Walker Woodworking Cabinetry Standards and Specifications
All Plywood Construction
Cabinetry sides, bottoms, adjustable shelves, and backs are all made from ¾” Columbia Forest Products PureBond Veneer Core Industrial Plywood. Our plywood is manufactured in Old Fort, NC. When you purchase Walker Woodworking cabinetry, you are buying not only an American-made product but also a product in which most of the materials are made or sourced in North Carolina.
Cabinet Interiors
An unmistakable Maple interior is our standard and is achieved using UV2 Maple plywood, which comes prefinished on both sides. Combi-Core plywood is used for painted interiors. Combi-Core is constructed with veneer core inner plies and MDF cross bands next to the face and back. This allows for a smoother paintable surface without the telegraphing of grain patterns typical of a veneered surface. For stained cabinetry with finished interiors, the same grade of plywood (A-1, B-2, or B-C) is used but with the appropriate species of veneer, such as Oak, Walnut, Cherry, etc.
Finishes
Our standard finishes utilize M.L. Cambell post-catalyzed conversion varnishes and are solvent-based. Product Information and Safety Data Sheets are available upon request. For painted applications, we apply two coats of MLC Kwick-Claw primer, and a final coat of MLC Stealth tinted to the desired color. Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore colors are usually matched within one shade of the company’s fan deck. We use a combination of MLC Woodsong II stain base for stained cabinetry with a Klearvar sealer coat and top coat. Different sheen levels, such as flat, dull, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss, are available. Satin is our standard sheen, and semi-gloss and gloss sheens require an upcharge. Because paint can be highly volatile we do not use any other products outside of M.L Cambell in our finishing equipment. We also occasionally use Rubio products to obtain the desired look since it is a wipe-on product and does not contaminate our spray equipment. Other specialty finishing techniques such as glazing, drying brushing, and rub-through are available for an up-charge.
Build Methods
We utilize two primary build methods: (1) Inset and (2) Frameless:
- Inset construction utilizes a hardwood face frame in which the components are joined with pocket hole screws and wood glue. The face frame itself is attached to the cabinet box via pocket hole screws, and visible fasteners such as face nails are avoided whenever possible.
- Frameless construction employs either 3mm or 0.5mm edge banding in the appropriate species on plywood components in lieu of a hardwood face frame. This gives the cabinetry a full overlay, modern, or European style appearance. Since this construction method involves slightly less labor and materials, frameless cabinetry has a lower price point than inset.
Standard Dimensions
The standard height of our base cabinetry is 35.25” before countertop installation. The standard depth on base cabinetry is 24”, but if panel-ready appliances are used, the standard depth becomes 25”. Our standard toe kick height is 4”. The standard depth on frameless uppers is 13”, and the standard depth on inset uppers is 14”. The standard depth on tall refrigerator surround fillers is 26”.
Adjustable Shelves
Our standard ¾” adjustable shelves are made from the same material as the cabinet sides, bottoms, and backs. They have an edge banding applied to the front edge and are installed with adjustable shelf pins. For cabinetry at least 30” in height, 2 adjustable shelves will be included. For cabinetry at least 42” in height, 3 adjustable shelves will be included. For cabinetry at least 54” in height, 4 shelves will be included. Additional shelves can be requested at a minimal up-charge.
Drawers and Rollouts
We manufacture all our drawers and rollouts in-house. Our drawers and rollouts are made from hardwood Cherry lumber with dovetail construction. The sides are 5/8” thick, and the bottoms are 1/4” Cherry plywood. Our drawer boxes are standard branded with our Walker Woodworking logo. Dealer-branded drawer boxes are also available for a one-time fee when purchasing a branding iron. Rollouts are scooped in the front for ease of use and come in an adjustable configuration as standard. We manufacture custom-sized U-shape drawers for areas under sinks to precise plumbing. Drawers in cabinetry over 32” in width are considered oversized. Other wood species for drawer boxes, such as Walnut, are also available for an up-charge.
