Framed vs Frameless
Written by Kitchens.com

First you should understand what lies behind the cabinet door—the cabinet box. Your response may be a smug, Duh! But cabinet construction can get complicated rather quickly. There’s more going on than you might think. It breaks down by:

• Framed construction 
• Frameless construction

 In framed cabinets, wood joinery holds the parts together. Horizontal rails and vertical stiles secure the door to the box. In frameless cabinets, special hardware fittings do both jobs. Because no rails or stiles block the way, frameless cabinets offer slightly easier access to their interiors.

You might be surprised to learn that solid wood rarely forms the cabinet box. It’s more often used in face frames and doors than in the larger side panel parts. That’s because it tends to warp—a special concern in the kitchen where the moisture level changes frequently. But in the doors, using multiple strips of lumber in a variety of sizes can reduce the warp factor. A “floating” panel might also be used. The panel floats because instead of being glued to the doorframe, its edges sit between wooden grooves, allowing the wood to move more freely with changes in the kitchen’s humidity.

Box materials typically contain wood chips, other wood by-products, and synthetic additives to make them especially strong and warp resistant. 

Your options for box material include:

• Plywood
• Particleboard or furniture-grade flakeboard
• Medium-density fiberboard

All have solid reputations for durability and screw-holding power, particularly plywood. Medium-density fiberboard has gained a following for its ability to be formed into door and drawer heads and other decorative features. Furniture-grade flakeboard offers a stronger alternative than particleboard, which you’ll pay the least for. 

Often the door and box will be constructed of different materials. A cabinet door might be solid maple and the sides plywood covered with a maple veneer. The same finish would be applied to both, unifying the look. Or you may decide you want different tones on the door and the sides to add contrast.

You’ll want to make sure you know if the finish you like requires a certain base material, and you’ll want to check out examples of your manufacturer’s work. Beware of staples! Staples will pull apart. You want cabinets with thick panels that have been corner blocked and glued or fastened with screws.

WOOD SPECIES
Written by Superkitchens.com

There may be dozens of woods represented in the whole cabinet manufacturing realm. The most commonly used woods in the U.S. are Oak, Maple, Pine, Cherry, Hickory, Poplar, Alder and Birch.

Of these, Hickory and Oak are the hardest and heaviest. Cherry, Birch and Maple are also fine hard woods well suited to cabinetry. Alder and Poplar are less expensive, more plentiful woods that take well to glazed finishes with distressing (factory applied impressions to create an 'antique' look), but are apt not to absorb stains in an even, full coverage.

Pine, treasured for it's rustic appearance, does take many types of stains well, but is a soft wood and will be more easily dented and scratched, even with high quality conversion varnish finishes. Choose Pine for its 'old time' appearance and recognize that it may age a little more quickly than hardwoods, especially when used for cabinets in a busy kitchen environment.

Oak		Maple
	Pine		Cherry
Hickory		Poplar
	Birch

Woods commonly develop what is called a 'patina' by professionals and recognized by homeowners as 'darkening color'. Woods such as cherry and pine develop this phenomenon more quickly than others. These two species can be expected to darken for a year or two after installation. The degree to which they darken is influenced by several factors including the stain and finish. Best quality finishes contain Ultra Violet inhibitors to help slow or restrict the process. Another important factor is the amount of light to which the cabinets are directly exposed. Usually, areas exposed to the most direct or indirect lighting for the greatest amount of time, will darken faster than those in low light or shaded areas. Keep in mind that this process is NATURAL and cannot be completely inhibited by stains or finishes. The darker the finish, the less noticeable the patina. Natural cherry or natural pine are the most susceptible to this effect, so if these finishes are your passion, be prepared to accept this natural darkening with time.

Finishes:
Written by Keidel.com

Due to the limitations of scanners and the relative inconsistencies of various display monitors, the colors you see on your screen may not be a totally accurate reproduction. The samples shown below illustrate the variance in the color using the same four stains on each type of wood. These screen images are intended as a guide only and should not be regarded as absolutely correct.

