I'm finishing installation of our new Shenandoah kitchen cabinets, and am mildly impressed with the quality and workmanship of these mid-priced big-box-store cabinets. I have a question, though, regarding the cabinet "skins" that were provided for each exposed cabinet end surface. There are skins for the sides of the upper end cabinets and skins for the lower cabinet ends. There are also 8' skins for the 2 sides of the pantry and for the 2 sides of the fridge enclosure.
I'm not altogether sure about the purpose of these skins - since the basic cabinets all come with finished fronts and sides. Are these skins generally provided for added protection - or are they provided for additional strength and build-out?
Directions included say to use a high quality spray adhesive when attaching the skins to the cabinet sides. My assumption is to buy a 3M product for this job. I would have expected the directions to suggest using contact cement, the kind used in fastening laminate counter tops rather than the spray adhesive although the spray might be easier to apply.
I would like to hear any thoughts and/or suggestions about these skins and the gluing process from someone who has had prior experience with this task. Thanks.