UK Construction Blog

What Should Be the Perfect Pair for Your Kitchen? Plywood or Solid Wood Cabinet?

When choosing kitchen cabinets, you must consider several factors: appearance, maintenance, material, aesthetic impact, and budget. Most people consider cabinets to be made of solid wood, but for custom cabinets, the back side, top, and bottom are made of plywood or a similar material. Plywood’s light weight also reduces the cost marginally.

However, would it be best to replace the wood cabinets with plywood? Then, let’s learn more about the differences to make an informed decision. 

Stability 

Solid wood and plywood are remarkable in terms of durability. They don’t break or bend easily. Solid wood, made up of variations in grain patterns and density, often gets affected by the consistency, and due to temperature fluctuation, it can expand or contract, which changes the shape of the cabinet. While using plywood, you won’t face such issues, as it has a layered design that reacts with the changing temperature and reduces the chances of contraction and expansion. Thus, when it comes to strength, plywood is a winner. Also, you do not have to pay more to create a touch cabinet using plywood. 

Moisture resistance

You have to consider the measure of the humidity level of the area you live in. It will help you to make a concrete decision about plywood and solid wood cabinets. Usually, solid wood cabinets are prone to moisture, and being a porous material, they absorb a lot of moisture, creating problems such as bending, wrapping, or cracking of the wood. Plywood also absorbs moisture, but in very little quantity, which is insufficient to bend or wrap the wood. Plywood is also susceptible to water damage but can be used for a long time.

Installation

It is not a solo job if you are planning to install matte grey kitchen cabinets made of solid wood in the kitchen. The material is quite heavy, and it will also be difficult to level the cabinet boxes. On the other hand, plywood weighs much less, and you can hold it while installing it. However, hiring a professional for hassle-free and neat work is still recommended; you must be careful about alignments, levels, hinges, and cabinet placement while installing. 

Appearance 

You must choose a kitchen cabinet style to level up the space where you want to install it. Usually, this cabinet takes a lot of room, but to stand out from the rest, you can use plywood edges, where the material can be customized based on thickness and strength. On the other hand, solid wood renders a superior appearance, and you can also go through many different wood types. It also has unique grain patterns that add an aesthetic wave to your kitchen and elevate your look by investing in high-end wood such as cherry or mahogany.

Wrapping up

When installing kitchen cabinets from Parlunbuilding.com, you must remember sustainability and maintenance. Both plywood and solid wood are relatively sustainable, as they come from trees and maintain the ecological balance, reducing overall waste. You must also regularly maintain these cabinets to avoid future problems by cleaning, repairing, or filling the wood.