Hi,
I’m redoing my bathroom and I’d like to get some advice/opinions on a built in linen closet I’m planning to build. The closet will be built into the wall and tiled up to (here’s a link from Break time that describes the bathroom).
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages/?start=Start+Reading+%3E%3E
The closet is 84″tall (to match the height of the existing door and window trim) and 36″ wide, face frame construction with inset drawers and door. For the rails and stiles, is there a standard size or a rule of thumb for how wide they should be? The stiles are 2 3/4 wide and the upper rail is 3″ and the lower is 4″. The center rails between the drawers are 1 1/2″. Are these width OK?
I’m building the box and face frame and ordering the door, drawers and drawer fronts from Rockler to save time. Does anyone have any experience with them, or is there another manufacturer you’d recommend? Also, the door will be 31″ wide and I’m wondering if this will warp and if I should replace it with two doors.
I’m attaching a picture of what I’d like to build.
Thanks for any help.
Matt
Replies
I wouldn't think that that should be so big that it'd necessarily warp.
I just looked at the doors that I built for my bathroom cabinet and I made two doors to cover a 27.5 inch width. Mostly I did that for both the look and for the convenience of the user (me and SWMBO). Much wider than that and you have to step out of the way when you open them.
Anyway, they've been up for about 3 months now, and haven't shown any tendency to warp.
Good luck on your project!
Mike D
The design is loosely based on a similar cabinet in the hallway outside the bathroom. The door is just under 30". Warping never occurred to me but when I plugged in the measurements on the Rockler site it had a warning that doors over 26" were not guaranteed against warping. Also, the doors are about 46" tall, so I thought it might look odd having two doors 15" wide by 46" tall. No?
Is there a way to determine how many lights a door should have (other than aesthetics)? Rockler is recommending eight lights per door whether I use one door or two.Thanks
I am hardly an expert on this, hopefully some of the more experienced hands will jump in here.
As to my opinion, I think that it has to do with aesthetics as a designer/craftsman, and the time that it takes to make the door(s) as a businessman.
Come on, you old cabinet makers, what's your input?
Mike D
I got out my ruler, and that does look like a big glass cabinet door. What Rockler may be telling you is that, due to the construction methods that they use, a door larger than their max just may not have enough frame and joint strength to resist the wracking that you might expect to see when the door is put into daily use.
I am just thinking out loud about this - I don't really have the experience to know what the parameters are.
Mike D
Matt,
Personally, I think a 31" wide by 46" tall door is too big. Especially when you add the glass. If it were me, I would use 2 - 15 1/2" doors. And I put 3 hinges on each door when I get over about 40" or so. Just my $.02
As far as suppliers, I use an outfit called cabinetdoorshop.com. They usually ship my orders within 10 days after I call them in, and have very good quality with a large selection of various woods. And you have a choice of single pane, 4,6,8,or 9 lite on the doors. They have drawer fronts to match and dovetail drawers as well.
Good luck,
Lee
P.S.
I would get the door in my hands before I build the frame if you are using inset construction. I think anyone you use to build the doors will have a tolerance of + or - 1/16th or so, maybe more.
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