Doors
We manufacture all our doors and drawer fronts in-house. As a standard, our doors are made with a mitered mortise and tenon construction method. Cope and Stick construction is available upon request. Standard pricing utilizes 5-piece doors with 9-piece and contemporary door profiles available at an upcharge. Stiles and rails on our standard door profiles are 2.5” wide, with 1.75” width being standard on drawer fronts. We have a wide variety of door profiles and panel combinations available. Please see our door profiles list and pricing sheet for additional information. An MDF panel is used for painted applications because it is less prone to expansion and contraction over time. A hardwood door panel is used for stained cabinetry. Any doors or end panels over 48” in height require the addition of a center rail to prevent warping or bowing. Radiused mullion doors in a painted application can be cut from an MDF panel on the CNC and are considered a standard item on the pricing sheet. However, radiused stain grade mullion doors are much more labor intensive and are considered a custom quote item depending on the design.
Hardware
We use Blum soft-close drawer slides and cabinet hinges, which are manufactured in Stanley, NC. Soft-close is our standard, as are under-mount drawer slides. Our standard drawer slides come in increments of 9”, 12”, 15”, 18”, and 21”. Heavy-duty slides can be used in oversized drawers or specialty applications. 90-degree stops on doors are available when needed. Push-latch door and drawer hardware are also available for a minimal upcharge.
Standard Species/Materials
Our standard wood species are Paint Grade Soft Maple (PGSM), Stain Grade Maple, or Clear Maple for staining purposes, Quarter-Sawn White Oak (QSWO), Walnut, Cherry, Alder, and Hickory. Other domestic and exotic species are available but would require a custom quote. In addition to wood, we sometimes construct cabinetry from other sheet suitable materials such as Brillante, Melamine, and Egger products. These appear on our pricing sheet; additional information on these products is available upon request.
Trim
We manufacture our own trim, such as baseboard molding, crown molding, and light rail in-house on our molder. We manufacture the trim from the same pack of hardwood lumber from which the cabinetry and doors are constructed to maintain a consistent finish. Therefore, we do not use finger-jointed or MDF trim except in very rare instances when it is purchased. We have a wide variety of profiles available, please see our molding catalogue. Matching the existing house crown or base is possible but may require an upcharge to purchase custom-made knives or tooling for our molding. In most instances, a crown riser and baseboard backer are used for frameless cabinetry and should be figured in an equal number of pieces as crown molding and baseboard.
Hardwood Countertops
We manufacture hardwood countertops in all our standard wood species at thicknesses of 1-1/4” or 1-1/2”. Painted wood tops will be made from 1-1/4” MDF and limited to that thickness. Other domestic or exotic species are available but would require a custom quote. We do not recommend hardwood countertops in areas of high moisture.
Floating Shelves
Our standard thickness on floating shelves is 3”, with a minimum thickness of 2”. Our floating shelves are installed using Innovashelf floating shelf brackets.
Lighting
All lighting will require a custom quote and the submission of additional information such as locations, type, power source, how it is switched, etc. Lighting information forms are available to guide one through this process.
Glass
Standard tempered clear glass and mirrors in 1/8” and ¼” thicknesses are available and noted on our pricing sheet for pieces four sq/ft and under. Pieces larger than four sq/ft are considered a custom quote item. Any specialty glass is regarded as a custom quote item. Glass shelves normally come in either ¼” or 3/8” thicknesses. The appropriate thickness of glass shelves is determined by the depth and span of the shelves with a load calculation. Glass shelves come standard with a flat polished edge.
Hoods
We have 5 standard hood design options, including box, single angle, 3-angle, single radius, and bell radius, with pricing allowances for each noted on a document accessible from the pricing sheet. Other designs may be possible but would be considered a custom quote item. Each hood will be invoiced according to its specific design and may differ slightly in cost from the allowance suggested. We will need all hood liner specifications before engineering.