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Home Remodeling Guide >> Kitchen Guide >>
Wood Species
Hardwoods are deciduous trees that have broad leaves, produce a fruit or nut and generally go dormant in the winter. America’s forests grow hundreds of varieties of hardwood trees that thrive in this country’s temperate climates. These varieties, or species, include oak, ash, cherry, maple and poplar.
Softwoods are conifers, evergreen and cone-bearing trees. Widely available in the U.S., softwoods include cedar, fir, hemlock, pine, redwood and spruce. In a home, softwoods are used primarily as structural lumber such as 2x4s and 2x6s, with limited decorative applications.
Photo features Highland Door Style in Oak with Wheat Finish by Aristokraft Cabinetry®
All the commercially available North American hardwoods are crafted into furniture, cabinetry, woodwork and built-ins. Hardwood species are valued for their natural warmth, versatility and beauty. Just as no two trees are alike, no two pieces of wood are alike. Because of this, it’s likely that you will see variations in grain and color throughout your cabinetry. Mineral streaks, pinholes and variations in grain pattern and color are the attributes of nature giving wood components their distinctive beauty.
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Alder: A moderately light and slightly soft hardwood, with a smooth surface and very little grain showing. Alder may display pin knots, grain "fuzz" and mineral streaks. May vary in color from very white to tan and pale, pinkish brown.
Alder finishes >>
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Cherry: Moderate in hardness, weight, and strength, Cherry has a fine to medium grain pattern and a relatively smooth surface. Characteristics include gum spots, pin knots, and sapwood. Colors vary from off-white to light red to dark, reddish brown.
Cherry finishes >> |
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Hickory: Very heavy, hard and dense, Hickory offers a bold, prominent grain pattern and burls, water stains, and sound knots. Colors often vary strongly in the same board from nearly white to dark brown.
Hickory finishes >>
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Maple: A strong, heavy wood with a tight, uniform grain pattern and a smooth surface. Characteristics include burled grain, pin knots, and caramelizing. Maple varies in color from nearly white to yellow, pink, light purple and reddish brown.
Maple finishes >>
Maple designer finishes >> |
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Oak: Red Oak is a dense, heavy wood that is very hard, with an open grain pattern and textured surface. It has many characteristic features, including mineral streaks, ray flecks, and pin knots or closed knots.
Oak finishes >> |
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Rustic Hickory: A wood species with extreme color differences in the same board, Rustic Hickory cabinetry will showcase the variety of irregular characteristics associated with tree growth.
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Rustic Maple: Offering the same properties as Maple, Rustic Maple cabinetry will show a random blend of the common, naturally-occuring characteristics and colors throughout a room's cabinetry. |
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