When choosing a wood for your cabinets, start with a wood that is a little lighter than what the final color will be. Color stains will render the actual color of the cabinet and bring out the natural beauty of the wood. You can always darken the color of lighter woods, but it's very difficult to make dark woods lighter. Light Color Woods Light woods are ideal for making a small kitchen seem larger, a dark kitchen brighter, or creating a more contemporary look. Light woods are predominately yellow in color - ranging from pale yellow to pale tan. Choices include, but are not limited to, maple, oak, ash, poplar, birch and pine. Choose a clear or light colored stain to highlight the wood itself. Semi-opaque stains, and glazes can be used to further enhance the look of the cabinet. Medium Color Woods Colors in the mid-range add warmth to a room without overpowering it. Medium colors work well with contemporary and traditional styles. Medium colored woods have a pinkish cast, with a light brown or tan color to them. Choices include, but are not limited to, beech, cherry, For colors in the mid-range, consider using cherry with a natural finish, or stain maple a little darker than it's natural color. Dark Color Woods Dark colored cabinets can make a large room seem smaller, or can be used create a dramatic effect. Dark colors work especially well with traditional or Mission Style. As the label implies, these woods range from a medium brown to almost black in appearance. Examples of dark woods are butternut, mahogany, rosewood, teak and walnut. Stains / Dyes Traditionally, the difference between a dye and a stain is the size of the color particle which determines how the color integrates with the wood. Both are applied directly to natural wood that has been sanded. Stains Stains have very large, insoluble particles that do not penetrate the wood, but sit in the open spaces on the surface of the wood. Which is why some woods like hard maple, which has a very dense and tight cellular structure, do not take dark stains well. Others, such as soft maple, which is less dense and more open, can be stained as dark as desired. Stains may be sprayed, brushed or wiped onto the surface. The depth and final color are determined by the length of time the stain is allowed to remain on the surface, and how hard the stain is wiped off The doors pictured above are made of cherry, but each has a different stain or colorant that gives the door a different look and feel. Using a color stain on the wood may produce different color variances. Softer areas of the wood and end grain surfaces will accept more stain and often appear darker than other areas. This is a natural reaction when finishing wood products, and potential variances in color cannot be controlled. Dyes Dyes on the other hand, have soluble, molecular sized particles that actually penetrate the wood. Since the dye is actually in the wood, it is more transparent and does not mask the wood grain and texture like pigments that remain on the surface. Any wood can be dyed any color. Sealers/Finishes A stain is not a finish. The finish can be self-sealing, or the sealer can be different from the top coat. The sealer locks in the colorants, seals the grain, starts the filling process, and provides a sandable coating. Typically, a stain will be coated with a catalytic-conversion varnish to give it durability and the desired sheen. When it's baked on, the varnish catalyzes into a hard, protective finish. Clear finishes allow the markings and grain variations of the wood to show through. Tinted or opaque finishes change the color of the wood and can make two different woods appear to be the same. Glazes can be used as a top coat over the finish, to create decorative effects, such as an antique look. A Word About Varnishes Alkyd varnishes are the traditional varnishes made from a polyester resin. They are durable, flexible, resistant to abrasion, have good adhesion qualities, and are resistant to discoloration from light. Polyurethane resins have pretty much replaced the alkyds for only one reason - they dry and cure faster. And while they are more water resistant than traditional varnishes, Polyurethane varnishes are not light and UV resistant, and therefore will turn "yellow" rather quickly. The addition of Light Stabilizers to the varnish has helped minimize the effect. Glazes Glazes are transparent or semi-transparent stains which are applied after the sealer coat. Glazes are often used to even out a light and dark area after the staining and sealing process, and actually enhance and improve the beauty of the wood and the base finish color. Colorants Colored stains, paint and glazes will look different on different types of wood. Be sure you see the color on your choice of wood before you order. Notes Bleached wood Some woods, such as pine, are sometimes chemically bleached to give a much lighter and uniform color. However, over time the chemicals used to bleach out the natural wood color begin to lose their effect, causing a change in color. Exposure to Light All wood is photosensitive, and any light source (including artificial light) will eventually change the color. Exposure to direct sunlight, as in the case of a bright sunny kitchen, will accelerate the natural mellowing process. Exposing light colored woods to direct sunlight can cause unattractive yellow spots to develop in only a few days. The spots are permanent and nothing can be done to remove them. Choosing a more opaque stain over a clear or light stain, will help make the color change less noticeable, because less of the wood is visible. Newer finishing methods can slow down the effect of light, but so far, no product has been developed to stop it completely.

Cabinet doors can be, framed or frameless - neither of which have anything to do with whether the cabinet itself is framed or frameless. Either door can be used on either cabinet type.

The term door style actually refers to the type of panel that is used on the door. There are four major types of door styles: Slab/Flat Panel, Recessed Flat Panel, Raised Panel (Solid), Raised Panel (Veneer). There are countless variations of these basic styles.
(Mullioned, glass, concave, convex, and other specialty doors are discussed in Cabinet Door Styles - Part 2)

Frameless Door (Slab / Flat Panel )

The term slab is most often used to describe wood doors that have the appearance of a solid piece of wood, with no raised or recessed profile.

