learning more about carpentry PART #2!!! 🪚
another perk of our main con having their own carpentry factory - we get to witness the fabrication of our carpentry!!! it was soooo exciting for us knowing that these were the actual carpentry going up in our home 🥹
👉🏻 a key takeaway this trip to their factory: look out for the thickness of the plywood in your carpentry 👀 15mm plywood is generally considered thick and is better at bearing heavier loads. some factories may use thinner plywood for the inner shelving, so when you place heavy pots or items on them, the shelves may bend or warp
we also had a follower on instagram shared with us the poor plywood that her ID used, and she has kindly shared the photos with us and gave us permission to post on our platforms to share with our followers!!
👉🏻 another key takeaway: we are using normal tracks for our kitchen drawers as we feel that they work fine for normal kitchen items! this is a personal preference and we can’t say for sure - we just personally feel that the carpentry tracks in our parents’ places have worked fine for so many years so we didnt feel a need to top up 😂 (we shall update if we eventually regret HAHAHA)
however, our main con noted that for longer drawers above 600mm, or if you know that you will be placing very heavy items (eg large and heavy pots) in your drawers, do take note that it is recommended to opt to use BLUM tracks instead - they are meant to support much heavier loads!
we have a longer drawer in the wet kitchen that we intend to place all our pots and pans, so we topped up to change to BLUM tracks instead for that!
👉🏻 also just to share, curved edges in carpentry often come at an extra cost! not only because it is harder to fabricate, but because pasting the laminate on the curved carpentry also take a lot of skills and time!
our main con was sharing that each laminate costs around $60-$80+ in general, and if the carpenter is not skilled or careful enough, they may easily spoil the laminate piece! this is quite a big cost to incur - considering the fact that they charge us around $160/ft for carpentry.
but of course curve edges is important not just for aesthetics, but also for practical purpose like ensuring you won’t bump any sharp edges at home! just take note to not get ripped off and pay a crazy amount for the curved edges of your carpentry - for reference our main con charges around $200-$300 for bigger curves, and $100-$150 for smaller curves.
#Lemon8SG #lemon8home #HomeReno #MyLemon8Diary #sgrenovation
While this article highlights key points about plywood thickness and drawer tracks, I’d like to share some additional insights on selecting the best plywood type for healthier indoor air quality. Opting for low formaldehyde plywood, such as E0 grade, can significantly reduce harmful emissions compared to regular plywood. This is especially important for homes with children or allergy sufferers. Also, when considering curved carpentry, beyond aesthetics and safety, curved edges can add durability by minimizing chip damage that often occurs with sharp corners. Regarding drawer tracks, BLUM tracks are excellent for heavy-duty use but can be pricier. If budget is a concern, consider double-checking the weight load and drawer length in your kitchen design to decide where upgrading is necessary versus where standard tracks suffice. Lastly, for a polished look, handling ABS trimming and carefully hiding Sunmica joints makes a huge difference in kitchen carpentry finish. DIY-friendly tutorials and some patience can help you achieve smooth joints without professional help, reducing costs during renovation.
Adding my personal experience. We engaged the same contractor after seeing this post, but honestly, the carpentry materials we received were nowhere near what’s shown here! Please check carefully before engaging him 😪😢