In this section of Hometips for Home Improvement, we learn about kitchen cabinets, cabinet frames, cabinet pivot hinges and scribe rail.

Cabinets are the heart of a kitchen. Kitchen Cabinets add to the look, appearance and comfort of any kitchen. Kitchen cabinets are made in hundreds of styles from a broad range of materials including fine hardwoods, laminates, veneers, painted particleboard, etc.

All cabinets, including highest quality models to the bottom-of-the-line units have one thing in common – they are all fundamentally boxes designed and shaped according to a home’s need.

While some of these cabinet boxes stand on the floor and are capped with countertops, others hang from the walls. Some cabinet boxes are fitted with doors and shelves and few others hold drawers or other specialty accessories.

Any kitchen-cabinet system is made up from several separate units, joined together side-by-side. Base cabinets may have drawers, doors, shelves, or pull-outs, or a combination of all. Plumbing bases have no shelves or drawers and reserve space for a sink and plumbing. Upper wall cabinets offer storage above counters and appliances.

There are mainly two types of cabinet construction: face frame and frameless. Frameless cabinets are also known as European-style cabinets.

Face frame cabinets have a frame around the front of the cabinet. Frameless cabinets don't have this frame. One can easily tell the difference between the two types of cabinet construction by the way their doors and drawers fit against the front. Even bathroom cabinets are made using the same techniques.

Another difference between the two styles of cabinets is that, face-frame cabinets normally don't have a top panel or a full back that adds rigidity to it’s’ construction. Sometimes the back is be made of quite thin material. Frameless base cabinets are usually mounted on top of a separate plinth or toe kick whereas face frame cabinets have integral bases.

A face-frame cabinet has a 1 by 2 frame that rims the cabinet's front edges, masking the construction and strengthening the box. Doors or drawer fronts normally overlay the frame but they may be flush or offset. Standard offset hinges are partially visible from the front.

The frameless cabinet utilizes European-style connectors and hinges to create a contemporary and beautiful look with flush doors and hidden hinges. This method of construction is also used with laminate cabinets. Frameless cabinets usually have a solid top and back and base units sit on a separate plinth.

The pivot hinge is formed from two bent metal pieces joined at a single pivot point. They are designed for mounting overlay doors.

Top- and bottom-mounting pivot hinges are sold in mirror-image pairs. One is meant for the top of a door and the other for the bottom. Center-mount cabinet pivot hinges types are meant to be notched intermediately into the edge of a door.

One benefit of a pivot hinge is that, when the cabinet door is closed, the hinge is almost invisible or rarely visible. Heavy-duty pivot hinges are also available for hanging both interior and exterior entry doors.

A scribe rail is basically a length of wood shaped to serve as a buffer between a wall with an irregular surface and a cabinet. Use a simple compass to trace the wall's surface onto the rail, and then trim it to ensure a tight fit.

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