We are in the process of building a new home and are searching for the best design for kitchen cabinets, i.e, framed cabinets or frameless cabinets. We have approached several cabinet builders/suppliers and are told the benefits of each. I’m inclined to think framed cabinets are sturdier. Is there a significant difference between frameless and framed cabinets?
Alan
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It's not just the design, but the materials from which they're constructed, that lend strength to a cabinet.
In reality, even a cabinet that is somewhat flimsy (ability to rack, or flex out of square) as a stand-alone will be pretty sturdy once it is attached to not just its neighboring boxes, but screwed to the framing as well.
When I make framed cabinets, all boxes are 3/4" material with dadoed or rabetted joints, glued and screwed, and with 1/2" rabbeted, glued and screwed backs. When a run of cabinets is installed, they're not going to flex or move one bit. Only after the boxes are installed do I apply the face frames, as I much prefer a continuous face frame over a run of cabinets vs screwing adjacent stiles together.
I don't consider the face frame itself to really add any substantial strength to the cebinets, at least not in the way that I build them. They might prevent the front edge of the box sides from flexing a bit, but still...
In a store-bought box or a lesser-end cabinet shop? Sure, the face frame might make a diffference.
Personally, I prefer face frames for the aesthetic. I'm in colonial-ish Connecticit. I also prefer to make my base cabinets 6" deeper than standard. Allows for a deeper countertop above and more storage below, with everything in storage accessable on slides. As a result the uppers are made a few inches deeper as well.
For inset doors, a frameless cabinet box must be made and installed to a higher standard than a box that will get a face frame with an inset door, as the face frame can be tweaked to square vs having to have a framelss cabinet square to begin with.
That doesn't neccessarily make it better constructed or stronger, though.
For a finished run of cabinets made from the same materials and methods? Or for cabinets made by a third-party? I'd have to say that the face frame does lend a bit of strength to the cabinets, so for choosing a "stronger" box I'd have to toss my hat towards face-framed cabinets.