There are various wood types you can choose from for your kitchen cabinets. Each has its unique characteristics that are important to consider when making your selection.
N-Hance of Hampton Roads is here to help! As the industry’s leader for cabinet refacing in Hampton Roads, cabinets are our specialty. We know how to work with each type and how to enhance and preserve its features.
When deciding on your cabinet material, consider the wood type, grain, and color. Wood comes from various types of trees. For example, hardwood comes from broadleaf trees like cherry, birch, hickory, maple, and oak. Softwood comes from evergreen trees like pine, cedar, and spruce.
Wood can be stained to mimic other types, but one thing that always shines through is the wood grain.
The wood grain describes the visible texture, pattern, and alignment you can see on the surface of the wood. Let’s explore a few common types.
Common Wood Grain Types
- Fine. Invisible or very subtle patterns in the grain.
- Straight. Straight, vertical lines.
- Wavy. Grain with a soft wave.
- Arch. Inverted U or V arched patterns.
- Spiral. Funnel-like spiral grain patterns.
- Cross. Grain lines that run across the wood, parallel to the sides.
- Curly. A circular grain pattern.
Here are some of the most common cabinet door replacement wood types and their signature grains:
- Cherry has a smooth grain that gets deeper as it ages. Cherry is a very hard wood that’s considered to be in the “luxury” category.
- Oak is known for its varying coarse grain. You’ll see everything from straight lines to arched patterns in oak cabinets.
- Alder is unique with fine grain and holes or rustic knots in the wood.
- Maple has a light, smooth grain with straight or wavy lines.
- Hickory is known for random, prominent streaks in its grain.
- Birch has a combination of straight and softly curled grain.
Cabinet Refacing In Hampton Roads
N-Hance knows how to best handle your cabinet wood type and apply a paint color or stain to achieve the exact style you envision.
Contact N-Hance for your next cabinet refacing project in Hampton Roads!