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About Kitchen Materials
When beginning a Kitchen Remodeling project, it is important that you carefully consider the wealth of options you have at your disposal when it comes to materials. Below we will outline some of the material choices that you will have to make when embarking on a remodeling a kitchen.
Below we have outlined the different types of materials that are commonly used in kitchen cabinets and countertops.
Wood Cabinets
Ash
American Ash comes in several species: black, brown, and white. A hardwood, the timber of white ash is heavy, hard, strong, and durable. Ash is valuable in many special applications because it is exceptionally flexible. It is among the most easily steam-bent hardwood species. It is a popularly used in making food containers because the wood has no taste.
Color: Nearly pure lustrous white, ranging through cream to very light brown.
Grain: It has an attractive, straight, moderately open, pronounced grain.
Characteristics: Heavy, hard, strong and stiff excellent bending qualities.
Maple
The American species of maple are divided into two groups: Hard maple, which includes sugar and black maple; and soft maple, which includes red and silver maple. Maple has been a favorite of American furniture makers since early Colonial days. Hard maple is the standard wood for cutting boards because it imparts no taste to food and holds up well.
Color: Cream to light reddish-brown.
Grain: Usually straight-grained and sometimes found with highly figured bird's-eye or burl grain. Bird's-eye resembles small circular or elliptical figures. Clusters of round curls are known as burl.
Characteristics: Heavy, hard, strong, tough, stiff, close-grained and possesses a uniform texture. Maple has excellent resistance to abrasion and indentation, making it ideal flooring as well as cutting boards and countertops and cabinets.
Finishing: Takes stain satisfactorily and polishes well.
Oak
Oaks, both ed and white, are the most abundant U.S. hardwood species. It would be difficult to name a wood with a longer and more illustrious history in furnishings and interior design. Oak was a favorite of early English craftsmen and a prized material for American Colonists. White oak is just one of 86 oak species native to this country, but it is the classic oak of America. Although prevalent throughout the eastern half of the United States, from Maine to Texas, white oak lumber comes chiefly from the South, South Atlantic and Central States, including the southern Appalachians.
Red oak grows only in North America and is found further north than any other oak species. A big, slow growing tree, red oak takes 20 years to mature and lives an average of 300 years.
Color: White Oak- ranges from nearly white sapwood to a darker gray brown heartwood, Red Oak-ranges from nearly white cream color to a beautiful warm, pale brown heartwood, tinted with red.
Grain: The grain is distinguished by rays, which reflect light and add to its attractiveness. Depending on the way the logs are sawn into timber (rift-cut, flat sliced, flat sawn, rotary cut, quartered), many distinctive and sought after patterns emerge: flake figures, pin stripes, fine lines, leafy grains and watery figures.
Characteristics: Heavy, very strong and very hard, stiff, durable under exposure, great wear-resistance, holds nails and screws well.
Finishing: Oaks can be stained beautifully with a wide range of finish tones.
Pine (Southern Yellow)
Southern Yellow Pine is actually a species group that is made up of primarily four trees: loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), long leaf pine (Pinus palustris), shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) and slash pine (Pinus eliottii) Loblolly Pine is the most important and predominant of the four. It grows throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain, often in commercial stands, from Maryland south through all the Carolinas and Georgia into Florida, and westward to East Texas. It is classified as a hard pine and is harder than white pine.
Color: Warm pale yellow with brown knots.
Grain: Distinctive light and dark grain pattern.
Finishing: Pine takes most finishes well. End grain and spots that have been routed require extra sanding to prevent excessive penetration of stain. Knots in Pine furniture add color, interest and character; however they will "bleed" through washed or light finishes and they tend to darken with age. Always finish all surfaces including the bottom and inside with a clear coating of the finish coat. With some stains, a sealer helps prepare the wood to achieve a more even look.
Countertops
Once a cabinet style is selected the next most important decision to make is selecting the material for your new kitchen countertops. Beyond your color and texture preferences, you must also consider your kitchen lifestyle and budget when choosing your countertop material.
Laminate (Formica)
Laminate countertops are the most affordable option and thus the most common in America's homes. They are available in a large variety of choices. Beyond solid colors and patterns, laminate countertops are come in a wide array of shades and textures. You can even get laminate countertops that look like wood. While they are relatively durable, you should not set hot pans directly on them or cut on them, as they can easily scratch and discolor. You should always use a cutting board when working on laminate countertops. They are fabricated by gluing sheets of laminate onto a particleboard subsurface. Generally home centers will prepare countertops to your measurements making installation relatively easy.
Tile
Tile is available in an extensive array of colors, textures, and sizes. The price of tile countertops can very greatly from relatively inexpensive for sections of small tiles on a mesh backing to very expensive if hand-painted tiles are used. Often times more expensive tiles, such as handmade tiles and border accent tiles, can be used affordably when used as accents on a base of more inexpensive one-color tiles. Using different colors of tiles creatively can create a unique look affordably. Tile is durable, but should not be used as a cutting surface. One of the benefits of tile is that is that a single tile can be easily replaced should it become damaged. Small tiles that have a lot of grout area are very attractive in a presentation area, but should not be used in a heavily used area, as cleaning the grout would become difficult.
Butcher Block
Butcher-block countertops have been gaining in popularity in recent years. They are available in a range of thicknesses, and consist of a solid wood top. People like them because you can cut and work directly on the countertop. If the surface becomes nicked or scratched, they can be refinished by sanding. While the cost depends on the thickness and wood choice, butcher block countertops are not inexpensive.
Solid Surfacing (Corian)
Solid Surfacing countertops (such as Corian) are an extremely attractive and versatile option. Over the last 10 years the cost of such countertops has dropped considerably, making them a viable option for many homeowners and one that should be seriously considered. Solid surface countertops are much thicker than laminate and the color goes all the way through the material. This allows for the layering of different colors to give the counter edge a colored band. These countertops are extremely durable (some say nearly indestructible). Corian countertops can be used as a cutting surface, though they are tough on knife blades. If you are able to scratch them, you can simply sand them smooth. Solid Surface materials can be used to create a sing that flows seamlessly from your countertop. They are available in a wide array of color and patterns. However, installation requires a well trained professional.
Natural Stone (Granite or Marble)
Granite and Marble countertops are the gold standard in kitchens today. They are the standard required in finer homes. Natural stone has long been the favorite for bakers on which to roll their dough. Nothing can replace the sophistication and elegance that the look of natural stone provides. To preserve the quality of your knives, a cutting board should be used when working on natural stone. However, it can withstand the heat of pots right off the stove with ease. Natural stone countertops are available in a wide variety of colors and textures and no two batches of stone are identical. Your countertops are certain to have a unique look. Though they are expensive, if your budget can handle it, granite countertops are definitely worth the price.
Stainless Steel
Stainless-Steel countertops were once only used in industrial kitchens, but they are making their way into homes. Stainless-Steel countertops are quite pricey, but they will give your kitchen a unique look and are extremely durable and easy to maintain.
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