Do you know the ratio of complain between carpenter kitchen to modular kitchen is 5:1. i.e., Out of 100 kitchen complaints- 75~85 complaints are of carpenter made kitchens.
The carpenter made kitchens can be customized to your requirements, can look equally beautiful, can be cheaper in estimate, but still it gives a very low value for money and that’s why we say that it is suicidal to go for the carpenter made kitchen.
What is the difference between Carpenter Kitchen and a Modular Kitchen?
A carpenter kitchen refers to a kitchen built manually on-site by carpenters. The kitchen made by interior designors/ Carpentors/ Plywood shops by purchasing Stainless Steel fittings from the market come under this category. It involves customizing the layout and design according to the homeowner’s specifications. These kitchens are crafted using materials like plywood, boards, or aluminum, and joined together using traditional methods such as nails, screws, or glue.
A modular kitchen is a modern kitchen concept comprising pre-fabricated factory-made modules (cabinets, drawers, shelves) that can be assembled in various configurations to fit a space. These kitchens are standardized in design but allow a high level of customization in terms of color, finish, and accessories.
Why Carpenter-Made Kitchens Are Not True Modular Kitchens
Though the carpenter call their kitchen as modular kitchen but they are not modular kitchens in true sense. Modular kitchens, come in pre-made modules that can be assembled in a variety of configurations, carpenter-made kitchens are built on-site and tailored to the exact specifications of the homeowner. The modular furniture can be dismantled and shifted to another site, which is not possible in the carpenter kitchen
Here are our reasons for saying why Carpenter made kitchens can be a mistake .
Why Opting for Carpenter-Made Kitchens Can Be a Mistake
Carpenter-made kitchens may initially seem cost-effective and customizable, but they come with significant drawbacks:
- Inconsistent Quality: Manual processes lead to frequent issues in alignment, finish, and durability.
- Time-Consuming: Longer installation periods disrupt daily life.
- Frequent Repairs: Higher frequency of complaints and lack of proper after-sales support.
- Limited Lifespan: Shorter durability compared to modular kitchens.
- Hidden Costs: Escalating expenses nullify the initial price advantage.
- Lack of Flexibility: Non-portable and difficult to modify in the future.
- Space wastage: Requires RCC Slab below the Kitchen work area wasting 50 to 100 cm of premium vertical storage space. It also requires Pillar support at different places to support the kitchen top. This wastes 50 to 100 cm of horizon kitchen storage space per pillar.
- No or limited warranty and after sales support: Post service costs are not considered by them and that is provided at extra costs that too after repeated follow-ups.
We are pointing out the differences between the two kinds of kitchen in more detail below.
Manufacturing/Assembly Process:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- The kitchen furniture is made by manually cutting the ply, board, aluminium, or the other structure from which furniture is to be made at the site.
- Here the cabinet is made by joining together the cut pieces with the help of nails, screw, nut & bolt or some glue. The carpenter-made kitchen comes under this category of the kitchen.
Modular Kitchen:
- The Kitchen comes in factory-made modules of defined sizes.
- They primarily use interlocking mechanisms for joining different pieces and also have very few joints compared to manually made furniture which increases their reliability.
- The screws or nut & bolt may be used but are minimal in number.
- These are not manufactured but assembled at the site.
Time period to Finish at Site:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- The Carpenter-made kitchen furniture takes 40-45 days of carpentry work at the site, and the site gets messy.
- The time lines given are unreliable
Modular Kitchen
- Are made as per order and gets fitted within 2-3 days at site.
Convenience:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- If you are going for a carpenter made kitchen, you will have to make at least 6-10 rounds of the market for selecting the right materials.
- There is no dedicated team to handle complaints.
- The design is finalized by scrolling through net and magazines and doing cut and paste 2D design of the ideas. The actual finish will be different to what you had imagined.
Modular Kitchen:
- If you are going for a modular kitchen, you have to see and finalize the 3D drawings and relax seeing it made as per your finalized drawing and a dedicated team to handle complaints.
Frequency of Complain:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- In Carpenter made kitchen the frequency of complaint is higher, within 2-3 years the drawer and door alignment issues come.
- Within 1 or 2 more years the sink doors will start falling, the shutters won’t clos e properly.
- These complaints are due to combination of human error, less effective joining methods, quality of materials used, lower knowledge on kitchen challenges etc.
