Learning Center

 

Door Types:

This category can be long and extensive, so to keep from boring you too much with long explanations and details we will keep this simple and still provide you with the information you need to make the right decision for your new kitchen.

 

We’ll start with the outer door frame construction. Typically there are 2 different construction methods, “Cope & Stick” and “Mitered Corners”. These refer to how the corners of the door frames are attached together. These frames consist of a top and bottom “rail”, and 2 side “stiles”.

 

Cope & Stick doors have mated parts glued together that create a solid and secure joining method. These joints are reinforced by a descreetly placed staple or nails on the backside to help eliminate shifting. This method is the most popular in the industry providing countless profiles and styles to choose from.

 

Mitered Corner doors have stiles and rails that are joined with a 45 degree cut at the corners. Joining these corners includes some type of spline on the interior to keep joints secure. One of the biggest differences in using a mitered corner compared to cope & stick is the profiles that can be used to create the style of the door itself. While Cope & Stick usually have a flat face with details on the inner and outer edge, a Mitered door can have a much more elaborate face detail.

 

Another option in door frame styles is an applied molding. Not only do these add an extra element of detail to the door, they can also add more dimension by raising the thickness of a door.

 

The next component of a door we’ll cover is the center panel. Not only can these be made from wood, but glass elements can be used as well. Let’s start with the wood panels first. There are 2 standard types, a Raised Panel or Flat Panel.

 

- Raised Panels are made from solid wood, usually glued together side by side to build to the width of the inner door frame. An edge detail is routed out so the panel can be fitted to the frame. See the detail above for an example of this.

 

- Flat Panels are typically made of 1/4” plywood of the same wood species as the door frame. Both of these panel types can be used on either Cope & Stick or Mitered Corner frames.

 

Glass panel doors are a very elegant touch to enhance cabinets that display finer dinner ware or places you want to show off creative elements. There are many variations of glass that can be used, from frosted, antiqued, or hundreds of other styles of glass types available on the market today. The use of lighting inside a glass door cabinet is also a great way to showcase your items inside. We’ll get more into the multitude of lighting options when we get to hardware.