When entering the kitchen, the cabinets are the first thing a person sees.
Not only are they storage piece, but it gives the kitchen an aesthetically pleasing look.
So, for building kitchen cabinets, you need the best wood out there.
The best wood for kitchen cabinet doors includes white and red oak, birch wood, maple, and cherry wood.
These woods have a gorgeous look and are suitable as kitchen cabinets.
Here is a brief review of these five kinds of wood mentioned above so you can see which will suit your kitchen more.
Best Wood for Cabinet Doors that You Can Buy
1. Birch Solid Wood
Neither expensive nor weak, that is what we love in a suitable cabinet wood.
And you can find both of these qualities in Birch Solid Wood.
It is a fine grain, light brown wood, darker than maple.
This wood has a dense design and can withstand scratches, strains, and indentations.
These woods are suitable as kitchen cabinets because they can bear heavy weight without distorting.
We like that you can transform it into a very expensive-looking wood via staining.
It takes staining pretty well and can mimic expensive-looking wood while being cheaper than them.
After adequate staining, it looks like maple and cherry wood.
It is one of the best wood for cabinet doors for people who are tight on budget and want their kitchen to look elite while saving some money.
They have good resistance to water and, with proper cleaning and care, can last for decades.
2. Oakwood
Oak wood is another great material to build cabinets with because of its clean and classic look with exquisite quality.
Along with that, the oak wood has a hard finish that makes it almost scratch-proof.
In addition. It has the best dimensional stability.
It means that it doesn’t change its dimensions or designs in exchange for some challenging environment or trauma.
There are two types of oak wood available for cabinet building.
· Red Oak Wood
Red oak wood has a maroon and reddish-brown hue and a warm brown undertone.
Oak wood can be expensive, but it is considered a one-time investment because of its enhanced durability and water resistance.
The core of red oak has a warm red undertone that gives it the characteristic colour and doesn’t change its colour or texture under harsh environments.
However, you cannot stain the red oak with light colours as it will not pick up the stain because of its reddish colour.
Red oak wood is more rigid and heavier than white oak and has excellent water resistance than white oak.
I am making it one of the best wood for cabinet doors in humid areas.
· White Oak Wood
White oak has a grey shade to it in contrast to red oak.
So it takes light stains better than red oak.
The white oak is rigid, sturdy, and has good compressive strength.
However, it doesn’t have better scratch resistance than red oak.
The dimensional stability and flexibility are excellent, and they can withstand heavy weights.
Compared to red oak, white oak wood lacks good water resistance.
So you have to protect it by applying a layer of varnish on it.
Both of these oak woods are easy to repair.
All you need is to sand down the defects and wood and stain and seal it.
Your wood will be good as new.
3. Maple Wood
Another famous and on the list of the best wood for kitchen cabinets include the well-known maple wood.
It is a nonporous smooth wood grain with light colour.
The strong fibre network in this wood gives it a stronger look.
This wood is easy to stain, so that you can give it a lighter or darker look, depending on your kitchen theme.
Maple wood is solid and versatile and quickly picks up all sorts of stains.
One thing to remember is that maple wood is sensitive to ultraviolet light.
This wood darkens under constant exposure to UV radiations, and to protect them; you have to apply a coat, a seal, or varnish on them.
There are two types of maple wood that you can find on the market.
· Hard Maple
As its name says, hard maple is stronger and scratch-resistant than soft maple.
It is beige and is easy to stain. It maintains its shape under high forces, making it a good choice for cabinets.
Also, it absorbs stains uniformly, giving it a neat look throughout.
To trim hard maple, you must use a sharp instrument to get a clean cut or trim.
As it’s hardwood, using a dull instrument on them will create fuzz and uneven corners.
· Soft Maple
Soft maple is a relatively less hardwood that quickly gets scratched or dents on its surface.
It is softer than hard maple and needs extra care when staining it.
To stain it, apply a pre-stain conditioner before staining the wood to give it a uniform finish.
However, it is one of the best wood for kitchen cabinet doors that you can paint easily.
4. Cherry Wood
Suppose you want to give your kitchen wood a vintage-style look, then look no further than cherry wood.
It is a reddish-brown wood with a cool core and a fine closed grain.
The pattern on the wood is pretty diverse, and there are many curls, turns, twists, and pins to give the wood a beautiful design.
It gives a classic and vintage look to your kitchen cabinets.
It is also a strong wood that produces minimal scratches and bears load easily.
The wood gives a smooth and fine finish on cutting, trimming, and sanding.
If you are a beginner working on cabinets, you should go for cherry wood, as it is easy to handle and gives a good finish despite many mistakes.
In short, you can cover many of your mistakes with cherry wood.
It darkens gradually on constant exposure to UV light, so apply a varnish or sealing coat to maintain its integrity.
This water resistance is pretty good, and it can last for decades.
However, this wood is pretty expensive compared to other kitchen cabinet woods.
Related Reading: What Is The Custom Kitchen Cabinets Cost – Click Here To Find Out.
Things to Consider While Choosing the Best Wood for Cabinet Doors
Before selecting the wood for your kitchen cabinets, the following are the things you should consider
· Your budget
· If you want only to stain the wood or paint it too. Because not all woods are paint friendly
· Ensure the wood’s water resistance is good enough to bear regular splashes or leaks.
· Wood should not be soft and have enough strength to bear weight.
· They should be easy to repair and maintain.
· They should take stains well.
Related Reading: Cost Of Spray Paint Kitchen Cabinets – Click Here To Read.
Best Wood For Cabinet Doors – FAQs
Which wood for cabinets is paint friendly?
Maple wood is easy to handle and one of the paint’s friendliest.
Which is the most common type of wood used for making kitchen cabinets?
Oak wood is the most popular wood used in kitchen cabinets because of its durability and classic finish.
Which type of wood is cheap yet durable?
Birch solid wood is known to have good strength and scratch resistance while inexpensive.
What are the best quality woods available?
Hickory, oak, cherry, and maple are the best wood for kitchen cabinets.
Can you stain red oak wood?
Red oak wood is easy to stain, especially in darker colours.
However, it is not recommended to stain it with lighter colours, especially with cold tones.
How do you make kitchen cabinet wood waterproof?
You can make kitchen cabinet wood waterproof by applying a sealant or varnish topcoat on them.
Related Reading: Waterproofing Kitchen Cabinets – Click Here To Read More.
Final Words
Now it’s time to give your kitchen some beautiful and sturdy cabinets with these five best wood for cabinet doors.
These woods include oak, birch wood, maple, and cherry wood.
These woods are majorly water resistant and are solid and sturdy with simple maintenance and repair.
All these woods are of premium quality and lasts for decades with minimal changes in looks.
