The Complete Handbook of Cabinets & Storage
A Professional's Field Guide to Specification, Installation, and Maintenance
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
A practical, vendor-neutral guide to specifying, installing, and maintaining high-performance cabinets for professional and serious DIY use.
About this book
The world of cabinets and storage is a complex landscape of joinery types, board products, hinge mechanisms, and finishing techniques. Faced with a vast array of options, professionals need to make decisions based on performance and longevity, not just aesthetics or price. This handbook cuts through the marketing to provide a clear, standards-based framework for understanding how cabinets are built, what makes one superior to another, and how to ensure they last.
From the molecular structure of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) to the intricacies of European-style concealed hinges and the proper torquing of a cam lock, this book offers concrete, technical knowledge. It provides a systematic approach to choosing materials for specific environments, like using PVC-wrapped boards in high-humidity laundry rooms or specifying plywood over particleboard for critical structural supports. You'll gain practical instruction for on-site installation, installation in both new construction and renovation contexts, and the knowledge to diagnose and fix common field problems.
Beyond the cabinet itself, this resource explores the broader industry, detailing market segments from RTA (ready-to-assemble) to custom, and outlining viable business opportunities in distribution, installation, and servicing. It concludes with a forward-looking perspective on emerging trends like green materials and automation, ensuring your expertise remains current. This is a comprehensive, no-nonsense reference for anyone who wants to master the specification, installation, and maintenance of cabinets.
Reader Reviews
Susan Thomas
★★★★★I'm a kitchen designer, so I know my way around cabinets, but I bought this to brush up on construction specs. It does a good, serious job explaining the different board products and joinery, and the section on specifying for humidity environments was useful. My only real reservation is that it leans heavily on traditional cabinet construction and doesn't give enough page space to modern, non-wood alternatives for commercial fit-outs; that's a growing part of my business and I would have liked more on it. That said, it's a solid reference for standard residential work.
Sharon Roberts
★★★★★Finally, a reference book that treats cabinetry as an engineering discipline, not a home decor accessory. The chapter on understanding cabinets alone was worth the price, with its clear breakdown of how construction, hardware, and materials actually contribute to a failure point. As a contractor, the installation chapter paid for itself on my first project by clarifying the correct method for setting heavy wall units. It's now the first thing I pull off the shelf when specifying for a client, and it's killed my habit of trusting a supplier's sales sheet. I've already recommended it to my entire crew.