Ultracraft

The UltraCraft Difference

Cabinetry is divided into two major categories when considering construction methods - Frameless and Framed.

Frameless cabinetry, also often called "32 Millimeter", "European" or "Full-Access", cabinetry does not utilize this frame technique of construction. Frameless cabinets have panels that are put together using wooden dowels and glue and the back of the cabinet is dado-ed into the top, bottom and sides of the box. It is this back panel, which in the case of UltraCraft is a full 5/8" thick, that gives structural integrity to the box.

Framed cabinetry utilizes a 3/4" solid wood "frame" that is dado-ed to the top, bottom and sides of the box. This frame actually extends beyond the width of the box and covers up some small portion of the inside of the box interior. Framed cabinetry gets it's structural integrity from this frame.

There is nothing wrong with framed cabinetry. It can be beautiful, functional and made to suit your personal style. There are, however, some advantages to a Frameless box construction.

• Because there is no frame, frameless cabinets give you 10-15% more usable space. You have more room in the same footprint!
• All doors on frameless cabinetry are full overlay doors and the gaps between all the doors and drawers in your kitchen or bathroom are uniform. This gives you a highly stylized look.
• The sides of frameless boxes are "flush finished" meaning that there is no seam when viewed from the side. To get this in framed cabinetry, you have to have the cabinet specially modified - usually at a cost. The flush finished end on frameless cabinetry gives your cabinets a furniture like appearance.

UltraCraft, the premier manufacturer of frameless cabinets in the United States, has some distinct advantages of their own that set them apart from both their framed and frameless competition.

• EPP Certified Engineered Wood Panel Construction
• ESP Green Certification (See below)
• 100-Year Manufacture's Limited Warranty
• Thousands of Door Style and Finish Combinations
• Standard Dovetail Drawers on Destiny and Vision
• Adjustable Full-Depth shelving on All cabinetry
• Easy-to-Clean Melamine Interiors
• Made in the USA!

Environmental Stewardship Program

UltraCraft is proud to be part of the The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturer Association's ESP program.

This certification is awarded to cabinet manufacturers that meet and maintain specific requirements that help promote a greener planet.

When you are considering the purchase of cabinets for a new kitchen, bathroom, or any room in your home, it's important to consider the materials that go into making your cabinetry. UltraCraft selects materials that ensure product longevity, durability, health and safety as well as overall beauty. It's precisely because of this attention to the materials that go into our cabinetry that we are able to stand behind the industry's only 100-Year Limited Warranty.

All of UltraCraft's Destiny Wood door styles, you have the option to have your cabinetry produced with either particleboard, or more specifically, Engineered Furniture Core or All Plywood Construction.

Cabinets are made from 5/8"-thick, furnituregrade, medium-density, particleboard laminated on both sides with thermoset melamine. Particleboard is certified as EPP Environmentally Preferred Panels by the Composite Wood Council.

Many people have a preconceived notion that particleboard is not a suitable material for building cabinetry. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, in some cases, particleboard is a better option than plywood. Just ask the manufacturer's of high end furniture which they prefer to use and you might be surprised to find that the answer is particleboard.

It's true that plywood has a stronger torsion (ability to bend) and shearing strength and is generally lighter than particleboard. But, for compression, the ability to support a load that does not bend a panel, they are about equal in strength. And, of course, that's where it really counts for cabinet design. The load of a granite countertop or a sink full of water is a good example of how compression is applied to a cabinet. And, when wall cabinets are hung, the cabinet is designed to transfer the load to the cabinet as compression.

It's also true that particleboard isn't waterproof. Plywood isn't either. The melamine covering that is thermally fused to the particleboard ends, however, is waterproof and as long as there is a tight fit between the panels, particleboard cabinetry will stand up just fine to minor spills. Of course, if you have a flood in your kitchen, you will more than likely have to replace all the base cabinets regardless of the panel material.

Particleboard has it's advantages over Plywood as well. First off, Particleboard resists warping, cupping and twisting better than plywood. And, it's less likely to expand or contract based on humidity. Particleboard is also easier to machine which means that the cabinet parts can be held to tighter tolerances - an important consideration! Finally, Particleboard, is a less expensive option than plywood.

Shelves are 5/8" thick, edgebanded front and back, full-depth and adjustable, with steel shelf pegs unless otherwise noted.

Cabinets feature matte PVC edge banding. The top, bottom, and back of each cabinet and the front and back of each shelf are edge banding in neutral woodgrain or white PVC. The face exposed edges of all cabinets are edge banded in coordinated PVC edge banding.

All cabinets with exposed wood veneer interiors feature coordinated wood veneer edge banding. Cabinets with Acrilux feature aluminum silver edge banding on the front of the cabinet and the front and back of exposed cabinet shelving.

Standard hinges are fully-concealed, 107°, clip-on, steel, self-closing, spring-loaded and can be individually adjusted six ways (at least 2mm each direction) to ensure accurate door alignment. Doors automatically close when within 10° of the cabinet. Optional free-swinging hinges are used on most cabinets with touch latches. Certain corner wall and base cabinets use a 170° hinge. Optional soft-close pistons are available to clip onto the hinge to reduce door-closing noise. Hinges carry a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty.

Drawers are available in three material choices - Hardwood Wood Dovetail, Metal, or Melamine.

Hardwood Wood Dovetail drawers are 5/8" thick with a fully captured 1/4" bottom. These drawers and pull-outs come with a Natural finish.

Metal Drawers, which come standard with a soft-close mechanism, are standard on all Acrilux door styles, and are an available option on all other cabinets.

Melamine Drawers and Pull-Outs are available and feature 5/8" thick melamine - glued and doweled - with a full-captured 1/4" thick bottom.

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