As we mentioned earlier, oak has a rougher texture than maple, which translates into a more matte stained finish. On the other hand, stained maple appears glossy because of its smooth texture. Oak's prominent grain makes it ideal for staining, as its texture will emerge proudly through a stained finish.
The grain pattern is a sure way of identifying the wood type. In practice, hardwoods such as European oak lumber or mahogany have an open poor structure while softwoods are almost smooth with zero grain indentations. Another pattern worth observing is if the wood was plain sawn or quarter sawn at the time of cutting.
Oak kitchen cabinets have open grain patterns that are distinguished by light-reflecting rays. The hardwood is heavy, durable, and exceptionally wear-resistant which prevents dings and curves.
Most manufactured cabinets have two options for sides, plywood or furniture board/melamine. The plywood will have real wood veneer with grain and visible layers on the ends. Furniture board will be smooth and might be a different color on the inside.
Cabinet brands that belong to the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA) will have a sticker on the back side of the sink door or side wall of the cabinet. On the sticker there should be a code or the cabinetry name in the middle of the label. For example, on a Bertch Kitchen+ door, the code is BCM.
Stainless steel, solid wood, and plywood are some of the most common and durable materials for kitchen cabinets, but they tend to be more expensive than other materials. On the other hand, laminate, thermofoil, particleboard, and MDF are more affordable, but may not be as strong and durable as the higher-end materials.
Unlike maple's smooth and shiny surface, oak has a slightly raised grain and rougher, coarser texture. Both maple and oak cabinets may yellow over time with heat and UV exposure when left in their natural state.
Cost Comparison
Generally speaking, oak tends to be slightly more expensive than maple due to its higher demand in various industries. Both woods, however, are considered affordable options for homeowners looking to upgrade their space with high-quality materials.
Oak has a distinctive and regular grain pattern, often with few knots or imperfections. Ash features a straight grain with a characteristic pattern, often with some visible grain rays. Elmwood is known for its attractive and interlocked grain patterns.
The cheapest type of wood for cabinets is typically particleboard, which is a composite material made from wood fibers and resin. However, if you are looking for Premium options, solid wood like oak, or pine is often one of the more affordable choices.
Xylorix Inspector is an automated macroscopic wood identification mobile app. Given the 24x magnified anatomical visual information of the cross section (end-grain) of a timber, Xylorix Inspector uses its trained artificial intelligence models to identify the timber genus/species in a few seconds.
Generally straight-grained with a consistent texture, maple also can have a bird's-eye or curly (also called fiddle back) pattern. Many woodworkers find the unique grain patterns of maple burl particularly appealing.
When looking at their leaves, oaks are easy to identify. Their leaves are always longer than they are wide. They have sinuses and lobes, shallow or spiny, depending on the species. Evergreen oaks like the coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) often have smooth, oblong leaves with shallow spiny lobes.
Maple wood kitchen cabinets are incredibly versatile! And far from outdated. They're one of the most durable woods used in kitchen cabinets, and with the right finishes, they can fit in perfectly with any look, whether it's a traditional, modern, rustic, or contemporary kitchen.
Oaks Characteristics
They are usually pale honey, but the shades vary from white to red. The color may also depend on the cabinet finish. Often, oak kitchen cabinets have open grain patterns distinguished by light-reflecting rays. The hardwood is different compared to other woods out there.
Non-porous woods are softwoods. Ring, semi-ring, and diffuse-porous woods are all hardwoods. If you can't sand your piece, look inside of drawers cabinets, trim boards, or even the bottom of legs for an untreated end grain view. It will really help you out with identification.
While maple is considered outdated by some - especially custom cabinet manufacturers who prefer replacing rather than refacing - we think it's worth finding new ways to embrace high-quality maple cabinetry whenever you can.
Oak cabinetry often features an orange finish, making your kitchen appear outdated. To tone down the warmth and create a modern kitchen with oak cabinets, outfit the rest of the kitchen in cool, refreshing tones such as blues or greens.
Some distinctive features include grain patterning on its surface as well as joint construction. Solid wood cabinet doors will have noticeable joints where the frame was constructed. Laminate doors, on the other hand, will have a smooth, seamless finish.
The cabinet box and drawer box can be constructed of human-made materials or solid wood. Particle board and furniture board are composites of reclaimed and recycled wood products bonded together with a synthetic resin or binder under heat and pressure.
Stock cabinets
IKEA keeps its costs low because they are sending your order to you in pieces and because the materials they use are very inexpensive.