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View Full Version : What material for Kitchen Cabinet Shelves?


scott vroom
10-18-2009, 1:58 PM
Where can I buy stock shelving for my kit cabs? My wife wants something easy to clean, like malamine?
scott vroom
10-18-2009, 5:21 PM
I must have asked a question so dumb that no one bothered to
respond. :(
Cary Falk
10-18-2009, 5:33 PM
Scott,
I don't know of anybody making shelves. If you gave your location Somebody might know some place local. If you could find some melamine covered plywood instead of particle board, that would be the way to go to make your own. Othrwise I woudl get some 3/4 plywood that matches your cabinets, put a 1 1/2" runner on the front and back for strength and to cover the plywood edge and then cover the top with formica.
Jamie Buxton
10-18-2009, 7:42 PM
I believe that I've seen white melamine-covered 3/4" shelf stock at Home Depot. I think it is 24" wide, but it might be 18", and eight feet long. I think it is particle board. One edge is finished somehow, but I don't remember exactly. The idea is that you'd rip it to width and cut it to length. It is quite inexpensive.

Particle board sags if you use a long span, but that usually isn't the case with kitchen cabinets.
Scott Hildenbrand
10-18-2009, 7:58 PM
Lowes has this as well, to the back near the paneling and trim or so.
Matt Meiser
10-18-2009, 8:11 PM
Menards too.
Wayne Cannon
10-19-2009, 5:06 AM
The Melamine (particle board or MDF) works fine for short spans. Plywood is stiffer. Solid wood is stiffer yet. Doing your own laminate with contact cement isn't difficult, especially for such small areas (do both sides to minimize warpage). A production cabinet shop can probably laminate shelves for you for a very reasonable cost if your timing will allow them to schedule it with another run.

You might consider pre-finished plywood. It's not white, but it has a hard slick surface that is easy to clean -- like Melamine.

Be careful about big box store "Melamine" shelving. I have some white shelving that's actually a thin vacuum-sealed plastic on MDF planks -- like white Saran Wrap or "contact paper" (adhesive-coated thin plastic sheet). It works nicely for my downstairs office bookshelves, but it can peel where cut to length or nicked.
Brian Jarnell
10-19-2009, 5:41 AM
If you do buy the sheet Melamine and cut it yourself,you can buy the iron edgebanding.

Easy to do.