Custom built -. closet organizer instalied or Do-it-yourself Mirror Doors Melamine finish Elfa Baskets — Wire shelving - Accessories CT HOME-OR™ oe cE : showr oom Open Mon -Sat. 9-5 CANADIAN CLOSET ‘A family owned business since 1984” 1385 Crown St. Nvan.- 986-4263 nm smock WALLCOVERINGS! | PAINT & WALLCGVERING BODES UP T0 50% OFF _ Whether it’s paint or wallpaper you're after, Miils’ has got you covered with some pretty terrific savings at up to 70% offt Just drop by your neighbourhood Mills Paint & Wallcovering Store fora little instant glamour... at prices you can afford! All Wallcovering Beoks 30 - 50% off! In-stock Wallcoverings », 50-70% off! North Vancouver 307 Lonsdale Avenue 985-6354 Cabinets: it’s in STUDY A cabinet’s finish. and then rub your hand across the surface; any imperfections will readily be apparent. How will that same finish look and feel after several vears of wear and tear? Showroom kitchens may give you some indication of a cabinet's durability (ask how long the cabi- nets have been on display), but knowledge about finishing methods always helps in making a decision. Here’s what you need to know before you head to the showroom. There are three popular finishes for wood cabinetry: wood stain, paint glaze and paint. All methods involve some handwork for wiping off stains as well as hand-sanding’ between coats. More expensive lines of cabinetry use even more handwork to produce silky smooth finishes; some include more than a dozen steps in the finishing process. The amount of work involved in producing a finish can boost cabinetry costs: Some manufac- turers charge up to 20% more for paint glazes that give a whitewashed effect. It takes an expert touch with glazes to get even coverage over various types of wood. Wood stains and paint glazes "seep into the grain of the wood and, as a result, do not chip. (Nicks in the wood, however, will show.) Application methods are simi- lar. Stains and glazes. are sprayed or hand-wiped onto the wood, then wiped off to remave excess stain or glaze. ° Some manufacturers lightly mist water over unfinished wood to open the grain before wiping ona paint glaze. Stains enhance wood tones; - glazes add a variety of colors that play. against the natural: color of _ wood. Sealers baked into wood _keep the color Jayer and the finish layer separate. Both stains Z finished with topcoats that pro- ‘vide’ durability and easy maintenance. ° For residential use, your options include lacquer, catalyzed _var- nishes, and urethanes. Lacquer is a good finish that’s easy to repair. It is not as resistant to house- hold solvents as catalyzed var- ‘nishes and urethanes. Catalyzed varnishes provide tough, clear. finishes with more durability than lacquer. Manufac- tures use these varnishes because force-drying “with heat speeds “manufacturing. In custom woodworking shops, urethanes provide the same tough finish as catalyzed varnishes. - Although..urethanes dry slower than catalyzed varnishes, the extra _ time does not present a problem for smaller cabinet shops. Painted finishes are susceptible to chipping and cracking, especially between pieces of solid wood. Some manufacturers have introduced pigmented polyester finishes that. promise to reduce this problem. These sprayed-on finishes pro- and — glazes are. vide a thick, durable coating; you'll need to call a professional to repair any damage. Also, many paints are finished with a baked- on clear topcoat that improves the durability of the finish. OPENING AND CLOSING The placement of hardware on cabinetry affects your choices. Hardware can be surface-mounted and on display or hidden behind the face of cabinetry. Surface-mounted hardware glides and hinges, hide inside cabinetry even when you opt for surface-mounted pulls. These hardworking pieces must stand up to lots of openings and closings over the life of the cabi- netry. Look for side-mounted, . epoxy-coated glides that allow you to fully open the drawer (full extension glides). There should be no side-to-side wavering even when the drawer is fully extended. The slide system may include ball-bearing slides or nylon rollers. ” Stains enhance wood t tor es; glazes add a a variety y of colors that : play against the natural color of wood. Sealers baked into wood eep the color layer and the finish layer Separate.9F — duplicates styles in. fashion a cen- tury or more ago. It is attached to the. face of cabinets. This type of hardware comes in a range of sizes, shapes, and colors, Your buying choices will be af- fected not only by the products on the market but by the shape and color of your cabinet doors and drawers and ‘the layout of the kitchen. The size of the hardware should enhance the size of the door or drawer | without. interfering with clearance between cabinets. : Vertical pulls ‘are better for doors; horizontal pulls are better for drawers. Check knobs to make sure -the shank of the pull is long ' enough to accommodate the user’s grasp; short shanks increase the - likelihood of fingernails marring - the cabinetry around the knob. ‘Make sure oblong or square pulls have more than one. screw - hole, or you’ll constantly be realigning the pulls, - If you’re selecting hardware. ‘from. a display board, test the | piece by grasping it with your - hand as if you were going to open _adrawer or door. Completely or partially conceal- ed hardware offers a clean sur-- face. . Continuous-channel-. wood pulls or grooves in the door itself serve as concealed pulls. Some * hardware, such as drawer ALL THE hard data’ might not be , in yet, but the trend is clear: baby boomers, who are the great ma- jority of the consumer public, are trading in their nighttime designer duds for ‘well-worn ‘sweats. and spending their evenings parked in a lounge chair instead of a lounge.’ The home is the showpiece of the ’SQs and the majority of to- day’s consumers, the thirty- and forty-something baby boomers, . have transferred their interests from the conspicuous: ‘consump- tion .of . jewelry, expensive elec- tronic toys and ‘cars, .to: buying high-quality, high-value products for their homes. Today's home is" the central _ and unique look no face ° Unique Cabinet Knobs e Authentic Milk Paint © MayFair Signs e Custom Design Pine Furniture * Unique Log Beds from $895.00 Jackee’s HOMECRAFT GALLERY LTD. 1445 Marine Drive, West Vancouver 926-5711 _.. ONES, “two, - * tions: Glides are rated for the weight. they can hold; opt for 75 pounds _or more. Make sure the cabinetry surface is protected . by - rubber. bumpers where drawers and Goors ° hit. : Self-closing hinges. can be. par- tially visible or hidden. Make sure ©. that- hidden. hinges.are adjustable. up and down, right and left, and. in and out to keep doors aligned. The -hinges ‘should. also Pextend past 100° to. give unhindered ace cess to the cabinet. _ Custom. accessories turn cabinet boxes into’ storage wonders. Most ‘manufactures carry a-. complete. line of these accessories, including lazy Susans, “pullout: ‘tables for Microwave. oven... cabinets: cutting boards, ‘cutlery © trays, swing-out pantry. ‘shelves, * retrac- - table range hoods, irening boards wire - roll-out - shelves, blocks, : bread. boxes, mixer. lifts; spice drawers, tilt-oit: sink: panels file drawers, - roll-out: TV. vegetable: bins, ‘and: doors. o ‘Take care when selecting’ these items; some come: standard .'and others. can quickiy, boost. the cost’. of your cabinetry.” Reprinted with perinission: ‘rom Country Kitchen. Idé Distributed © by” the ‘Los ‘ ‘Angel 5 Times Syndicate : raising : children,’ recovering - from. d - the tensions” of .work;: a taining . our! fri For some. '. workplace; . want fe al we the: bo the family, the garde hi they prize conveni ce, and: “time: savings. Quality: and. value remain: the most. . important nsider