Ikea kitchen cabinets?

[mr5oh]

Has anyone ever used them? How do they hold up over time?
Wifey has 12 place settings of denby and the last thing I want is for a shelf to fail and there goes thousands of dollars worth of her plates/dishes etc.

Right now we have custom cabinets. Purchased a new home and was looking into the ikea stuff. googling the reviews, most people say they love them but I'm pretty picky with quality. If I have to spend 10 grand on cabinets only for them to fail in 5 years.. I'd rather pay an extra 5 grand to have someone build one.

I know of a granite guy so I'll have them do granite counter tops.

So.. Suggestions/comments/tips anyone?

[Kloubek]

I just built some, and they seem to be of decent quality. I'm not concerned about whether or not the structure will hold up. My only concern is the finish on the doors; some of the store models were already showing wear-through - and in my past experiences, the foil Ikea uses on their furniture is sometimes less than durable.

[sputnik]

Reasons not to get IKEA cabinets.

You have to build the boxes and everything yourself
Might not seem that bad, until you are building 12-15 boxes and some parts are damaged or pieces are missing. Also sometimes you end up with boxes that dont line up properly with other boxes.

Crappy hardware
Their hinges, sliders and custom parts (like the corner units) are REALLY cheap and flimsy. Even the pull-out pantry shelves have a ridiculously low weight capacity.

Poor exterior quality
If their showroom is any indication I wouldn't trust their finishes. The wood veneers seem to separate from the particle board and their foil finishes scuff and scratch easily. I would also worry about them peeling as well.

Cost
IKEA really isn't THAT much cheaper if you are planning on making it a DIY project anyways. There are good cabinet manufacturers that will sell the same or better quality boxes and fronts for the same money. The cabinet guys make their money on the install since it is the hardest and most tedious part of the job. Especially if you are installing the cabinets in an older home with potentially out of square walls or uneven floors.

[sputnik]

If you really want a great looking modern kitchen, find someone in Calgary that sells Nolte cabinets.

They are German made (shipped directly from Germany) and are FANTASTIC quality.

There aren't any dealers in Calgary, but there are a couple in BC and one in Winnipeg. So you might be able to get them to ship your kitchen to you if you are going to do the install yourself.

http://www.noltekitchens-usa.com/

[mr5oh]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I live in Edmonton :(

I'll read up on them though,

thanks

[bmeier]

i have ikea cabinets in my rental property and am extremely happy with them. i have the most expensive smooth door with gloss finish and they have held up fantastic. the door hinges and sliders all seem to be decent quality and there is a good warranty on the finish. they have been installed for 3 years and there isnt a single mark on any of the doors, it cleans up really easily and was a decent deal IMO.

not a fan of any of the wood veneer cabinets and it is a lot of work but i think its a good product.

for comparison my parents got custom cabinets done by a high end kitchen shop and those cabinets while nice havent held up that great over 8 years. i dont feel its worthwhile to go real high end if you are worried about longevity.

[t-im]

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/good-questions/good-questions-ikea-kitchen-cabinets-or-better-006836

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/good-questions/should-i-use-ikea-cabinets-in-my-kitchen-good-questions-106581

[89s1]

Originally posted by sputnik
Reasons not to get IKEA cabinets.

You have to build the boxes and everything yourself


I didnt use ikea cabinets but i just reno'd my kitchen and I can officially say this was a plus, not a minus. When it came time to assemble they were assembled to my standards.

We waited 8 weeks for a set of cabinets that were special order, they came fully assembled and weren't built very nicely at all, out of square with poor gaps. These were not bottom of the barrel cabinets either, they were one of the more expensive choices.

Returned them and got our money back, as they were not up to par price/quality wise and my wife and I were both disappointed. Waited 8 more weeks for another set ordered in from a different store and these I had to build myself. All I can say is that I was happy that I was finally in charge of quality control.

