Specie Information & Wood Type(s) Explanations


We have several pictures and descriptions of hardwoods listed below that you can use a a reference for how your cabinet doors will look if you choose one of these hardwoods for your project. However, the list of hardwoods that we have included here is not an all inclusive list of available hardwoods on the market today. These are simply wood types that we have on hand (or that we can get relatively quickly) in our facility. All of these pictures were taken by our staff from hardwoods that we have purchased and used for existing customers' projects.
There are many different other types of hardwoods that are readily available such as Bamboo, Lyptus, etc., so if there is a particular wood type that you would like to use on your next project that you do not see included here, please just Contact Us regarding that particular hardwoods availability and we will be happy to check with our suppliers and let you know as soon as possible.

In the hardwood pictures below you will notice that some are labeled Select and some Rustic while others are labeled Std. Please reference our Hardwoods Grading Standards page to assist you in understand how we grade our different hardwoods.

 

Note: You can click on any of the images below for a larger view of the wood species.

Alder:
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Alder is known for its light natural color that is often brown or reddish in hue. It exhibits a uniform, straight grain and fine texture known for ease in staining. Alder possesses the ability to mimic the appearance of other hardwoods and is often substituted for Cherry. Of note, Alder is normally very soft in comparison to other hardwoods and profiled areas can be challenging to sand as a result.


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This is what Alder looks like in its natural state and some people believe that this is the real beauty of the wood. Knotty / Rustic Alder is beautiful both when it is stained and painted. This wood can give your space a very unique and rustic appeal.

Ash:
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Ash sapwood is light-colored to nearly white and the heartwood varies from grayish or light brown to pale yellow streaked with brown. Ash is typically straight-grained with a coarse uniform texture, yet can exhibit wider grain patterns from time to time.

Southern Birch:
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The sapwood of Birch is creamy white to yellowish in color and the heartwood tends to exhibit a light reddish brown to pink tone. Birch has a very subtle grain pattern that is normally uniform and tight. Few natural wood characteristics are normally evident, although light mineral and tight knots may be seen occasionally.


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This is Southern Birch's heartwood mixed with sapwood. Southern Birch (Std Grade) is a very pretty wood.

Cherry:
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The heartwood of cherry varies from rich red to reddish brown and will darken with age and long-term exposure to light. Comparatively, the sapwood tends to be creamy white. The wood has a fine uniform straight grain, a smooth texture, and may naturally contain brown pith flecks, pinhole knots and small gum pockets.


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Rustic grade Cherry will have knots and mineral streaks

European Beech:
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Beech sapwood is creamy to pink in tone, while heartwood can be pink to reddish brown in color. There is little color variation overall and its tight, fine grain makes Beech an excellent finishing wood. Natural wood characteristics are rare, although flecking can be evident at times.

Hickory:
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The sapwood of Hickory is white with subtle fine brown lines while the heartwood is pale to reddish brown and provides a wide contrast in color and grain. Both sapwood and heartwood are coarse-textured. The grain tends to be fine, and is normally straight but can be wavy or irregular. Hickory is naturally hard and typically heavy compared to other hardwoods.


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Rustic Hickory is very beautiful in a kitchen designed for a country setting, outdoor kitchens (covered patios, screened porches, etc.), rustic libraries, etc.

Hard Maple:
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The sapwood is creamy white with a modest reddish brown tinge and the heartwood varies from light to dark reddish brown. Sapwood is typically used due to its clean look and ability to finish well. Both sapwood and heartwood can contain fleck and vine marks, as well as small amounts of mineral as naturally occurring characteristics. The wood has a close fine uniform texture and is generally straight-grained, but it can also exhibit “curly grain” or “birds-eye” figure.

Mahogany (African):
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Mahogany is normally light to medium brown in color with a slightly reddish tint. The grain is tight and indistinct with occasional streaks of color. There may be contrasting shades of color between the heartwood and sapwood.

Pine:
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Pine is a soft wood with a close even uniform grain texture. Its color is pale, light yellow with few markings, none of which are typically outstanding. The surface of Pine tends to be smooth, without raised grain.


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Knotty Pine is also a very poplar wood for any type of Rustic setting.

Poplar:
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The sapwood is creamy white and may be streaked with the heartwood varying from pale yellowish brown to olive green. The green color in the heartwood will tend to darken on exposure to light and turn brown. The wood has a medium to fine texture and is straight-grained; has a comparatively uniform texture.

Red Oak:
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The sapwood of red oak is white to light brown and the heartwood is a pinkish reddish brown. The wood is similar in general appearance to white oak, with more overall color. Red Oak is frequently straight-grained with a coarse texture.


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This is the natural appearance of Southern Red Oak. It tends to have several mineral streaks and a greyish appearance. It is actually very hard and expensive to attain the Red Oak (Select) grade because there is a large amount of wood lost trying to attain that "Select" look.

Walnut:
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The sapwood of walnut is creamy white while the heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown. Occasionally there is a purplish cast and darker streaks. The wood is generally straight-grained, but sometimes displays a wavy or curly grain that produces an attractive and decorative pattern.

White Oak:
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White Oak is straight grained with a modestly coarse texture. The sapwood is light-colored — nearly white — and the heartwood is light to dark brown. White oak is mostly straight-grained and tends to cast a more grayish appearance than red oak.

Zebra:
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A heavy hard wood with a somewhat coarse texture, with the typical so-called zebra stripes, often with an interlocked or wavy grain. The heartwood is a pale golden yellow, distinct from the very pale colour of the sapwood and features narrow streaks of dark brown to black. Zebrawood can also be a pale brown with regular or irregular marks of dark brown in varying widths. It is a true exotic wood, with limited availability and relatively high prices.