Magnet reckon there's no need to have more than 3mm backing on cupboards

[ScreamingBeans]

Because their cupboards are so good.

But most other kitchen firms seem to have 6mm.

What's the verdict? Am I being precious?

Personally I think that’s rubbish. Shove a cupboard full of pans or tins or let it get slightly damp and the wobbly hardboard warps and pops out of its slot leaving it open to damp/spiders etc.
Look inside the display units and give the back a push.
Ikea cabinets are different as the thin back is flat against the wall and can’t go anywhere.

if the cabinets are standing on the floor and fixed to the wall, they won't wobble.

If they are in a row, screwed to each other and the worktop, they won't wobble.

if they are hung on a wall rail, they won't wobble.

Self-assembly budget cabinets are less rigid than factory-built units.

You can weaken the joints of any assembled cabinet by carrying it upstairs or dragging it about and pulling it out of shape. If this happens, you can fit pyramid brackets in the corners at the back, or if you have a suitable saw, slide out the hardboard and cut thin ply to fit instead, pinning and gluing it into place. This might be worthwhile in an island or peninsular where people are liable to bump into from all sides it or climb on top, and also if you cut down a cabinet and reassemble in a different size, losing the factory joints..

3mm seems a bit feeble to me. I'd only use less than 6mm ply if I was using the special thin stuff to bend round corners. 6mm hardly costs any more, and on the average kitchen would be a negligible part of the price compared to labour and other materials, so I don't know why they wouldn't use it.

That's what I think BlueMongoose.

@PigletJohn why wouldn't they just use 6mm when everyone else seems to?

Is Magnet better than Howdens? Are they all the bloody same, I'm beginning to think so.

And how come Wickes cost nearly double when it's all flat pack?

Are rigid better than flat pack, the Wicke's bloke tried to convince me that because a fitter would do it there in situ, it would be better than rigid. Is that bollocks?

I can't believe how difficult this is #FirstWorldProblems

Pretty much a cabinet is a cabinet. Our fitter rates b & q kitchens. A decent fitter will put most together well. He liked our premium howdens cabinets. Magnet seemed ridiculously expensive compared to other quotes we got.

Are rigid better than flat pack

Rigid is a pre-assembled flat pack.
It's to do with how the wood is fixed together

This guy in the link has a whole series on making cabinets. You will notice that glue screws and nails are used.

I've just pulled out my entire kitchen. It's quite large and spanned 2 walls.
The first wall had units put in, I presume, by the house builder 20 years ago. They had 6mm backs and was I not changing the whole design I could have easily gotten away with replacing just fronts. The backs were solid and in perfect condition.

The other wall had units with thin backing. The back had warped and dropped off entirely behind the sink, bowed in the tins cupboard was frankly pretty shoddy. The side by side difference was enormous.

My new cupboards are going in as I type. They are factory assembled with 6mm backing and look incredibly sturdy. I'd be wary of thinner backs.

Magnet will just be looking to save money.
Most cabinets are similar but there are differences in build quality.
If a supplier is cagey on details of the cabinet structure or they don't show a picture of the basic cabinet, they are probably not very good.

Look at the difference Wickes
DIY kitchens

They are almost exactly the same price. The Wickes one is a thin flatpack cabinet with a PVC wrapped door. The DIY kitchens one is a rigid built high spec cabinet with a gloss lacquered door. It pays to do a bit of research as to what's behind the photos of similar looking kitchens.

My kitchen provider insisted on 1cm as a minimum (we have 1.5cm) as it’s more durable for mdf & the fitter was amazed by how sturdy it was. But 6mm is def the standard. I wouldn’t feel comfortable with 3mm at all.

I don't know op but we've ordered and received a DIY kitchen and the cabinets were so sturdy and impressive I'm extremely pleased!
Very much more so than b and q /homebase etc.

Mine howdens but top of their range, choosing a good fitter is key though, thankfully my dad is one