# What type of wood is my cabinets?



## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

Might be birch [stained]


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

I think it looks a little like maple but no expert here.
What ever it is, it maybe hard to match. Most ply woods have a veneer on top that has been peeled off the log in one piece. Yours appears to have strips of veneers.


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## SPS-1 (Oct 21, 2008)

I would say maple with a stain on it.


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

It could be maple but birch was awfully popular during the 70s and early 80s.


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

Maple was my first thought as well. Not sure I know what birch looks like to rule it out.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

> My wife wants to paint them but I like the wood look.


Unless you are the chief cook and bottle washer, I’d go with the wife’s opinion. It is her kitchen, right?

Happy wife, happy life.


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## stick\shift (Mar 23, 2015)

> Happy wife, happy life


I am thankful this holiday season someone had the good sense to invent divorce.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

My first thought was maple as well. Birch usually has more even grain variation, subtle, but even across a board, sort of like a mild version of oak (don't know if that makes sense, it does to me!). I can't tell if it is board or veneer.

Exactly matching stain will be difficult. I know that stained wood cabinetry is not currently 'in', but to, to me, painting over nice hardwood is a crime, but I don't have to live there. Besides, painting your cabinetry properly will either be quite a bit of work or money, depending on how you approach it. We have stained oak and we are both quite ok with it. I have seen re-stores with virtually brand new cabinetry that were installed to sell a house then ripped out by the buyer.


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

Looks maple. Rails and stiles are probably solid and the panel veneer plywood.


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## hkstroud (Mar 17, 2011)

Looks like maple to me also. Here is pepper mill made out of maple for comparison. Don't look at color, look at grain


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## Nealtw (Jun 22, 2017)

This outfit shows the difference in veneer types so maybe it is available but looks expensive.
http://murphyplywood.com/hardwood/veneer/


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

As far south as you are, I would say Birch, Maple plywood wasn't as poplar as Birch.


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## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

Birch or maple, hard to tell from just one picture. Is the back of the door unstained? I find birch often has a bit of a directionality to its look, so as you move from looking at it at an acute angle from the left side, and move to 90deg, then over to an acute angle on the right side, it can appear to change color on you. Take a look at 8x4 birch plywood at the home centers.

Anyway, reproducing the color of the stain can be more difficult than getting a wood with the right grain. I've mixed Minwax oil stain from three cans to get what I wanted.


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## 47_47 (Sep 11, 2007)

BigJim said:


> As far south as you are, I would say Birch, Maple plywood wasn't as poplar as Birch.


How do you know how far south the op is, Jim?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

47_47 said:


> How do you know how far south the op is, Jim?


Mods know stuff like that. LOL


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## Woopigsooie00 (Oct 30, 2017)

I am in the south. I am in Arkansas. Haha. Yeah my wife will win. I just told her I would try and find out what kind it was just in case i could change her mind. Haha. I came into it thinking it was gonna be awfully hard to match unless it's painted to.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Do you find it somewhat strange very few professional painters have replied to this post? I assume they know better by now not to even attempt painting old kitchen cabinets. How do you get all the 40 years of grease, grime and possibly several coats of wax or furniture polish off so paint will adhere?

A sis of mine had to have kitchen cabinets painted in an up-scale house they purchased and she knew the up-scale painters to paint them. Disaster and they had to be re-painted with the prep work going into several extra innings.

I still have a lot of learning to do but I pretty well have this subject all knowed up.:biggrin2:


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## mark sr (Jun 13, 2017)

While I'm not crazy about covering up nice wood with paint, not all my customers have agreed. While paint won't be as low maintenance as poly, with proper prep, the right primer and enamel - a good job can be had. Most failed cabinet paint jobs are because someone skipped some prep and/or skimped on the coatings.


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## NitinKumud (Jan 12, 2018)

Popular wood types

There are many different kinds of hardwoods and softwoods out there for you to choose from when renovating your home. Some of the most popular include:

Maple: This is a sturdy hardwood with a smooth, fine grain, uniform color and ranges from creamy white to light tan. It is not a good option for staining.
Red Oak: Oak is a versatile, durable hardwood that is great for stains and finishes, ranging from light pink to light brown, with the occasional greenish tones.
Cherry: Cherry is a hardwood that may go from reddish-brown to grey. It has plenty of rich patterns and variations, which make it quite visually appealing.
Walnut: This hardwood is sturdy and beautiful, with striking grain patterns and coloring that ranges from dark brown to deep, purplish black. It is receptive to stains, though because it is dark, the effects will be quite subtle.
Alder: Alder is considered a hardwood,however it is on the softer end of the scale, which makes it great for staining and finishing. It is also more susceptible to denting. Colors range from darker brown to pale red, with a straight, even-textured grain.


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## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Chances are that if you used Birch and stained it, nobody except a Cabinet Maker would know the difference. Maple and Birch can be difficult to differentiate. 

Of course, paint will cover any differences quite handily.


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