TIL some guys still use that cheap MDF for face frames

Was helping a buddy redo his kitchen cabinets last week and he showed me the old frames his guy built. Pure particle board with glue joints that were already crumbling. Why spend 40 hours building something you know is gonna sag in 2 years? Have you guys found a way to talk homeowners out of that stuff without sounding like a snob?

2 comments

2 Comments

craig.tessa11d ago

Does he actually think the savings are worth having to redo everything in five years? I’ve had that talk more times than I can count. I just say "you can spend a little more now on plywood, or you can spend a lot more later when the joints fail and the doors start sticking." It usually clicks when I remind them that the labor for the replacement is always way worse than the cost difference up front. Plus, who wants to be that guy who has to explain to their spouse why the cabinets look like crap already?

john_singh11d ago

.....and then you're the one they call when the doors start dragging on the floor. I just tell people flat out that MDF face frames are a trap. The moisture in a kitchen alone will swell that stuff up like a sponge. Spend the extra 30 bucks on some decent plywood, it's not worth the headache.