Sunday, January 10, 2010

Cabinet Hardware Explained

By Benedict Perez

Cabinets are available in many different styles. But the cabinet hardware attached to it makes it look more beautiful. There are different designs of cabinet hardware which match different designs of cabinets.

The numerous styles available in cabinet hardware range from simple big-box manufactured face frame cabinets with slab panel doors to intricately crafted custom cabinets hewn from the hands of generations of craftsmen. People use cabinet hardware for many different purposes but the most common is for decoration and functionality.

Decorative cabinet hardware is a piece mounted on the front cabinet doors or on drawers to open and close it. But it is not only used for this purpose. It acts as a decorative item and gives a finishing touch to the cabinets and drawers. The various types of decorative cabinet hardware are handle pulls, cup pulls, knobs, back plates, ring, bail and pendant pulls.

To fit the handle pulls and cup pulls two or more screws are required. These screws are fitted on both sides of the cabinet hardware. It is very much solid and durable. Mounting screws are used to fit the bail pulls. These are solid and swinging type bails. But in knobs there is only one screw required. You can fit rings and pendant pulls using only one mounting screw. But if the rings and pendent pulls are large one or exclusive one, you need to adjust it with two mounting screws.

The measurement in cup pull type handle is done centre to centre. If you are replacing a cup pull type handle, then you have to buy a new one of the same size or you have to refinish the whole drawer or cabinet. To adjust it measurement is taken from the centre of a screw hole to another centre of another screw hole. Due to this reason it is called centre to centre measurement.

There are many different abbreviations used for centre to centre measurement but the most common are C-C, C/C and CTC. The most common measurements are 3", 3-1/2", 96mm and 4". There are many other but are not common. You will find cabinet hardware in many different shapes, size and colors like Oil rubbed bronze cabinet hardware, satin nickel cabinet hardware, matte black cabinet hardware, black antique cabinet hardware, weathered nickel cabinet hardware, Swedish iron cabinet hardware, antique copper cabinet hardware, antique brass cabinet hardware and different other finishes.

Functional cabinet hardware is basically used for function of cabinets and drawers like opening and closing, sliding, etc. It is totally related to function and not at all fir decoration. Some of this cabinet hardware is hidden. Functional hardware comes in two different types that are door hinges and drawer hinges.

A large number of choices are available in cabinet hardware. It is available in different shapes, styles and colors. You can get a cabinet hardware from internet but from trusted site. But choose the one that is long lasting and solid.

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