Gorilla and Mushroom Renovation

Cabinet doors are usually covered in some trimmings to better protect the wood from wear and tear. The trimming also covers any exposed edges, preventing the wood from warping due to moisture absorption as well.

There are various kinds of trimming available. The common one being ABS, a plastic trimming that is tightly wrapped around the cabinet doors by a heating process. Compared to yester years, there are many more colors available these days to better match the multitude of colors that laminates offer.

The other trimming that is popular, but more costly is the Aluminum trimming. Aluminum trimmings are tougher and more durable than ABS... but going by the common norm, ABS is sufficient for today's kitchen demands. Aluminum is more for aesthetics purposes. Besides, it is also more costly, so for the budget conscious, it is not very feasible.

They do look good! The only limitation of aluminum trimmings is, if your cabinet has door designs that are not straight (i.e. a round cabinet at the corner with matching doors), then those doors cannot be fitted with aluminum trimming... because aluminum trimmings can only be done on straight edged doors

Another favorite of designers is Veneer Trimmings. Depending on the theme chosen, the colors used and the design adopted, veneer trimming looks better than ABS trimming. In terms of durability, well, veneer is made of natural wood, and the finish requires a higher maintenance than the common laminates. Not recommended for kitchen.

Veneers are usually used in Zen themed designs, or for special wall features because they can be fitted closely at the edges, giving a flushed look with the rest of the furniture, resulting in a very clean look with sharp lines.

Veneer scratches easily, and because it is natural wood and is not recommended for features that are exposed to high human traffic and moisture (e.g. Kitchens).

From our various visits to the units in our area, the only difference we see between the veneer and ABS trimmings are:
a) veneer trimming tend to be sharper at the edges than ABS
if the carpenter is not skilled enough, the trimmings at the edges may not sit very well together, resulting in a very fine gap between the two surfaces that form that edge. There is very little such issues with ABS
b) depending on the design, veneer trimmings give a sharp clean look, whilst ABS will not be able to achieve that flush look that some designers are looking for

So, some considerations you may want to take note, IMHO:
1) if you are having kids, it is better to have ABS trimmings as the edges are not so sharp, thus reducing the risk of injury to them should they fall or knock again the cabinets

2) if your cabinets edges are going be constantly touching water, i.e., the kitchen is constantly being washed, and splashed with water, then go for the ABS trimmings, as there is a smaller chance of the veneer laminates peeling at the edges

if you are trying to achieve the modern, sleek flushed look, then veneer is the way to go

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