Plywood itself has many different varieties; however, for the sake of simplicity we will focus on the plywood we use at our factory. The plywood Cabinets Quick uses is from Columbia Forest, a material called MPX. This basically means that out of the 5 layers that make up a ¾” board, the two outside layers are made from solid wood or poplar wood. These two layers or plies allow the board to have flat outside faces which allows for pe-finishing. The finish is roller coated on to the board and UV light cured. This finish is very environmentally friendly not only for manufacturing but for the end user as well. The UV light cured finish has no chemicals that cure with the evaporation of chemicals. The other notable characteristic of the Columbia Forest plywood is the glue used.
Glue itself is again a very large and vast topic so this will be a simplified explanation. One of the terms used in green building is NAUF which stands for No Added Urea Formaldehyde. This is the stuff that gives you the new car smell but is not so great for your health. Now it is important to note that everything has some off gassing but we are not adding any additional amount to the item with glue etc. The Columbia Forest plywood has a glue called Purebond.
Purebond glue has no harmful off-gassing and as a result you have a prefinished material that is not going to give you the new car smell so to speak. Many of our customers request plywood cabinets and this board is the highest-grade material that can be possibly used.
What if you can’t buy from Cabinets Quick or don’t want to? Well, our mission is not only to sell cabinets and parts but also to elevate and educate the trades and consumers. We now offer job and project consolation to help address some of the industry issues and knowledge. Let’s take a look at what you will encounter with other vendors.
Depending on what outlet or vendor you are purchasing from you will most likely come across thinner or lower grade plywood or plywood from off-shore (China). Thinner or lower grade plywood is not that bad, the key here is to understand what you’re purchasing and what price point. Plywood from china is not only thin but it is lower grade and not made from maple veneer. Most of this material is birch veneer, a cousin to maple with similar looks. The glue and ply layers are also questionable at best. Both items will be value engineered as much as possible as well. Therefore, the buyer of these items should expect a lower price. There are many other elements that designate a cabinet as high-end or economic, and economic cabinets do have a place and application.