Choosing Maple for Your Stock Kitchen Cabinets

By Woodrow Aames
RefacingCabinet.com Columnist

If affordability is the governing factor in choosing your new kitchen cabinets, you should know that in buying stock or ready-to-assemble models you won't have to compromise on appearance and durability. While you may be limited in your selection of styles and materials, you will find stock kitchen cabinets that look and work great--and still increase the value of your home!

Maple is one of the more popular woods used by stock suppliers and you'll find a suitable range in colors and grain to suit your designs. The wood used in maple kitchen cabinets is a hard wood, characterized by warm hues that soften and may lighten in appearance over time.

Some varieties are harder than others, so shop around for durability. You'll also find a range of glazes and finishes that set off the grain pattern, create a distressed look, or simply warm up in hues. Generally speaking, maple kitchen cabinets take a stain very well and also take polish with ease.

Alternatives to Stock Maple Kitchen Cabinets

Lately, makers are selling stock kitchen cabinets made of Plantation hardwood, also known as rubberwood. It has a dense grain and manufacturers report that it's easy to work with when constructing and installing cabinets.

Many cheap furniture products are made of this kiln-dried wood that is recycled after the usable rubber is harvested from the tree. That makes rubberwood an environmentalist's favorite when it comes to building materials. It's known to drink up stain like a champ and can be painted to match your décor. Since it's recently been used in stock kitchen cabinets, only time will tell if this inexpensive alternative has the kind of durability to please homeowners. For now, you may want to go with maple.

Sources

http://www.jsfonline.com/rubberwood.html
http://www.managemyhome.com/

About The Author

Woodrow Aames has written articles and profiles for Yahoo, Microsoft Network, Microsoft Encarta, and other websites and print magazines around the world. He holds an MFA degree and has taught English abroad.