Mitered Cabinet Doors vs. Cope and Stick Cabinet Doors
Mitered Cabinet Doors vs. Cope and Stick Cabinet Doors
Understanding the construction of each door design, as well as the terminology involved, can help you get a clearer picture of the difference between cope and stick and mitered cabinet doors. While each door design is a 5-piece cabinet door, the way mitered vs. cope and stick doors are constructed is distinct. Let’s first go over the construction and terminology involved in a 5-piece cabinet door, and then go into further detail about each door design and discuss the benefits of each.
5-Piece Cabinet Doors
A 5-piece cabinet door is constructed, just as it sounds, from five distinct pieces, including:
- The panel
- Two stiles
- Two rails
The center piece, inside the frame, is called the panel. The panel can be recessed or raised, and may include details or be quite simple. The surrounding four pieces are the frame. The frame is constructed of stiles, or the two vertical pieces on the left and the right of the cabinet door, and rails, or the two horizontal pieces at the top and the bottom of the door. The way in which the frame is joined makes it a mitered vs. cope and stick cabinet door.
Mitered Cabinet Doors
Mitered cabinet doors have a frame with pieces that are joined at the corners at a 45-degree angle. Mitered cabinet doors can require more complex machining in their construction, but there are also typically a greater number of designs to choose from in mitered cabinet doors. Generally speaking, most picture frames feature a mitered joint.
Cope and Stick Cabinet Doors
Cope and stick cabinet doors have a frame with pieces that join by squaring the pieces near the corners. This creates a 90-degree angle and vertical seams near the corners of the cabinet door. Cope and stick cabinet doors are less complex in their construction. However, because of the way they are constructed, there are often fewer styles available in this design.
How are Mitered and Cope and Stick Cabinet Doors Constructed?
Both cope and stick cabinet doors and mitered cabinet doors are 5-piece cabinet doors, so they are constructed similarly. At Cabinet Door Factory, we construct our 5-piece cabinet doors with mortise and tenon joints. The mortise is the slot, while the tenon is the carved tongue inserted into the slot. This joint requires more careful work and construction than other joint methods, but it results in a much stronger and more durable joint. It’s also much more attractive as this kind of blind joint does not visibly show where the stiles and rails connect.
The panels in our 5-piece cabinet doors are secured in a channel set in the sections of the frame. The channel section gaps are intentionally designed to be slightly larger than the center panel, allowing the panel to float within the channels. This is to allow for swelling of the wood in high heat and humidity. As the panel swells, the edges move deeper into the channel. Then, when the wood contracts again, the panel is able to pull back, without coming out of the channels. This helps avoid warping or cracking of the frame. The floating panel design helps your 5-piece cabinet door maintain a consistent width, regardless of changes in the humidity and temperature, and helps it remain more durable over time.
How to Choose between Mitered Cabinet Doors and Cope and Stick Cabinet Doors
Now that you have a basic understanding of the two types of 5-piece cabinet door frame designs, you can choose the look you’re interested in for your space. Perhaps you have a strong preference when making the choice between cope and stick cabinet doors and mitered cabinet doors. If so, that’s great news because your options will be narrowed a bit for you. However, if you’re not sure which you prefer, you might feel a little unsure about which direction to go in. It can be surprisingly helpful to browse the options available to you, or start with the most popular cabinet door designs. Often, you’ll find that even if you weren’t aware of it, you do have a preference in design and style.
Alternately, let your budget guide you. Since mitered cabinet doors require more complex machining processes, they can run a little more expensive than cope and stick cabinet doors. If you’re concerned about your costs, look for sleek and simple cope and stick cabinet doors. Keep in mind that the wood species you choose will often be the greatest deciding factor when it comes to price. Start with your design choice, and move forward from there, keeping your budget in mind. You might be surprised by how many affordable cabinet doors are available when you order factory-direct from Cabinet Door Factory.
Save 30%-50% By Ordering Replacement Cabinet Doors at Cabinet Door Factory
Where you buy your replacement cabinet doors has a significant impact on the cost to replace cabinet doors. Replace your cabinet doors through Cabinet Door Factory and save yourself 30-50% off big box store prices. Cabinet Door Factory is proud to offer high-quality, custom-sized
Explore our extensive selection of cabinet doors and get inspired for your project today. If you have any questions, we invite you to