Modular Kitchen:
- In the modular Kitchen the no. of complaints is far less frequent.
- The longevity will be far more.
- They are produced by automated process under preset test conditions with quality control.
- There will be a process to log complain., which will be attended within given time.
Later modifications:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- In the Carpenter made kitchen, the cabinets are nailed together and modifications can’t be done later.
- It is not possible to add/remove/modify the cabinet at a later date because of the manual process of joining the cabinet.
Modular Kitchen:
- Whereas, in Modular kitchen we can remove/add/ change/modify as per the requirement later.
- They come in modules hence changes are easy to be done.
Warranty and after-sales support:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- In Carpenter made kitchen they do not have the process to provide after sales service support.
- In case of any after sales problem you will have to keep following and requesting for service. You will be at the carpenter’s mercy. To get the after sales service is mostly a challenge.
Modular Kitchen:
- Branded modular kitchen, typically come with a warranty and after-sales support, making it easier for homeowners to get any issues resolved quickly.
Design expertise:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- Carpenter-designed kitchens are usually designed by local carpenters or contractors who may not have specialized expertise in kitchen design.
- The design is finalized by scrolling through net and magazines and doing cut and paste 2D design of the ideas. The actual finish will be different to what you had imagined.
Modular Kitchen:
- In contrast, branded modular kitchens are designed by companies that specialize in kitchen design and have a team of experienced designers.
- They show the 2D and 3D designs, finalize the colour, cost, cabinets etc. beforehand and finish as per given design.
Quality of materials:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- Carpenter-designed kitchens use locally available materials that may not be of the same quality or durability.
Modular Kitchen:
- Branded modular kitchens use premium-quality materials that are specifically chosen for their durability, functionality, and aesthetic appeal.
Standardization:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- Carpenter made kitchens have inconsistent design and quality due to the manual work, limitations of material available, skills and resources of the local carpenter.
Modular Kitchen:
- Branded modular kitchens are pre-designed and pre-fabricated to a given standard have more resources, which ensures consistency in quality and design and more variations across all kitchens.
Customization:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- Carpenter made kitchen may offer some level of customization but may be limited by the availability of materials, skills and resources of the local carpenter.
Modular Kitchen:
- Branded modular kitchens offer a high level of customization, with a range of design options, finishes, and accessories that can be chosen to meet the specific needs and preferences of the homeowner.
Cost:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- Carpenter-designed kitchens are not cheap.
- There initial quote maybe low but the estimate increases by the time it is finished.
- This is due to the fact that various costs were not considered in the beginning.
- Or due to the need felt for giving better quality material, that was not considered in costing initially.
Modular Kitchen:
- The cost will be given upfront in the beginning and there will be no price deviation at a later date.
- Final price difference of Carpenter made kitchen and Branded Kitchen will be found to be either insignificant or even higher than the branded kitchen price offered.
- And the quality of finish, workmanship, mental agony suffered, time taken nullifies what ever advantage the carpentor made kitchen has.
Dismantle when required:
Carpenter Kitchen:
- A carpenter-made kitchen, is built into the space and cannot be easily moved or reassembled.
- Carpenter-made kitchen is built specifically for your home and cannot be easily resold.
- If you want to renovate your home or upgrade your kitchen in future, that can’t be done.
Modular Kitchen:
- It is designed to be easily dismantled and moved. This means that if you need to relocate or move to a new home, you can take your modular kitchen with you.
- If you decide to upgrade your kitchen or move to a new home, you can sell your modular kitchen and recoup some of your investment.
- If you want to change their kitchen design or layout, or if you decide to renovate your home or upgrade your kitchen in the future, you can easily dismantle and reassemble your modular kitchen to fit your new design requirements.
Conclusion:
To conclude, the market share of carpenter-made kitchens are reducing day by day with rising consumer awareness of the drawbacks of this kitchen over the branded modular kitchen.
This is similar to what’s happening in case of roadside car technicians, they are reducing with time. The car owners are going to them less because they have understood the difference in the reliability of cars.
- Carpenter-designed kitchens are not cheap, they seem to be a cost-effective option initially only.
- Actually, they turn out to be costlier in the long run with a much shorter lifespan.
- They consume time & energy, loss of mental peace, frequent complaints and less or no post-installation support.
- And consumer agony increases on discovering they lost on both the grounds, the cost of the kitchen as well as the loss of quality, elegance, looks and comfort of the kitchen.
