Storage Cabinets

Archive for the ‘Storage Cabinets’ Category

Islands are a great feature in most any kitchen, adding both storage and counter space to what can be a cramped area just before meal time. In may cases, islands have taken the place of kitchen tables, but can be designed with more functionality than a simple table ever dreamed of having.

People will often congregate around an island if it’s there, so it ought to be high enough. With custom cabinet lines, you can have special cabinets built to do this, but if you want to stay in the semi custom price range, there are other options.

One of the things designers will do is to put wall cabinets right on the floor. Standard wall cabinet heights in semi-custom lines are usually from 12” to 42”. The taller ones are 36” and 42”, though some manufacturers might have 39” wall cabinets in their catalog as well.

The items often included in islands are sinks and waste receptacle pull outs. Both of these types of cabinets are base cabinets, but what folks often do is have a two-level island, with sink and counterspace on the lower level, then a higher level, with more countertop, where people can sit or stand.  This is where wall cabinets come in…

First, you’ll need to figure out just how high you want the raised section to be.  Some people are happy with regular countertop height (the top surface being somewhere in the 36″ range) but that’s a bit low for most.  Hypothetically, let’s figure that you want it in the 40″ range.  That means 36″ wall cabinets.  “Wait,” you say.  “That’s short!”  But it’s not, and here’s why.

Base cabinets are 34 1/2″ high, but 4 1/2″ of that is toe kick.  Many companies allow you to get the toe kick shipped loose, so essentially you have a 30″ high, 24″ deep cabinet.  Wall cabinets don’t come with toe kicks as an option, but nothing says you can’t put one on.  This would bump our short (allegedly) 36″ wall cabinet to 40 1/2″, which is just about the height at which we hypothetically decided to raise our countertop.

Toe kicks aren’t something you can use by themselves to hold up your wall cabinets in the island.  They are just a 1/2″ piece of something; what they are depends on what you order, whether it’s black laminated particle board, solid maple, or anything else a cabinet manufacturer might offer. What you can do is simply order extra toe kicks with your kitchen, enough to go underneath these wall cabinets in the raised section of the island, and bring those wall cabinets up to the correct height with blocks of lumber.  Attach the toe kicks at the proper depth, and you’re off and running.

One of the drawbacks of wall cabinets is that very few come with drawers. If you want compartments within the 36″, it’s possible by STACKING wall cabinets.  We’re talking 36″, so there are a couple of ways to do it.  Three 12″ high cabinets will work, two at 18″, a 24″ and a 12″… You get the idea.  Whatever is most visually pleasing, keeping what will be most functional in mind, is your guide.

Speaking of functional, remember that an island should be worth the floor space it’s going to take up.  Keep function in mind when designing your island, and you’ll be much happier with the end result.

For more information about kitchen islands, or to request pictures of different island designs, visit http://www.thecabinetfolks.com or email info@thecabinetfolks.com.

Craig Parker
http://www.articlesbase.com/kitchens-articles/kitchen-cabinets-ideas-design-kitchen-islands-with-wall-cabinets-686188.html

Electronic document storage means that documents are stored on magnetic or optical media using a computer. The documents can be ones originally created in an electronic form, as when you create a word-processed document or record a business transaction directly online, e.g., with a point-of-sale terminal. The documents can also be paper documents that are scanned into an electronic format.

Documents are stored electronically on media such as magnetic tapes and disks, and optical media such as CD. Millions of documents can be stored on current-generation media in very little space, say the size of your thumb. The contents of these media can also be easily backed up by creating duplicates on similar media.

How does electronic document storage compare with other forms of storage? Let’s find out.

Electronic vs. Paper Document Storage

Paper documents are sorted by some predetermined criteria and filed in appropriately labeled folders. The sorting is done manually and if the person doing it is not clear on how to categorize a particular document (or is a little careless) documents can end up in the wrong folder. This can make subsequent retrieval a very difficult process.

Electronic document storage typically offers a search function that enables a particular document to be retrieved from wherever it is. If it has been stored under a wrong category, the situation can be remedied quickly and easily. Or even better, a copy of the document can be stored under both the old and new categories (if the old classification has some significance).

Paper documents need a great deal of space as they accumulate. Paper folders need to be stored in secure filing cabinets to keep them safe. Filing cabinets are bulky and occupy expensive floor space. In addition to floor space, other costs include expense of the filing cabinets, paper folders, and the army of paper handlers needed to sort, file, store, retrieve, and otherwise manage the filing section.

The compact media required to store electronic documents require very little space. Retrieval can be done from any workstation connected to the computer network, and it does not involve any physical movement of the document. Business processes tend to be improved considerably, in terms of speed, under such an environment, in addition to major savings in costs – floor area, filing equipment, and filing-clerk salaries.

Electronic Storage vs. Microfilm

Microfilm is a durable media for storing documents. Paper documents are photographed into micro-size pictures and stored in film rolls. The pictures can be enlarged and viewed as needed using a special microfilm viewer, and can also be printed if needed. Microfilm storage is not affected by factors such as electrical disturbances that can corrupt electronic data.

Microfilm rolls also require significant space for storage, and they also require secure containers and experienced staff to manage them safely. Electronic document storage is typically done by operating staff, though archiving and redundancy might require a separate section. However, space requirement and ease of handling are far more advantageous for electronic storage.

Major Risks of Electronic Storage

Electronic data are open to the risk of corruption and damage from factors such as electrical disturbances during writing, system crashes, and external magnetic fields. And like all other media, they are also open to damage and loss from physical events like floods, fire, and earthquakes.

These risks can be guarded against by backing up the data and storing the backups elsewhere, say in a dedicated server on the Web that you have purchased. These backups can then be used to restore the originals if the originals are lost.

To be effective, the redundancy should be done in a systematic manner, say every day. There must also be clear policies and procedures on how to create the backup and where to store them. The backups must also be tested to ensure that they can be recovered when necessary.

Manuel J. Montesino
http://www.articlesbase.com/software-articles/electronic-document-storage-has-several-major-benefits-672827.html

I have often come across this problem when assembling things.

What always works for me is one of two things:
1) Put the directions down and walk away and try again in an hour.
2) Wait for a friend to come over to assemble the item. Often two heads are better than one.

One or the other never fails.