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Full overlay cabinet spacing for custom cabinetry?

Heather N
5 år sedan

We recently installed a kitchen with full custom cabinetry. I am a little disappointed in the final result because the spacing between the doors/drawers is more than I expected and it also isn't consistent throughout the kitchen. For people who have been involved with custom cabinetry projects, what is typically done?


1) Do cabinetmakers typically confirm the spacing when customers place their orders? Our cabinetmaker never specified the spacing anywhere in their documentation and never discussed it with me. I wasn't aware that this was something that needed to be specified, since the kitchens I've seen with full overlay cabinetry all had pretty tight seams. I take some responsibility in not having specified it, but I also feel like the cabinetmaker should confirm these measurements if this isn't something standard across the industry.


2) Is the spacing typically the same for horizontal and vertical seams? In our kitchen, all of the horizontal seams (the ones running above/below drawers) are 1/16-1/8" high. The vertical seams (to the left and right side of drawers) are all 1/4" or slightly more. In all the images I've seen, the spacing is typically the same throughout. I don't get why they would decide to use two different measurements throughout the kitchen. It makes it much more noticeable than if they had just done 1/4" all around.


I understand that sometimes more spacing is needed for vertical seams because the cabinet doors need room to swing open, but most of our kitchen is made up of drawers. Additionally, I know that there are hinges made to open in very tight spaces because our bathroom cabinetry (not from the same cabinetmaker) has 1/16" seams and the doors open without an issue.


Any feedback about the right course of action at this point would be appreciated.




Utvalt svar
  • User
    5 år sedan
    Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan

    They can make them whatever your designer specified, within reason. 1/8” is not reasonable. What did your desinger specify for a reveal, and discuss with the cabinet maker?

    Kommentarer (26)

    • PRO
      Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.
      5 år sedan

      These are referred to as "reveals" and what is typical varies between manufacturers and cabinet construction type. You typically do not have an option to change a manufacturers' reveal. However, you can adjust the reveal by manipulating the hardware and hinges, which are typically adjustable.

      Heather N thanked Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.
    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Hi Kristin - thank you. If the cabinets are fully custom, why can’t they just make them any size that you specify? I understand if you’re buying semi-custom or stock cabinets that this would be difficult to change. But if each drawer face is custom-made, why can’t they just make the reveals smaller? And is it typical to have a different vertical reveal than horizontal reveal?

    • PRO
      Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.
      5 år sedan
      Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan

      Because the reveals are based more on function than form. A reveal allows for movement from expansion and contraction or hinges that needs adjustment, so that if either happens, your cabinets will still function. Also, a larger reveal makes it easier to adjust for alignment. If all cabinets had 1/8" horizontal and vertical reveals, they would be very difficult to align from cabinet to cabinet...there's no room for error, in other words. My higher-end custom cabinet company has 1/4" vertical reveals and 3/8" horizontal reveals. Because you have white cabinets, your reveals are more noticeable, but still typical.

      Heather N thanked Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.
    • ci_lantro
      5 år sedan

      Partly, too, because the perceived reveal gets larger when you join two boxes together.

      Say, you joined two drawer banks together. Each drawer bank had an 1/8" reveal between the vertical side of the cabinet and the ends of the drawers. When you butt two banks together, the spacing between the drawer ends becomes 1/4".

    • PRO
      Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.
      5 år sedan

      Also, it depends on your construction type. Full-overlay face-frame cabinets typically have larger reveals than frameless cabinets. My frameless line has 3/32" vertical reveals and 1/8" horizontal. Your bathroom cabinet may be frameless.

      Heather N thanked Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.
    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Hi Sophie - neither the designer nor the cabinetmaker specified them. Our contractor used to be a cabinetmaker and he said he used to always confirm the reveals with clients. He also said that in areas with cabinet doors you might need more room, but in areas with all drawers you can get away with a smaller reveal.

    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Kristin - that's an interesting point about the light-colored cabinets and that the reveals are more noticeable. Something to keep in mind in the future!

