What Kind Of Wood Should You Use?
Different wood choices play a major role in the overall design and feel of your new kitchen or bathroom. The availability and ease of use of the wood you plan to use for your woodworking project will determine the price.
Let’s take a good look at certain woods that are frequently used (even the exotic ones), examine their distinct qualities, compare their cost, and finally examine their pros and cons.
Cherry
Sapwood is extremely popular due to its ability to endure humid conditions. Over time, the pink turns to red, creating a rich, natural look that many enjoy. Depending on your budget, Sapwood is moderately priced.Cherry wood is strong and dense and finishes beautifully . Woodworkers frequently use cherry wood in order to accentuate their woodwork while using other types of wood for underlying structures in order to save costs.
Ebony
Ebony is not specifically a wood type, rather, it’s a range of exotic woods with deep dark coloring. These are usually heartwoods imported from Africa and India. They are very dark brown and get darker with age – often being aged at the mill to achieve deep, natural colours. Although medium in density, ebony is easily breakable. It is most often used as an accent at a high polish. Be prepared to spend big bucks, as ebony is pretty expensive.
Hickory
Hickory is a sapwood much like cherry wood, the difference being that it’s lighter and has a beautifully red/brown coloring. Hickory stains beautifuly because it’s straight-grained, dense and strong. Hickory is reasonably priced – in the moderate range – and is used as a hardwood option. Hickory is used as accentuation in cabinet making. It will sometimes be mixed with cherry or walnut to create a contrasting look.
Mahogany
A popular rain forest wood, usually from Africa, this wood is reddish-brown with a characteristic interlocked grain. Because mahogany is delicate, woodworkers rarely use it for building. Mahogany is very popular and well recognized in woodworking. Mahogany’s origins and shipping cost play a role in its priciness.
Oak
Oak is a general term for about 200 species of tree, but the most common is a light-coloured sapwood with a tan or yellowish-coloured heartwood colour. Some oak is straight-grained while others are cross or crooked grained. Most cabinet makers will choose a mixture depending on the overall aesthetics to be achieved. Oak is known for its extreme strength and density and is often used as the underlying structure for cabinets. It’s relatively low-cost because it grows throughout North America so only the highest of quality oaks are pricey.
Pine
A very common wood that is usually found in white, yellow, or ponderosa colours. It takes staining fairly well (especially white and yellow), although ponderosa requires some preparation first. Pine is not very strong or dense and is a commonly grown fast-growth tree for lumbers in North America. It is often used throughout the cabinet, but most often as an underlying wood for drawer sides and supports.
Walnut
One of the more popular American woods, walnut comes in many species. It’s a dark brown in colour and gets darker with age. It’s medium in density, but very strong and usually straight grained. European walnut is easily identified through its wavy grain. Walnut is pricey because it is a slow growth wood, but it is often preferred for its superior characteristics, especially for high-quality designs.
Others
Most other types of wood that you might be confronted with are either very exotic or are just a type of ‘paint grade’ wood (birch, poplar, maple) that is considered inferior quality, but is very cheap and useful for painted surfaces that don’t need the beauty of grain and natural colour.
