What Makes Wood Cabinets a Great Choice?
New cabinets for the kitchen are available from many materials these days, including wood, metal and particleboard. Metal cabinets are more common in modern homes but wood remains to be a standard in many kitchens. Cabinets are considered a home investment, so it would be wise to buy quality ones. If it is time to make a change in your kitchen, wooden cabinets can give you the beauty, durability, and versatility you are craving. Below are some of the big benefits that wood cabinets can give you and your kitchen.
Resilience from high humidity levels
The kitchen can get very humid. Moisture is added to the air with all the cooking in the oven and the boiling water in the stove, as frying food leaves greasy residue throughout the area. Solid hard woods like cherry or oak should be able to handle high levels of humidity and will not expand or absorb moisture the way that particleboard does. This should make your cabinets last longer.
Protection from water leaks
Floor level cabinets near the refrigerator, dishwasher or sink, can end up damaged by too much water. Therefore water sealants are recommended for the exterior finish. Even pantries that are tucked away in the corner can end up with spilled items and can lead to problems. Sitting liquid might end up rotting the hardest of woods, but properly treated solid wood cabinets should be able to hold up so much better than particleboard. Particleboard will start to deteriorate after brief exposure to water but solid wood is more resilient.
Durability from continuous opening and closing
Some cabinet doors come with inset panels that have a tendency to rattle, which can be very annoying considering how often the doors are opened and closed. After all, this is the way cabinets are meant to be used. But with high quality solid wood cabinets, it should be able to withstand such regular activity and fare better.
Less deterioration with solid wood
Strong and stable, solid wood is able to hold its shade and give decades of regular use. It does not absorb moisture like particleboard, and will not lose its firmness quickly. Overtime, the weight of its contents can cause particleboard to bend and bow. Even when you can flip the shelf boards over and use the opposite side, this will leave you with the issue of an unfinished edge. Solid wood will not bend as particleboard, eliminating such a nuisance all together.
Refinish for a fresh look
Most custom kitchen cabinets can be updated and changed over the years. For solid wood, attempt refinishing the doors and surface before replacing. You can paint particleboard, but you will not be able to strip away any old stain or apply a new golden oak finish the way that you can with wood. When painting solid wood, start with white and then change it later to deeper tones. If it was stained originally, you can stain it again after some years to a deeper wood finish.
A vast number of home interior designs include solid wood for kitchen cabinet designs seeking touch of class. Solid wood cabinets are versatile, durable and are perceived a higher quality than other mterials. Many designers today utilize kitchen design software to visualize ideas and give their clients tips based on the hottest trend. When looking for kitchen designers in Somerset County, it is best to see their kitchen cabinet design portfolio so you can grasp the scope of their style and craft and determine if this is a good match of your own style.
