What are the pros and cons of face frame cabinets vs. frameless cabinets?
A. Face frame cabinets, standing independently, are sturdier and stronger than frameless cabinets because they have a frame bracing the front of the cabinet opening. However, when frameless cabinets are screwed together in multiples and then screwed to the wall, they are as sturdy as they need to be. Frameless cabinets are also called “full access cabinets” because the interior of the cabinet is wide open compared to a framed cabinet, which typically has an opening that is about 2″ narrower than the cabinet interior. Doors on framed cabinets open wider than doors typically found on frameless cabinets. The exception to this is when a special hinge is used on a frameless cabinet in order to obtain a door that opens fully. Doors for face frame cabinet are available in a variety of overlay styles, including standard overlay, full overlay, half inset and full inset. Doors for frameless cabinets are available only in the full overlay style. The various overlays create very different appearan
