Breakdown of Kitchen Cabinet Materials
2018-12-19
Oak has uniquely attractive grain markings, is super strong and durable for long life, and has less damage while cleaning.
Maple is shock and abrasive resistant with a highly decorative wood grain while being hard, stiff, and smooth to the touch, and less prone to warping and bending.
Cherry is a reddish brown tints with straight grains and a smooth surface while also being lightweight, moisture resistant, hard, and stiff to prevent warping and bending.
Alder is a brighter, softer hardwood yet harder than pine and is bend and moisture resistant to provide long-lasting cabinet door frames.
RTF cabinet doors are durable and constructed of MDF or other engineered wood products. They are reliable because theyโre covered with a plastic material (thermofoil) that becomes the MDFโs finishโusually with a wood appearance.
MDF, high-pressure-laminate (HPL) cabinet doors are on the top of the list as budget-friendly alternatives. Pine (a softwood species) is very common and provides a beautiful grain appearance. But since it is a soft wood, it is prone to denting, warping, and chipping. Pine is still ranked higher than HPL doors because it is a solid wood verses the glued chips in MDF construction. Pine surfaces can also be repaired in many situations, but a laminated surface cannot. High pressure laminate (HPL) cabinets are budget friendly and a type of MDF laminated cabinet. The engineered wood is covered with a resin or paper laminate finish. It is applied using high pressure and heat to ensure a strong bond.