When one is preparing to renovate the kitchen, one might be helpless due to the vast choice of materials. This article will be a great tutorial regarding the 6 most popular kitchen cabinet materials you can find in Malaysia. From the most cost effective to the most luxurious material, let’s have a look at the advantages and disadvantages. And decide how to choose for the right material according your using habits and needs.
01 Concrete
Concrete used to be very popular as cabinet material in the past. Concrete cabinets can very well display the natural pattern of cement. It’s down-to-earth, masculine and natural. Concrete cabinets are best suited with minimalistic or industrial style home. It adds a touch of uniqueness into the kitchen.
Source: Online
Advantages:
Its water-resistant property. Hence it is suitable to be used at places like kitchen where humidity is high. Fire-resistant, moth proof, anti-corrosive, acid-resistant, oil proof, abrasion resistant and easy to clean. Even though it is not 100% scratch proof, it has a pretty high scratch proofness. Since concrete is a natural material and it does not require glue as adhesive, hence there is no worries of formaldehyde.
Disadvantages:
Concrete is a heavy material. It can only be done on-the-spot. The outcome depends on the craftsmanship of the renovator. That means, if the renovator is not good at building concrete, hence you’ll find flaws along the way. It might also bring unwanted problems upon using in the future. Moreover, the concrete has a cool touch. If you prefer something warmer, concrete might not be the choice for you.
We suggest you to pair concrete to wooden material in order to create visual warmth, and strike a balance between both warm and cool materials.
Source: Online
Source: Online
02 Particle board
Particle board is also known as chipboard. It is a specific type of engineered or manufactured wood, one that is made out of real wood components but has been processed into a board or sheet. It is made from waste products like wood chips, sawdust, and wood shavings. In the west and Europe, particle board is considered as green product, that’s why many people like it, because it is fairly eco-friendly.
Advantages:
The surface can be lined be melamine or vinyl for decorative purpose. Through changing the surface lining, we can get a lot of patterns like plain surface, wooden pattern, natural stone pattern and etc. The melamine or laminated layer on the surface enhances the abrasion resistance and durability. High quality particle board would be abrasion-resistant, acid and alkaline-resistant, moisture-resistant, easy to clean, high density. If you are looking for cost-effective building material, a particle board is generally less expensive than plywood. Most importantly it’s fire-resistant. Even there is a fire, the board will not burn easily. Even though it’s on fire, it will only emit minimal smoke.
Disadvantages:
The biggest disadvantage of particle board is that it just cannot hold much weight, especially when you are using a poor quality board. Particle board easily absorbs moisture, it can cause particle board to shrink and expand, and to warp and bend, it does not have all that much longevity.
03 Plywood
Plywood is one of the main materials in the market. It is made of layers of thin wood panels compressed together that gives plywood a great strength and flexibility.
Source: Online
Advantages:
Plywood has high bending rigidity, hardness, and loading capacity. And it has a better moist and water-resistance
is better than that of particle board.
Disadvantages:
It is known to emit toxic VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compound) which can irritates in eye. It is more expensive than Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF). The surface of plywood if not painted well can be peeled off.
Source: Online
Source: Online
04 Solid wood
Solid wood board is made from a complete, natural log, cut and shaped into boards.
Advantages:
Wood never goes out of style, it gives a timeless, natural, classic look to a kitchen. It is highly customizable can easily customize the dimensions to fit your project. It doesn’t require any lining on the surface and any carving can be done directly on the surface. It suits classic style home best. Solid wood is sturdy and firm, and it has natural wood pattern on the surface, and has exceptional texture.
Disadvantages:
It has the highest price out of all the wooden materials. It is neither water-resistant nor moth-proof. The joints between two solid woods might crack due to expansion and contraction. Solid wood is heavy, if you wanted a solid wood cabinet, you have to make sure that the supporting structure has high loading capacity.
05 Aluminium
Aluminium is undeniable one of the most popular materials for a modern home.
Advantages:
It is long wearing, water-resistant, heat-resistant, moth-proof, no glue is used in the construction of aluminium cabinets so it is formaldehyde free, durable and easy to clean. Under normal circumstances, an aluminium cabinet can last for several decades. One of its biggest advantages is that it isn’t porous like woods, hence it will not absorb foul odours and moisture. It is also very impermeable. Any spot can be cleaned away easily without a fuss.
Disadvantages:
You might need a higher budget for it. However, it has the best CP value out of all the materials.
06 Stainless steel
Stainless steel is a type of alloy. It is more widely used in professional kitchens. Due to the popularity of industrial style in these recent years, stainless steel has gained its popularity as well and it’s back in the picture.
Source: Online
Advantages:
It’s moist-resistance. It will not deform and rack even submerged under water for a long duration. Its colour will not faint too. Stainless steel is so popular because it is easy to clean. Any spot or dirt can be removed by only one wipe. It won’t create any fuss. Moreover, it is free of formaldehyde pollution, acid and alkaline-resistant, heat-resistant, and it is one of the green products too.
Highly encourage you to look into the grading of stainless steel while choosing. Go for 304 food grade stainless steel so that you’ll be worry-free while using it in your home since it’s always in contact with your food in the kitchen.
Disadvantages:
That will be water stain and scratches, so you have to be careful when placing objects down on the surface.
Source: Online
Source: Online
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