A client in Omaha asked me why I always use a 3/4 inch plywood base for cabinets.

She said she saw a video where they used a 1/2 inch base for a built-in to save weight. I tried it on a small linen closet project last week, and honestly, it worked fine and saved a bit of material cost. Has anyone else moved away from the standard 3/4 inch for certain jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

willowc602mo ago

My shop in Lincoln switched to 1/2 inch for all upper cabinets five years ago. It holds up fine if your case construction is solid. We still use 3/4 for bases that get heavy countertops or lots of drawer slides. The material savings add up on bigger jobs.

paige_martin2mo ago

Wait, you've been using half inch for uppers for FIVE years? That's wild, I still see guys at the supply house loading up on three quarter like it's the only option. Your bases must be absolute tanks to make that work.

norag5522d ago

Whoa, hold on now. I gotta push back on that. In my experience, cutting corners on the base is asking for trouble down the road. I've seen too many half inch bases start to sag or crack where the countertop sits, especially if you get a heavy granite or quartz slab. That linen closet you tried might be fine for now, but wait a few years with some seasonal humidity changes. A 3/4 inch base gives you way more room for error with leveling legs too, and it holds screws better when you're shimming against an uneven floor. I'd rather spend the extra 20 bucks on a base now than deal with a wobbly cabinet later.