cabinets

Part 13 of our 15-part Q&A series on all aspects of green building from the publishers of HealthyHouseInstitute.com. Click here for the introductory post and furthur details.

Question: How healthy are most kitchen cabinets?

Answer: As a rule, the majority of new cabinets—kitchen, bath, etc.—are quite unhealthy. This is because manufacturers all use man-made wood products—hardboard, particle board, and plywood—which contain a potent urea-formaldehyde glue. Even expensive cabinets are made with these materials, and they outgas formaldehyde for years. Although the doors and drawer fronts may be made of solid wood, the end panels, backs, shelves, drawer bottoms, and drawer sides are made of noxious wood products. They can have an attractive thin wood veneer on the surface, but it does little to block formaldehyde. Some manufacturers claim they make their cabinets out of “solid wood,” but they’re playing games with definitions. If you ask if they use plywood, they’ll answer, "Yes, that plywood is solid wood."

When man-made wood products have a plastic or vinyl surfacing, it can block some of the emissions, but almost never enough for sensitive people to tolerate new cabinets. This is because in commercially made cabinets, the plastic or vinyl surfacing rarely covers all the edges, and it often has holes drilled in it for shelf supports.

While the cabinet materials are bad enough, the clear finishes used are often worse. Most manufactures use a urea-formaldehyde clear finish that is one of the strongest formaldehyde emitters found in houses. The good news is that it’s so powerful, it’s usually done outgassing after 4-6 months. After that, you’ve still got the formaldehyde in the plywood, particle board, and hardboard to contend with.

Question: Can’t I just coat problem cabinets with a sealant to make them safe?

A worker-owned cooperative operating in San Francisco since 1997, Woodshanti constructs impeccable custom furniture, cabinetry, and built-ins of all kinds. Using responsbily harviested and reclaimed woods, they create lasting pieces that could easily become family heirlooms for generations to come.

Shanti (shän-tee) is the Sanskrit word for peace and symbolizes this effort towards harmony. This includes everything that we interact with or influence, from the materials we use, to the companies we support, and everything in between. Our concerns fall into three main categories: economic, ecological, and social.

Not only is the wood sustainable, but so are the finishes that are applied to it. Using nothing but natural oils nurishes the wood the way nature intended it to, as well as reducing the environmental impact of the pieces themselves and the company as a whole.

This five-person crew has featured their work at three past Green Festivals, and will again be showing at the San Francisco Green Festival this November. If you are headed to the upcoming West Coast Green event next month (Sept. 20-22), make sure to stop by their booth - they'll be displaying their pieces there also.

When browsing their online portfolio, each piece is specific whether it is made from FSC, SmartWood, reposonsibly harvested, or reclaimed/rediscovered lumber. Their custom kitchens and built-ins are deliciously impressive and inspire creativity just looking at them - my personal favorite is the kitchen and living combination.