On 2/12/14, 11:49 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 2/11/2014 7:55 PM, -MIKE- wrote:

You just described my kitchen, unfortunately. :-) I'm quite
certain, however, that this is not done today.

Probably regional, but around here 95% of the cabinets in 'builder
built' spec/custom homes (excluding most large scale, National, tract
home builders who use prefab boxes) are still 'built-in place', but
not in the same manner as the old days, when union carpenters were
still aplenty.

Nailed together, solid wood faceframes, plywood side panels and
floors, backless, and attached straight to the drywall, is prevalent
today.

(in the good old days, the wall behind the cabinets was often tongue
and groove lumber, or 3/4" plywood -- and in some cases where the
room was paneled, paneling.)

Done properly and by a skilled cabinetmaker, particularly in old
construction and in restoration work, still a good way to maximize
space and get a custom fit.

Unfortunately, today it is rarely done properly, even in million
dollar homes in many areas ... mostly due to a lack of unskilled,
unsupervised labor, who take every shortcut imaginable because they
have no cultural basis for pride in their work, or skin in the game.

Add to that the fact that construction lumber nowadays is plantation
grown, new growth, varying widely in moisture content despite being
kiln dried, and therefore unstable, structures are subject to
movement due to dimensional instability in the months/years to come.
Meaning nothing attached stays square and in place.

I am routinely called upon to fix kitchen and bath cabinet doors,
drawers, trim, crown, and reattach intermediate stiles, on $1m+ homes
that are less than ten years old.

And that is just the tip of the iceberg ... it is hard to believe
some of the framing, electrical and plumbing crap we uncover when
doing a remodel on homes less than twenty years old these days.

In short, it is almost unbelievable the prevalence of poorly built
residences in even the high dollar, prestigious neighborhoods in some
regions these days.


The stories are too long and plentiful. If we ever meet in person, I'll
share some of the many experiences I've had fixing those mistakes in the
half-million+ dollar McMansions around here.



--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

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