They turned out pretty decent. (don't mind the hole, the OTR microwave hides it nicely.)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/89s1/Kitchen%20Reno/28.jpg

[Waldi]

I have installed IKEA cabinets in my old place and I have to say that their product is pretty good (I like the system to hang cabinets) and bets impression I had was drawer sliders. I have looked at few different manufacturers and non of them had such system with self closing mechanism. Cabinets are less expensive then other manufacturers but you have to put them together. The only negative about IKEA cabinets is that bottom plate (kick-toe plate) attaches via plastic bracket and it is easy to dislodge and you need to secure it better.

[Kloubek]

Originally posted by 89s1
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/89s1/Kitchen%20Reno/28.jpg

This cabinet layout is eerily similar to my townhouse I used to have in Abbeydale. Identical in every way, in fact. I suppose it is a pretty standard layout, but still....

[Weapon_R]

I have used them a number of times and I have been happy with their cabinets. They have an incredible warranty (25 years) and they are an economical way to renovate a kitchen and get a modern look. They feel pretty solid to me and

The nice thing about Ikea stuff is that it's hard to screw up. Download the planner and plug in your dimensions. Play around until you get the look and price you want. Once you finish, take the plans to Ikea, pick up your kitchen, and install it yourself. They make it pretty easy.

That said, after I bought them for my last rental I found that home depot had some nicer ones on sale. After working out the numbers it turned out that the home depot ones were cheaper and looked better than the ones I picked from Ikea. In a place I am currently renovating, the wood maple cabinets at Totem came out cheaper than the particle board stuff at Ikea. The point is, don't assume Ikea is the cheapest. Often, places like Rona, Home Depot, or Totem will get a shipment of better quality stuff and liquidate them for lower prices than Ikea.

[89s1]

Originally posted by Weapon_R
I have used them a number of times and I have been happy with their cabinets. They have an incredible warranty (25 years) and they are an economical way to renovate a kitchen and get a modern look. They feel pretty solid to me and

The nice thing about Ikea stuff is that it's hard to screw up. Download the planner and plug in your dimensions. Play around until you get the look and price you want. Once you finish, take the plans to Ikea, pick up your kitchen, and install it yourself. They make it pretty easy.

That said, after I bought them for my last rental I found that home depot had some nicer ones on sale. After working out the numbers it turned out that the home depot ones were cheaper and looked better than the ones I picked from Ikea. In a place I am currently renovating, the wood maple cabinets at Totem came out cheaper than the particle board stuff at Ikea. The point is, don't assume Ikea is the cheapest. Often, places like Rona, Home Depot, or Totem will get a shipment of better quality stuff and liquidate them for lower prices than Ikea.

All this right here.

[C_Dave45]

Nothing wrong with Ikea cabinets. They're no worse for quality that what gets put into the new cookie-cutter homes that are under 500k. They're all just particle board and laminate. Unless you're going to spend $40 or $50,000 and have site-built cabinets, they're all built from cheap material.

[C_Dave45]

Originally posted by 89s1


They turned out pretty decent. (don't mind the hole, the OTR microwave hides it nicely.)
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y179/89s1/Kitchen%20Reno/28.jpg

Hahaha...all you need now is this tile and you'll be set!

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o312/CalgaryDave/7b184f1c.jpg

[89s1]

Originally posted by C_Dave45


Hahaha...all you need now is this tile and you'll be set!

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o312/CalgaryDave/7b184f1c.jpg


hah, the back splash is all the Wife's choice, she let me splurge on the granite so she gets to do whatever she likes there.

[Xtrema]

Don't know how well they will hold up in a busy kitchen, they held well at my bar.

[jzz30dk]

most things from ikea seem to be kinda cheap. i would say find a good cabinet shop and have them do it if you have the budget. if your on a budget they should be ok but i wouldnt expect longevity. thats my opinion but im a custom cabinet and furniture maker so i have a biased opinion

[Xtrema]

IMO, most cabinet are the same in 99% of cases, made with particle boards.

It's the doors and special trim pieces that make it looks nice. Ikea is strictly veneers over particle boards while custom cabinet has a lot more options.

That's why I'm not sure how well would Ikea kitchen will hold up over time. Once the veneers are scratched thru/damaged, you're basically looking for a new door.