Cabinets are an integral part of every kitchen. Kitchen cabinets should have style and efficiency. It is possible to obtain both features by choosing the right material to build kitchen cabinets. The material used by a cabinet will decide the appearance, strength, and durability of the cabinet. Cabinet manufacturers commonly use wood to make kitchen cabinets. However, the forest should have a suitable finish, if it is used to make cabinets. Proper finishing is important because the wood bends easily with changes in its moisture content.
The materials available for the manufacture of cabinets are:
Red oak: Red oak has high strength, durability and is relatively cost-effective. The material comes in several finishes and styles. It has prominent bead patterns and is commonly used to make cabinets in traditional methods. Red Oak is the material of choice for custom, semi-custom and stock cabinets.
White oak: White oak is like red oak regarding durability. It has more force than red oak. This material has golden tones and subtle grains. White oak is often cracked to make custom cabinets.
Hard maple: The hard maple has a light tone and fine grains. It is a bit more expensive than oak but has a lower density. Custom and semi-custom cabinets often use this material. It is possible to spot the maple but is usually given a natural or clear finish to achieve a contemporary and light appearance.
Cherry: Cherry is well known for its hardness. It can withstand spoiling and hitting without being damaged. Cherry offers a great versatility of design and can give a contemporary look to a kitchen. When the traditional style cabinets use cherry, the kitchen gets a formal and elegant look. The cherry has fine grains and is very soft. It has a reddish-red or red color, which darkens over time. To get a uniform in color, one can go to spot the hardwood.
Birch: The birch has excellent durability and is slightly darker in tone than the maple. It has beautiful grains and looks like an expensive hardwood. One can give this hardwood the appearance of maple or cherry by staining. However, wood is vulnerable to irregular coloration. It is a cost-effective option to go when making semi-personalized and kitchen stock cabinets.
Ash: Ash is like oak regarding durability and strength. However, it has a more prominent structure and a lighter color than oak. The wood has straight grains. To get a contemporary look in the kitchen, one must give a natural or clear finish to this hardwood and use it to make cabinets.
Pine: Pine is the only kind of softwood that can be used to make cabinets. Compared with hardwoods, pine dents more often. The wood has a pale yellow hue and usually has knots, which makes it suitable for building cabinets for the country and traditional style kitchens. If desired, I can even spot the pine. Some select semi-custom cabinets use western white pine and Eastern white pine.
These are the primary materials that people use to make cabinets for new kitchens. Each of these forests has its advantages and limitations. One should thoroughly research all of these materials and choose the material that best suits their needs and tastes.
Kitchen Cabinets – Choosing the Right Materials
One of the most popular materials for wooden kitchen cabinets is maple. The maple is both durable and versatile. It can be used with many finishes due to its fine and uniform grain. Maple can be painted or stained easily and can match a variety of kitchens. One of the only disadvantages of maple is that it tends to yellow in the sun, which is not a problem if painted.
The popularity of rival maple is oak. The oak is quite sturdy but is not as versatile as the maple because of its distinctive appearance. The unique oak grain lends itself to outdated, country-style kitchens, but does not match well in modern cooking styles.
From stainless steel to copper, the variety of metals used in modern kitchen cabinets continues to grow. Stainless steel may look like something institutional, but with the right accents, it can help create a cozy kitchen. Burnished copper and brushed nickel are also two popular finishes in metal cabinets. Metal cabinets can be noisy, so look at all the materials used in the cabinets. Manufacturers often put the metal on other less noisy materials, such as plywood or pressed board. This reduces noise level, but can seriously affect durability. The cabinets will be more or less durable depending on the materials used under the metal. Take some time to make sure your cabinets will last a long time.
Melamine cabinets are another option. Melamine is a coating that covers a base material and provides protection against scratches, stains, and flames. It can come in a retro-style grain, plain white or faux wood. The durability of melamine also depends on the quality of the base material. The coating does not allow moisture in the base material, but if the coating cracks, the melamine cabinets can sag quickly. Otherwise, they are an aesthetically pleasing and relatively durable option for a kitchen cabinet set.
With the social push towards a green home, a new trend in cabinetry manufacturing materials is bamboo. Bamboo is a fast-growing plant that is considered sustainable because of the rapidity with which it regenerates. Creates a unique appearance that accepts stains reasonably well. Since bamboo does not grow enough to create planks, bamboo cabinets have to be plated. Like metal and melamine cabinets, the strength of bamboo cabinets depends on the type of material used as the base material.
Whatever your choice of material, a new set of kitchen cabinets will make your entire home look and feel different. The right cabinet set will make your kitchen feel more like home or more like a professional kitchen, depending on your preference. Take the time to check out every available material and style before committing to a new set of kitchen cabinets. The right choice will last for years, or until you are ready to change the atmosphere again.