Routing wires behind cabinet doors: neat hack or structural risk?

I tested wire channels on scrap wood to avoid mess in my builds. Some argue cutting into frames risks integrity, but others value the hidden look. How do you handle this?

3 comments

3 Comments

violap871mo ago

But honestly, how much stress does a cabinet door really handle? In my view, we sometimes overstate the risk for normal home use. I've worked with plenty of frames that had shallow channels and they held up just fine. The real problem comes from bad wood or poor construction, not a careful groove. If you're using decent material and don't go overboard, it's likely not a big deal. People have been hiding wires this way for ages without issues.

thomas5871mo ago

So when you say it's been done for ages without issues, how do we really know those cabinets are still solid years later? @the_casey's one-third rule seems smart, but does that change if you're using thinner modern frames?

the_casey1mo ago

You can route a clean 3/8" channel if your frame stock is thick enough. Just never cut more than a third of the wood's depth or you'll weaken it.