Expert: Jamie Yocono - 9/12/2006

Question
Hi I am at the momment re-fitting my kitchen I have build all the cabinets myself and want to fit new doors but have found all suppliers are charging an arm and a leg for just the doors. do you have a contact for doors at a reasonable price.

Answer
Hi Joe,

I have some good information about door companies, so grab a cup of coffee and put your feet up! I build custom furniture, and often buy special doors for some of my pieces, since I am not set up to make raised panel doors. Don't get me wrong, I can make them, but they're time consuming with all the tool setup it takes, so it's just easier to buy them.

Shipping has turned into one of the biggest expenses regarding doors, in fact, I recently got an outrageous quote to ship a dozen doors to me from a shop in Pennsylvania that I often use. That's when I did a little investigating and found the manufacturer closer to me.

That said- there are MANY cabinet door manufacturers out there, you just need to find one close to you that makes nice doors. And since you didn't mention your location, I am going to first give you a place to search for a local door maker, and then I am going to recommend the two that I've used.

You will find one of the major cabinetmaking magazines at this web address:   http://www.fdmonline.com On the top menu bar, right under their top panel, you'll see a tab that says "find products." Click on that, and then type in "cabinet doors."  You should see a list that will be quite helpful in your search. Look for one in your area, and then make a few calls to see if they sell to you, the consumer, rather than wholesale only.

There are two companies that I have used in the past for purchasing doors. I really like both of them, they both offer a great selection of styles, as well as materials. I suppose it's lucky for you that one is located on the West coast (Cal Door in California) and one is more on the eastern side of the US (MapleCraft USA). You'll want to use the place closest to you.

A couple of things to think about- depending on if your cabinets use cup hinges or not, these door companies will predrill the doors for you at the standard location of 3" down from the top, and 3" up from the bottom. So look at your hinges and see if they're the euro-type that uses a cup hinge. To save a lot of hassle and time, you probably should order them predrilled.

Next- raised panel doors are beautiful, but they're expensive. You can save money by ordering a flat panel door, which is essentially a plywood panel as the door panel. They use wonderful cabinet grade plywood, so don't worry, you really can't tell it's plywood. And you'll save a lot.

Both companies will give you a quote ahead of time, as well as a shipping estimate. You will have a good idea of your costs before you order anything.

So- to wrap it up- look for a door company in your area, to save on shipping. Look through their web page, or request a catalog. Some of them might only sell wholesale, but if you know someone that has a small shop in your area, they might be willing to order them for you. Save time by ordering them pre-drilled if you can. Some will even finish them for you, too, with a spray lacquer. That usually adds to the price, but it saves you a lot of time.

OK, Good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com