Question: What are Frameless Cabinets?
Frameless cabinets are considered to be an improvement in some ways over the more traditional framed cabinet style.
Answer: Kitchen cabinets are either framed or frameless. The traditional framed cabinet uses a flat, rectangular frame to strengthen the box. This allows a single cabinet box to hang on its own, if needed: it's strong enough by itself.
Frameless kitchen cabinets are a newer product. Because unframed cabinets do not have the strengthening benefit of the frame, they gain their strength in numbers. A group of mutually-attached frameless cabinets is strong enough to hold the heaviest loads. It should also be noted that frameless cabinets are further strengthed and "made square" by being attached to the wall.
Benefits of Unframed Kitchen Cabinets
- Easy to mount shelves. Slide the shelf straight in, rather than diagonally as you would do with framed kitchen cabinets.
- More storage room because no obstructing "lip" (frame).
- You can achieve a "door to door" look. You can give your kitchen a contemporary look of doors running seamlessly across, rather than having intervening frames between doors.
- Open shelving (no doors) is possible.
What's Bad About Frameless Cabinets?
- Less reliable interior hinges are required, which need continual adjusting.
- While frameless cabinets are built reasonably "square," it is the job of the cabinet installer to properly square them out while attaching to the wall and to the other cabinets.
