Kitchen cabinets wood doors considerations
Brown raised kitchen cabinets.

Variations in color, grain, mineral streaks, burl graining, knots and black eye are the beauty of nature and not considered defects.
Paint and and stain may have a slight difference in tones between doors, face frames, moldings or other parts.
Glazed component will have a finish appearance variations.
Painted solid wood doors that are glazed add stability against seasonal dimensional changes.

Splashing from a sink, single flooding, steam from cook tops or pots, improperly sealed dishwasher doors can damage your cabinets. Moisture should be dried from surfaces immediately including substrates to minimize damage.

Humid air will cause slight swelling and drier air will cause slight shrinkage. It can result in wood parts splitting and cracking and the insert panels in panel doors will shrink and the panel edges will be exposed. The cracking is more evident on light colored paint. If you install the cabinets in an extremely humid area or in a building without air-conditioning you can expect the cabinet components to change dimensionally. The cabinets are designed to accommodate some of this dimensional change. These variations are considered to be the nature of the material in relation to their environmental exposure. This is not a reason for replacement but it is an indication that humidity levels are too low or too high and need to be remedied.

Components may warp, cup or bow with uneven humidity. Warped doors will generally straighten out after a new cabinets go through a complete heating and cooling season. NOTE: A hinge adjustment will improve the fit of the door as the cabinet progresses through a heating and cooling season. Improperly installed cabinets or improperly adjusted hinges can cause doors to appear warped.

The best time to test a door is after a complete heating and cooling season, (Spring time). To test a door, lay the door on a flat surface and measure the gap between the surface and the door to the nearest sixteenth of an inch. Warped is indicated when a door:

12” or less – gap is greater than 1/16″
13″ to 24″ – gap is greater than 1/8″
25″ to 41″ – gap is greater than 1/4″

The optimal humidity level is 35% to 50%. Extreme conditions; lower than 20% or higher than 80% need to be avoided. Maintain climate control to reduce the risk of damage.

Temperature increases cause materials to expand and temperature decreases cause materials to shrink. It leads to cracking, splitting, warping, cupping and bowing in wood components.

Prior to installation acclimate the cabinetry by moving it into the house. Do not store your cabinetry in a garage or basement.

Cabinets adjacent to appliances or fixtures that generates high temperatures shall have properly installed heat shields.

It is recommended to use professionals and that the same professional be involved in measurements and installation process.

With proper care and normal everyday use, solid wood cabinet doors last for generations.

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Kitchen cabinets manufacturer.  Granite, marble, soapstone, dolomite, quartzite and Quartz countertops fabricator.