A Toast to Particleboard Cabinets!

There is a spirited discussion about particleboard cabinetry going on right now on LinkedIn among kitchen designers. I thought I would share my perspective on the subject with you:

I have had particleboard cabinets (65 lb. industrial board is the proper designation and what all better manufacturers use) in my own kitchen for 20 years. They were made by Fieldstone back in 1989 when the Leuwerke Brothers owned the company and Fieldstone was a top brand.

One would never know they are particleboard boxes because every exposed surface is covered with veneer...But they are.

They have held up just the way I tell my clients they will. Absolutely no difference between 65 lb. industrial board and plywood, except weight. They are heavier, but once installed they perform the same. Plywood shelves are actually more likely to warp than 65 lb. industrial board and, if they are 3/4" thick, they won't sag either (as long as the shelves are not wider than 42", or up to 48" with a center stile for support).

Interiors and shelves may be covered with vinyl or veneer - no difference in performance.

I was sold when I went to the Wood-Mode factory in 1983 (when Wood-Mode sold nothing but particleboard boxes) and they told me that the entire showroom had been flooded for days the previous year when the Susquehanna River overflowed its banks. They replaced the base moldings (solid wood) and put the showroom back in operation. The 65 lb. industrial board is so dense with solids that it doesn't absorb water like the cheap particleboard used in furniture.

Formaldehyde is also a dead issue. All US cabinet manufacturers stopped using any products that contain more than a minuscule amount of formaldehyde years ago after consumers kicked up a fuss back in the 80's. California outlawed all cabinet (changed from "building" which I used in error) materials containing more than a smidgen of formaldehyde last year (2009).

I see absolutely no reason to pay 15-20% premium for plywood and counsel my clients to save the money and spend it elsewhere in the kitchen. Most listen and some don't. Either way they have no complaints.

Particleboard cabinets are greener too, because the material is made from waste wood.

For further details on my criteria for judging cabinet quality see the CABINETRY page on my web site.

Peggy

P.S.

Dear readers,
I have been ROUNDLY corrected in one of my statements by "Richard" in 'comments'. Unfortunately he included his email address in his comment so I couldn't (in good conscience) post it.

I made the correction in my text above and emailed Richard asking him to re-post his comment without the email address. He has not responded, so I am posting his comment below.

Thank you for pointing out my error Richard.

I DO, however, stand by my statements that particleboard in cabinets made in the USA now has very minimal formaldehyde content and off-gassing.

Peggy

Ms. Deras,

I doubt this will be posted, but I didn't see an email to communicate privately with you. If you have questions, you can reach me at xxxxxxxxx.
Remove this paragraph should you decide to post. You do owe your readers a correction after doing your research.

I would request that you do just a little homework prior to writing things like:

"California outlawed all building materials containing more than a smidgen of formaldehyde last year (2009)."

Being a Californian, I assure you this statement is incorrect in many aspects. I assume you are referring to the CARB regulation. If not, I'd love to learn what regulation/law you are discussing.

CARB only addresses wood products. This leaves items like wall insulation unregulated. This is one of the biggest sources of formaldehyde in residential homes.

CARB also fails to address items like bamboo because it is a grass and not a wood.

CARB also specifies a temperature of 73 degrees. Formaldehyde off gassing doubles for every 10 degree increase in temperature. So a cool 83 summer day yields twice as much formaldehyde. For the folks that live in Indio, Palm Springs, etc., they can see 103 degrees regularly. That means they get 8 times as much formaldehyde.

Then there is the air exchange rate. CARB requires one air exchange every two hours in their testing. This is 50% more ventilation than required starting in 2010 and three times more than the typical California home based on CARB funded research released December 15, 2009. The lower ventilation rates allow formaldehyde to concentrate.

CARB is also designed for each individual building component. There are many different building components in a typical home allowing formaldehyde to be several times higher than the standard.

Since CARB formaldehyde regulation was written, California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessments evaluated the health effects of formaldehyde and reduced the recommended amount of formaldehyde by a factor of 4 in November 2008.

The CARB standard was designed for commercial, office and school settings. CARB advises against using the standard for residential settings until they develop a residential standard. This still has not happened. Homes are designed to have 1/3 the ventilation of commercial settings.

The phase-in periods of CARB's formaldehyde regulation continue to be extended. Phase 1 was established based on what the industry was then producing. Phase 2 which is at least 2 years away from having any effect simply cut those level in half.

Industry supported CARB because it was in reality no change to how they were doing business and many people incorrectly think they are protected.

Richard.

Update 05/30/11

Here's a link to a great comparison Cabinets: Plywood or Particle Board? Which is better?

Peggy