What is a flatpack?

What is a flatpack? You may have heard of someone who used flatpacks to add cabinets to their home or office and wondered how exactly that worked. In this article we’ll explain what flatpacks are and discuss the top benefits of using them.

A flatpack is cabinetry that arrives packaged in a flat kit form and requires you to assemble it. The assembly of the flatpack item can range from quick and simple with a few parts, to detailed with many different parts. You will need a basic tool set to complete the cabinet assembly.

Flatpacks are commonly made from particle board (often called chipboard) or medium density fibreboard. These boards come in many different colours and textures. This allows for a myriad of design options.

Flatpacks have experienced a surge in popularity over the pandemic. This was because people were spending much more time at home, freeing them up to take on DIY projects. Flatpacks are a viable and cost effective option when you decide to make-over or spruce up your kitchen, bathroom, garage, robe or laundry cabinetry.

 

3 top benefits of flatpacks

1.Reduced cost

The most common reason why people use flatpacks is the price. The biggest cost saving is the assembly of the cabinets. By removing the cost of the professional cabinet-maker you greatly reduce the overall cost of the project.

Flatpack furniture is designed using CAD (computer-aided design) software and cut using CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) methods. This greatly reduces the labour costs. Another cost-saving benefit is that the flatpacks are produced in large quantities, thereby reducing their overall production cost.

Flatpacks are commonly made from particle board which costs less than solid wood panels. Particle board also has a greater screw holding capacity which is a plus for those who don’t have joinery experience.