Cabinet Doors:     [scroll down for more info]



Cabinet Frame:

Wood Species Characteristics     [scroll down for more info]

There may be dozens of woods represented in the whole cabinet manufacturing realm. The most commonly used woods are Oak, Maple, Birch, Cherry, Hickory, Poplar, Alder and Walnut.

Of these, Hickory, Walnut and Oak are the hardest and heaviest . Cherry, Birch and Maple are also fine hard woods well suited to cabinetry. Alder and Poplar are less expensive, more plentiful woods that take well to glazed finishes with distressing (factory applied impressions to create an 'antique' look), but are apt not to absorb stains in an even, full coverage manner.

	Maple is a strong, close-grained wood that is predominantly off-white in color, although it also contains light hues of yellow-brown and pink. Hard maple occasionally contains small mineral, light tan or reddish -tinged streaks that will darken with stain. It is usually straight grained, but can be wavy or even curly.
	Hickory is a strong, open-grained wood that is known for its flowing grain pattern and dramatic variation in color. It often contains random specks, burls and mineral streaks, and it is not uncommon to see doors or parts of doors that range in color from light to deep brown when finished in light or natural stains. Darker stains will mildly tone these color variations, but these very characteristics make each hickory kitchen unique and the preference of those who love wood.
	Red Oak has a prominent open grain that ranges in color from white to yellow and reddish-brown. Red oak is sometimes streaked with green, yellow or black mineral deposits and may vary from a closely knit grain to a sweeping arch pattern.
	Cherry is an elegant, multi-colored hardwood. In its raw state, it has a pinkish-brown hue with occasional shades of white, green, pink or even gray. Natural or light stains accent these color variations. Small gum pockets, streaks, pin knots and figures are common. Cherry wood will darken or “mellow” with age. This mellowing is a natural occurrence and a benefit of owning solid cherry cabinetry.
	Birch is a medium-density hardwood with a distinct, moderate grain pattern that ranges from straight to wavy or curly. The predominant sapwood color is white to creamy yellow, while the heartwood varies in color from medium or dark brown to reddish-brown. This range in color makes a distinctive statement in a birch cabinetry selection.
	Walnut has a wide range of color variability from a contrasting cream colored sapwood to tan to medium brown to chocolate brown heartwood. Usually you will find walnut products made with mouse gray to to dark brown wood. The grain is mostly straight and open, but some boards have burled or curly grain.
	Pecan is one of the stronger hardwoods characterized by dramatic color variations ranging from white sapwood to reddish-brown heartwood on the same board. Pecan will mellow with age, making the color variation less apparent. It may contact pin holes, knots, burls and color streaks. Rustic Pecan has the same characteristics as pecan, but has more dramatic color variations, pin holes, knots, burls, color streaks and more radical graining.
	Alder is characterized by its straight grain and even texture. Its appearance can range from pale red to reddish brown with an indistinct boundary between heartwood and softwood. Alder is a softer wood than maple and cherry and can dent relatively easily, but offers a stable surface for stain.

As you can see in the examples of some of the more common woods used in the construction of cabinetry, the basis for the finish starts with the varied patterns in the wood chosen. Most stains will appear very differently based on which wood the stain is applied to.

Each of the examples above is the natural grain commonly found for specific wood. Woods with less depth of grain will generally stain more evenly, while woods with darker grain characteristics, knots, mineral streaks or mineral pits will show more of those characteristics through the stain.

Wood comes from trees, and in reality, unlike Joyce Kilmer's impression, trees aren't necessarily perfect. Many natural marks, patterns and variations in the way wood accepts stain is characteristic of wood not the finishing process or the quality of a cabinet.

In choosing wood for your cabinetry, make your selection on the characteristics that fit your style and aesthetics of your home. Finer grains accept stain more uniformly, while open grains with varied pattern react differenly.

In the examples below, we'll look more closely how different woods accept stain, as well as the different types of stains used in cabinety.


How stains react with wood species-

Look at how the each of the woods react with the stain "Honey Spice", a transparent stain. As you can see in the close up of each wood, patterns of the woods react with the stain as well as the overall reflective color of the stain changes:





Types of stains-

	Transparent or clear stains (as show above) allow the wood grain and some color to show through.
	Opaque or Semi-Opaque stains cover more than transparent stains, but still allow some grain to show.
	Light or Dark wiping Glazes add accents to the wood for style that are similar to furniture.
	Completely opaque or painted finishes mask the grain completely but still allow for unique color or glazes.