Due to the nature of wood, these doors are actually made of several pieces of solid stock lumber joined with adhesive, then cut to size. The wood strips used to construct the panel may not all match in graining and color.

Typically, the door's strength comes from the manner in which the pieces of solid wood are reversed as they are glued, providing cupping and warping resistance

Some manufacturers do not use the reverse gluing method.

Instead, wood strips are group together (vertically or horizontally) and reinforced with battens (strips of wood) across the back side, going in the opposite direction of the boards on the front side. Some are made of a single panel with grooves cut to resemble separate boards. A batten door gives a kitchen a rustic country look.

Laminated slab styles are made of a substrate material such as particleboard or flakeboard, then covered with the manufacturer's choice of laminate. Slab door styles may have detailed or plain edge profiles.

Framed Door


The cabinet door frame is like a picture frame. Separate pieces of wood, engineered wood, medium density fiberboard (MDF), or solid hardwood surround a panel in the middle.

The vertical sections of the frame are called stiles, and the horizontal sections are rails. The fame can range anywhere from 1/2" to 3/4" thick.

The rails and stiles are joined together using one of three methods:

Mitered Joint
Mitred doors and drawers have a frame that is joined by a mitre joint at the corners. A mitre joint is a 45° cut on both the stile and the rail. This joint runs diagonally from the inside corner of the frame to the outside corner.

Mitre cut doors are used on doors that have a fancy detail on the stile and rail that would be difficult to form with a Cope & Pattern joint (see below).

Miter joints are also used on inexpensive doors because this type of joint is easy to make.

Tenon & Mortise Joint
A traditional tenon and mortise joint (similar to tongue and groove) is the most common, and provides strength to the joint. Each end of the rail has a tenon (extension), which fits into a pocket (mortise) cut into the side of the stile.

Cope & Pattern Joint
This type of joint is often seen on furniture grade cabinetry.

Cutting tools are used to cut the rails (horizontal) and stiles (vertical) which result in two pieces, each a mirror image of the other.

In addition, a slot is cut into the rail and stile for the center door panel. The shape of the cut allows for a greater glue area, resulting in a stronger joint.

Recessed Flat Panel
A recessed flat panel door, starts as a flat piece of wood, then the frame is made to go around it.

The visible difference between the recessed panel and the raised panel is very noticeable, and can give a slightly more contemporary feel to a kitchen or bath.

This style also allows for a center stile down the middle of the door, creating a look that is hard to duplicate with raised panel doors. The panels can be smooth, grooved, or decorated.

Raised Panel - Solid
Even though the panel is called solid, it is not usually made of a single piece of wood. Wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity, and this can cause the door to split and crack.

To counteract the problems of natural movement in a solid wood center panel, the panel is usually constructed using several pieces of solid stock lumber glued together. The wood strips used to construct the panel may not all match in graining and color. As in the case of the slab door, the door's strength comes from the manner in which the pieces of solid wood are reversed as they are glued.

The panel is then cut on all four sides, so the center is higher than the edges. The face of the panel is usually flush with the front surface of the stiles and rails, with the edges forming a tongue which fits a corresponding groove cut into the door frame.

The groove is slightly larger than the panel's edge to allow the panel to float in the frame. This simply means that the panel has room to expand and contract during humidity changes, reducing the risk of the panel cracking or splitting.

Raised Panel - Veneer
Veneer is simply a thin slice of wood taken from a log, rather than a heavy board.

Instead of solid wood strips, the core (substrate) of the veneered panel is particleboard , or in some cases plywood, which gives the door much more stability than wood. The veneer slices (leaves) are edge-glued into a face. This face is made to fit the size of the panel. The method of matching the veneer edges determines the final appearance of the door panel.

A veneered center panel has a continuous graining, which some people prefer to the variety of the solid wood panel. While the final assembly into the frame is the same as for solid panel doors, veneered panel doors are less expensive than solid wood.

The Square, Cathedral, and Arched doors are usually available in stock, semi-custom and custom cabinets. Combinations (shown in bottom row) are available in some stock and semi-custom cabinets. Custom cabinets can be made using any combination. The actual cut of the door will vary by manufacturer.

Square	Cathedral		Arched

Raised Solid Panel with Laminate Surface
In this door, a single slab of MDF (medium density fiberboard) is routed to give the appearance of a center panel, and frame. Flexible vinyl is laminated to this substrate, using industrial adhesives applied with heat and pressure. The stability of MDF makes this door type especially resistant to cupping and warping. These doors are an inexpensive option to the raised panel wood door, and offer wide variety of color options .