Cabinets are among the best furniture pieces that offer closed storage space. Well designed cabinets also add to the beauty of your interior decor. You can have cabinets in almost each and every room to stuff in various objects that are simply lying in corners and occupying the floor space. Cabinets offer well-organized storage of useful as well as scrap material. Kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, cabinets for books in bedroom or study, cabinets fixed touching the ceiling in the passages, laundry room or bedrooms are also popular. So are you planning to add such utility cabinets in one of your rooms? Well, let me tell that while you plan to add such cabinets the expenses can be quite higher. So what if you are on a low-budget? Particle board cabinets can be a good alternative in this case. Here's more about this.
What is Particle Board
It is basically made of sawdust and other waste wood pieces. The saw dust and waste wood is blended with a special resin to form a suspension. This suspension along with glue is pressed to form long sheets using a machine. The long sheets so formed are called particle boards which are used for making cabinets and other furniture objects.
Advantages and Disadvantages
While you consider plywood vs particle board cabinet, the first thing you will notice is 'quality'. Plywood is definitely a good quality wood that offers sturdy and durable cabinets. While you make these cabinets, they lack that quality factor, hence they are not sturdy enough and do not last longer. Another disadvantage of these pieces is that they cannot handle exposure to moisture which makes them unfit to be used for outdoor furniture or bathroom cabinets.
Well, then you might wonder why choose these? Many people stay in rented homes. The cabinets can be a good alternative when you are living temporarily or for just a few years in a place. These are extremely inexpensive as compared to the solid wood cabinets so remain a good alternative for such individuals. Moreover, those who are not looking for quality and great looking cabinets and just want simple storage solutions in cheaper rates can opt for these. You can find well finished one with thin veneers and laminates which helps play up its appearance. If you look out for some cheap DIY projects that you can assemble at home and have extra cheap storage cabinets ready.
Refinishing the Cabinets
Well, if you already have storage cabinets or planning to install those made of particle board then here are tips on refinishing them. You can use these tips to spruce up their appearance when their surface gets dull and damaged after a few years. Start by sanding the piece thoroughly using a high grit sandpaper. A 220-grit sandpaper can be suitable for the task. Remove the dust collected over the surface by using a rough cloth. How to paint these cabinets? Start by application of a coat of shellac which is basically a varnish over the surface using a flat wide brush. Take a paint suitable to be used over wood furniture and apply it using a flat brush. Make sure you choose a good color that matches your existing room decor. Further finish this project by application of a clear coat of varnish.
Let me tell that you can revamp these pieces if their surface gets damaged, but damaged frame is usually difficult to repair. Like once the hinges, handles or knobs are off or loosened, they won't fit tight back as before, even if you try fitting them in the best way. So most of the time it is suggested to make a new hole above or below the existing hole in case of particle board cabinets. Well, now that you know about the benefits and disadvantages, it completely depends upon your requirements and budget whether to opt for these or not. Using cabinets carefully, opening and closing the doors slowly to avoid any damage to the hinges is sure to help them last longer.
