails and staples are also used to fasten drawer parts together.
Doors
Materials:
Cabinet doors are made from solid wood or one of the engineered wood products (particle board, MDF, plywood). Engineered wood doors are covered with a wood veneer, laminate or thermofoil. One of the benefits of MDF is that it can be routed and cut, similar to solid wood, with better results than particle board which is less dense and tends to chip. This feature allows MDF to be formed with a smooth finish to resemble raised-panel doors.
Construction:
There are two basic types of cabinet door construction “framed” and “slab”. Framed doors are made up of an outer frame that is built around a panel in the center of the door. The edges of the panel fit into slots milled into the inside edges of the frame and are allowed to "float" within the frame to allow for normal expansion and contraction of the wood. Raised panel doors are a common variety of the frame door style.
Slab doors do not have the separate parts like a framed door and are usually one-piece construction or the combination of several solid pieces of wood glued and joined together to form a solid slab. Slab doors made from plywood or MDF are covered in a veneer, laminate or thermofoil covering.
Shelves
Materials:
Cabinet shelves are made from one of the engineered wood products, either plywood, MDF or particle board. Regardless of which material is used they're normally covered with another material such as a wood veneer or laminate ply.
Construction:
Shelf thickness varies based on cabinet manufacturer and the particular product line which often equates to the level of quality within a certain brand. Shelf thickness ranges from 1/2" to 5/8" to 3/4" thick. Thicker is better when it comes to longer shelves on wide cabinets to reduce sagging over time.
Cabinet Finish
On wood cabinets the finish is just as important as how well the cabinets are constructed. The finish not only provides aesthetic appeal but is a key component in the protection of the underlying wood surface. It needs that protection from the moisture and chemicals that are typical in a kitchen or bathroom.
Cabinets covered in laminate or melamine is not coated with these types of finishes and surface treatments.
Materials:
Listed below are the most common finishes seen is kitchens and bathroom applications:
- Paint – The main benefit is that there is a limitless colour pallet to choose from.
- Stain – Wood stains are designed to add colour while bringing out the natural beauty of the wood grain pattern. Wood stain requires a sealer on top of it for protection.
- Varnish – Varnish is a combination of oil and resin that is used to provide a protective layer over the wood and any other surface treatment like stain.
- Lacquer – Lacquer is another top-coat protective sealer used on cabinets and furniture. It's made by dissolving a resin in a solvent.
- Glaze – Glaze is a pigmented but transparent or semi-transparent coating that's applied over a base coating such as paint or stain. Glaze is used to enhance the look of cabinets by highlighting the underlying base color and bringing out surface detail. When glaze is applied and then hand wiped some of the glaze remains in the corners and recesses of doors, providing additional visual highlights.
The Finishing Process
The cabinet finishing process is dependent on the type of finishes used and the individual cabinet maker's capabilities and formula. Large cabinet manufacturers may have sophisticated facilities and processes to apply the finish whereas smaller cabinet makers may take a simpler approach or even outsource the finishing process to a local firm who specializes in finishes. The final cost of the cabinet will depend on the complexity of the finish. Finishes that include hand-rubbed treatments or multi-step coating applications take time and ultimately raise the cost of the cabinets. Glazing can produce some nice effects but it's an additional step in the process.
How to Measure
The success of your project depends on taking and recording accurate measurements. To assist you we have prepared a guideline for you to follow when designing the layout of your kitchen.
Above picture illustrates the key areas that will need to be identified when designing your new kitchen, and below are the steps involved to ensure accuracy of the layout:
Steps:
1. Create a rough drawing of the shape of the room. Represent each wall, door, window and any protrusions or recessed areas.
2. Measure each wall section and record on the drawing. Note: A wall section is from one corner to a door way or window.
3. Measure each door and record; don’t forget to indicate on your sketch how each door swings, and which side the hinge is on. Note: windows and doors are measured from outside edge to outside edge of casing or trim.
4. Measure from the floor to the bottom of your windows & mark it down.
5. Measure each window; don’t forget windows are measured from outside edge to outside edge of casing or trim.
6. Then measure from the bottom of the window to the top of the window.
7. Measure from the top of the window to the ceiling & mark it down.
8. Measure from the floor to the ceiling. Note: To double check add item 4, 6 and 7 together and it should equal this measurement.
