What a good carcass is made of
| Element | Specification we use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sides and top | 19 mm BWP ply | Holds hinge screws under repeated load |
| Shelves | 19 mm BWP, max 900 mm span | Prevents sag under crockery |
| Back panel | 6 mm BWP, grooved in | Stops racking; a stapled-on back does not |
| Edges | 2 mm PVC, machine-applied | Seals the ply against humidity |
| Internal finish | Pre-lam or 0.8 mm laminate | Wipeable, no raw ply anywhere |
| Levelling legs | Adjustable ABS, 100–150 mm | Keeps ply off a wet floor |
Carcass versus shutter
The shutter is the visible door; the carcass is the box it hangs on. Quotations often specify the shutter in loving detail — acrylic, matte, imported — and describe the carcass as “ply”. That is backwards. The shutter is a finish you can replace in a weekend; the carcass is fixed to the wall, plumbed to the services, and replacing it means dismantling the kitchen. Spend on the box.
Where carcasses fail in Mumbai
- At the floor: a ply plinth sitting directly on tiles wicks up mopping water. Use legs and a removable plinth panel.
- At the sink: the panel under a sink takes drips for years. It should be BWP with a sealed cut-out, or WPC.
- At the back: a thin back panel stapled on lets the unit rack out of square, and then the shutters stop aligning.
- At the hinge boring: an unsealed boring in a poor board is where swelling starts.
Modular versus site-built
A factory carcass is CNC-cut to 0.1 mm, dowelled and assembled square, with every edge banded by machine. A site-built carcass is cut with a circular saw in a corridor and the edges banded by hand with an iron. Both can be good; the factory one is consistently good. Where site building still wins is a flat with out-of-square walls, awkward beams or a loft that has to be scribed in. We build both and mix them on the same project. See modular kitchen design and wardrobe design.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best material for a kitchen carcass?+
19 mm BWP plywood to IS 710 with 2 mm machine-applied edge banding, or WPC in the sink and utility zone. Anything urea-bonded belongs in a dry bedroom, not in a Mumbai kitchen.
How thick should a carcass be?+
19 mm for sides, tops and shelves; 6 mm grooved-in for backs. 12 mm sides appear in budget quotations and produce units that rack and shelves that sag within two years.
Can I replace shutters without replacing the carcass?+
Yes, and it is one of the best-value kitchen refreshes there is — ₹700–1,600 per sq ft of shutter against ₹2,000–3,500 per sq ft for a new kitchen, provided the carcass is sound and square.
Does the carcass colour matter?+
Practically, a little: a white or light grey internal makes the back of a deep cabinet visible without a light. It should always be a finished surface — pre-laminated board or laminate, never raw ply.