kitchen cabinets help

[vince dale]

When building a fridge box/enclosure cabinet is MDF a good choice for the side panels that need to be flat and is it strong enough to hold a cabinet above the fridge? The box will be 94" tall, 38 1/2 wide and 30" deep with the above fridge cabinet screwed to the side panels. It's really hard finding flat plywood that is not extremely expensive and I don't much experience with MDF. The fridge is at the end of the cab run and has a dishwasher on the other side.

Vince

[Jim Dwight]

Do you really need the side panels? My cabinets are all hung from the studs in the walls. If you or a customer want the enclosure you could still attach the cabinet to the studs. But to directly address your question, 3/4 MDF is strong enough but may not stay straight if the sides are free standing and the cabinet weight is on them. You could fasten either the cabinet or the sides (or both) to the studs to force the sides to stay straight. But the dishwasher is another concern. MDF falls apart pretty quickly when it is exposed to water. At least the common stuff I have used does. So if there is ever a leak, the panel will probably fail even if it is finished. MDF has good properties including it's price and the flat surface it gives you. It takes paint well on the faces but not the edges. But is not strong and is not stable when loaded. If you do not put it under a load continuously and you avoid getting it wet, it is stable.

[Dave Sabo]

Do you really need the side panels?

Well, it kinda depends on your definition of need. I think it does.

In this instance the cabinet about is going to be shorter than it is wide and deep. 30”is really deep. Which means the forces in tension are goin to be immense. Not insurmountable, but it’d be better to have them in compression with the side panels.

Re: mdf and a water leak. Yes it’s probably toast , but I got news for you from 30yrs + in the cabinet biz………..plywood, particleboard , and even solid stock are all going to be toast if you have a catastrophic DW leak. Or a housekeeper that’s heavy handed with a mop. Some will fare better than others but none are going to survive at that point.

So………don’t sweat it. Use what you want.


MDF is plenty strong to support a fridge top box , and it’ll stay as straight as a particalboard or ply panel. We’ve used them all.

If you’re really a worrywort you could always joint in a piece of solid wood or pvc or even King Starboard on the bottom for 3” or so and it would be impervious to almost all flooding situations. Mdf takes paint just fine on edges too………if you prep them right. Lots of ways to do it……vinyl sealer is the quick and dirty way.

[vince dale]

Thank you for the answers. Just to clarify, the overall depth of the box will be 30" and the above cabinet will only be 20" deep. The cab will be screwed into the sides and will be sitting on cleats.

[Michael Rutman]

Home depot prices:

3/4" mdf 4x8 = $57.98
3/4" Sande 4x8 (plywood) = $69.65
3/4" Sanded Pine 4x8 = $51.48

I've been using Sande for my workshop cabinets as it's very reasonably priced, looks ok and is flat.

[Dave Sabo]

Thank you for the answers. Just to clarify, the overall depth of the box will be 30" and the above cabinet will only be 20" deep. The cab will be screwed into the sides and will be sitting on cleats.

If this is design - then there's no other way except to attach it to side panels. It won't be deep enough to reach the back wall to affix to the studs.

I've been using Sande for my workshop cabinets as it's very reasonably priced, looks ok and is flat.

Only issue with those types of panels is they don't look good stained , and they take a lot of work to make suitable for paint. Fine of the shop, not so great for kitchen carcasses and panels.

[Jim Becker]

Home depot prices:

3/4" mdf 4x8 = $57.98
3/4" Sande 4x8 (plywood) = $69.65
3/4" Sanded Pine 4x8 = $51.48

I've been using Sande for my workshop cabinets as it's very reasonably priced, looks ok and is flat.

The Radiata pine plywood (one great face) is generally at about $49 and has become my "utility" plywood. It has very thick face veneers, too.

[Michael Rutman]

Only issue with those types of panels is they don't look good stained , and they take a lot of work to make suitable for paint. Fine of the shop, not so great for kitchen carcasses and panels.

Yep, agreed about the stain, but same for MDF, so I didn't think that was a consideration. I haven't tried painting them, so no idea.

[andy bessette]

Options might include lumber-core ply and Baltic birch. Seal with epoxy if concerned about water.

[Richard Coers]

Are you sure you can pivot that cabinet into place without hitting the ceiling? That calculates to 98.6" point to point.

[Dave Sabo]

Yep, agreed about the stain, but same for MDF, so I didn't think that was a consideration. I haven't tried painting them, so no idea.

Nope................MDF takes paint beautifully. The edges can be a bear, but your design or build can eliminate that. Or hit them with vinyl sealer and problem solved.

Sande.... faces need filler or several coats of high solids primer and sanding to mask the grain and striping. Both take xtra time and lots of material. And you then get to deal with its edges too.

Are you sure you can pivot that cabinet into place without hitting the ceiling? That calculates to 98.6" point to point

"Cabinet" can be assembled in place (and likely will be anyway) and that will eliminate the issue you're talking about. We see it all the time because our designs rarely have a riser or molding above and our clients like the cabinetry to go to the ceiling too. It's a PIA for the installers. But that's the job.