9. Mark the locations of where the appliances will go, be sure to record the dimensions of each appliance. Start by measuring the Width, Height, and Depth. If you are purchasing in new appliances, you must record the Width, Height, and Depth, of all new appliances to prevent mistakes. Be sure to include new services such as a water line for an icemaker, or under cabinet outlets for water filters, wine keepers, or garbage disposal, etc.
10. Mark on your sketch, the exact location of the sink, water & gas lines, wall switch & receptacles, plus any other obstructions in the room. Be sure to measure to the center of these and not the edge. Double check your work as these measurements must be correct to ensure your new cabinetry will fit properly.
11. Measure all other walls in kitchen following steps 3 through 9. Measure all walls even if you do not plan to put cabinets on them, as it helps to identify potential spacing issues associated to furniture, work space flow, obstruction of passage ways to a joining rooms, etc.
12. Add up all dimensions on each wall and verify that the total is equal to the total wall dimension listed on the chart. If unsure, always re-measure. Never guess!
Should you require assistance with designing your ideal space, please send us a digital picture of your kitchen, along with dimensions and wish list to design@crsremodeling.ca or call our office to schedule an in-home consultation.
If you are builder, contractor or a designer, please e-mail us your floor plan (see example below) and will be happy to prepare a quote.
Example:
We have a full selection of cabinet hardware from the best manufacturers and names in the decorative hardware business. We offer discounts between 30% - 70% compared to big box stores.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the difference between refacing and refinishing?
A: Refinishing involves removing doors and drawer fronts which are removed and taken to be stripped, stained with a spray finish within a quality controlled environment, leaving the rest of the cabinet to be sanded, stained and finish to be applied in your home. The cost is often must higher due to the amount of labour spent in your home (Avg. 4 – 5 days on-site, spread over 1 - 2 weeks) refinishing end panels, toe kicks and fillers. Refacing costs less with better finished results, longer life and takes about 1 – 2 days to complete in your home.
Q: Are you able to reface a framed cabinet?
A: Yes, however, refacing a framed cabinet costs more than a boxed cabinet, because there is more work involved to cover the frame portion. Also, the quality and life also suffers because the adhesive tape used to cover the exposed frame tends to delaminate is a short period of time due to moisture or steam. Painting framed cabinets is much more cost effective and is recommended.
Q: What is the difference in price between refacing and replacing?
A: Refacing involves replacing all of your doors, handles, end panels, back panels, crown moulding, light valance. You can also added additional or replace existing cabinets as required. It often cost less than replacing, with little disruption or demolition, because the installation process to reface takes 1 – 2 days, compared to 5 – 6 days for replacing.
Q: How do I obtain an estimate?
A: There are several ways to obtain an estimate.
- Use our on-line estimator which is simple to use. click here
- E-mail us a picture or sketch of your kitchen to design@crsremodeling.ca
- Schedule a free in-home consultation with a qualified designer who interprets your needs and understands the importance of your budget with as little disruption as is possible to your lifestyle. Click here.
Q: Where do I collect inspirational ideas?
A: We encourage our clients to tour our “before and after” videos. Also we suggest you to have a look at our "granite colour" page to view countertops we have installed over the years. Clip pictures for home magazines or visit HGTV website at http://www.hgtv.com
Q: How long does it take to produce a customer kitchen custom?
A: Typically, the design phase takes approximately two weeks to allow sufficient time for your to decide on layout, elevations, materials, door styles, colours, finishes, accessories, handles, countertops, sinks, faucets, backsplash, etc. Our job is to assist you every step of the way as the experts in kitchen renovation industry. From the time the order is placed it takes about 4-5 weeks to manufacture a stained kitchen from one of our standard stain colours. Painted and glazed kitchen will require an additional 2-3 weeks of manufacturing time. Once the kitchen is delivered our installers require 2-3 days to complete depending on the scope of the project.
Q: How do you compare to your competitors?
A: We are priced significantly lower than most local kitchen companies, and we offer one stop shopping to reduce the number of bodies involved in the planning, manufacturing, and installation process. Having our own factory also gives us better control on managing the production and installation activities from start to finish, removing the middle people who create countless mistakes, causing delivery delays, combined with numerous trips in-out of your home that only leads to unhappiness at the end of the day. Our business model, infrustructure and Customer service approach is designed to eliminate the stress out of your buying experience.
Q: What sets your cabinets apart from others?
A: We are a one stop kitchen & bathroom remodelling Company, delivering solutions, expertise, and professional service that is rare within the home renovation world. Plus we network with more than 2000 other trades and business who share the same common interests, passion and commitment which is to serve the public to the best of our abilities.