    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Thanks for everyone's feedback - I guess it seems like they're within the acceptable limits from what I'm hearing. I just wish that this was something that had been discussed BEFORE the cabinets were installed! It seems like it would be helpful if cabinetmakers confirmed any measurements that are discretionary before production.

    • Cole Man
      5 år sedan

      Could you please post a "big picture" photo taken from farther back?

    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Cole Man - here is a picture of some of the drawers. It's hard to back up further because the island is in the way. The top left drawer in this picture is also a little crooked, but my contractor said that they can't adjust it any more, and it doesn't sit completely flush when closed.

    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Here is another - the space to the right of the tall thin cabinet is 5/8". The top drawer under the range top doesn't sit flat with the drawer below it - you can see that it sticks out a little where they meet. The space to the left of the cabinet door is 1/4". Looking at the stack of 3 drawers on the right, the spacing is larger between the top and middle drawer vs. the middle and bottom drawer. The middle drawer can't be adjusted because it is a paneled appliance (warming drawer).

    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Here are pics of our bathroom cabinets that have tighter seams (more like 1/8")


    • Waynette Bailey
      5 år sedan
      I just wanted to say that I love the cabinet color.
      Heather N thanked Waynette Bailey
    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Thank you Waynette! Of the kitchen or the bathroom? Kitchen cabinets are Revere Pewter

    • Cole Man
      5 år sedan

      Considering that's a custom job and probably cost twice as much as something like Showplace or Karman, I'd be irked about it too.

      Possibly the result of inconsistent slide placement, which could be corrected, but will the cabinet maker stand by his product?

      Heather N thanked Cole Man
    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Thanks Cole Man - what part of it would bother you - the inconsistent gaps or are you just talking about some of the slightly crooked drawers, or both?

    • Cole Man
      5 år sedan
      Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan

      All of it. Crooked drawers, gaps that are out of adjustment range and faces not flush. You could have gotten that at Home Depot.

      Heather N thanked Cole Man
    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Thanks Cole Man - that's exactly what I was thinking, unfortunately. What do you think the cabinetmaker should do in this situation - just replace the crooked drawers, or should they replace more than that?

    • Cole Man
      5 år sedan

      The cabinet maker needs to determine exactly what the cause or causes are and then he should either correct them to your satisfaction or give you a partial refund of an amount that you can both live with. I'm thinking possible causes could be inconsistent slide placement and/or sloppy drawer-front attachment, or some combination of the two, neither of which should be expected nor tolerated considering the amount of money you probably spent.

      Heather N thanked Cole Man
    • Heather N
      Författare
      5 år sedan

      Thanks - I haven’t looked at the slide placement or drawer face attachment, so will see if those are causing any of the issues.

    • Samantha G.
      5 år sedan

      I am going through the same problem. Our kitchen cabinets were installed over a month ago and the fabricator is still adjusting to make the doors and drawers straight. The cabinets are, what I now understand as full overlay and frameless I believe. They are black and the inconsistent space is very noticeable. The style is completely flush and this discretionary spacing was never discussed. We even had our countertop removed so the cabinet fabricator could make adjustments and better secure outer panels which were shifting. Still working on it but not happy with the spacing problems. I really hope they are able to get them even, fingers crossed.

    • salex
      5 år sedan

      From your last photos, it looks like the drawer slides need to be adjusted - not the placement of the slides, but the actual adjusting mechanisms. (This is based on the assumption that your custom cabinets included soft-close, bottom-mount, self-closing slides, which are adjustable in multiple dimensions.) If that's the case, it should take about 2 minutes per cabinet to fix.

    • PRO
      Patrick Magliocchino
      2 år sedan

      As a cabinet maker I use a consistent reveals on all sides.
      Your issues can be fixed by widening the stiles of the doors and drawers to the horizontal reveal and refinishing them. Rather than make all new.
      Cut the stiles removing hinge cup holes and glue back to width for desired reveals. Horizontal reveals you stuck width . This is a compromise your contractor may accept.

    • Scott Bui
      förra året

      is there different spacing required between drawers and doors and then between those and finished edges or walls? cabinet maker is saying finished edges and walls typically have a 3/4 inch gap

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