is poplar wood good for cabinets

What type of wood is best for cabinets?

How to Choose the Best Wood for Your Kitchen Cabinets

1. Maple. Maple is a hard wood which ranges from nearly white to cream colored and has a fine, smooth grain. ...
2. Walnut. Walnut is a hard wood with significant grain and color variation from creamy white to dark brown. ...
3. Rift Oak. ...
4. Clear Alder. ...
5. Cherry. ...
6. Knotty Alder. ...
7. Oak. ...

What Wood is the most expensive for kitchen cabinets?

“Kitchen cabinets can be a huge financial piece of the puzzle,” says Minneapolis-based designer Anne McDonald, who passed along a key piece of advice when crunching numbers on your kitchen budget. “Wood type matters!” stresses McDonald. “Right now white oak is all the rage, but it’s very expensive.”

What are some uses of poplar wood?

Uses for Poplar Trees

• Ornamental Trees. Poplars lining a road. Poplars grow quickly and remain narrow, which means they make decent ornamental trees and wind breaks.
• Pulp and Paper. Poplar pulp is versatile and lends itself to a variety of paper types. ...
• Timber. Poplar wood is used in pallets. ...
• Products. Camebert may be shipped in poplar boxes. ...

Is Poplar a good tone wood?

There’s a misconception that poplar is not a good tone wood. Actually, it’s fine. James Burton actually specified it for his signature Tele in the late ’80s, after trying a lot of different bodies.

Is poplar or maple better for cabinets?

Poplar species In contrast, poplar is considerably lighter and easier to work with than maple. For this reason, poplar is a good choice for making cabinets, doors, and small, intricate items like the internal joints of cabinets and furniture. Poplar wood takes stains, paints, and lacquers more effectively than maple.

Is poplar or birch better for cabinets?

Birch is more durable than Poplar and is often preferred for furniture that does not need to be painted, as it is considered a more attractive wood and is known to be more durable.

Does poplar wood scratch easily?

Poplar wood is one of the most popular wood types commonly used for making furniture, toys, plywood, decorations, cabinets, etc....Is Poplar Wood Good For Furniture In Terms of Strength?ProsConsHardwoodDents and Scratches acquire easilyUniform textureNeed more paint4 more rows

What is popular wood for cabinets?

Popular Types Of Wooden Cabinets Other typical types of wood used for cabinets include Cherry, Alder, Hickory, Pecan, and many others. Maple Cabinets: Kitchen cabinets made from Maple are a popular choice. Maple is a relatively versatile type of wood, allowing it to fit in amongst many different styles of home decor.

Is poplar too soft for cabinets?

Even though it's considered a hardwood by species, Poplar is one of the softest woods you can use for cabinets.

Is poplar better than plywood?

Hardness and Strength Poplar is a bit softer than birch. This difference relates directly to the strength and durability of the plywood made out of these two types of wood. Poplar plywood is fairly hard and durable, there is no doubt about it. However, birch plywood is harder and even more durable.

Does poplar take stain well?

That “paint-grade” classification also means that Poplar is not ideal for staining. Poplar is technically a hardwood, but it's one of the softer ones. This means it will take stain very unevenly. Stain soaks in and usually looks blotchy and lifeless, dull and generally not all that visually appealing.

Is poplar cheaper than oak?

Cost. As always, the cost is often a determining factor for homeowners, woodworkers, and DIYers. Red oak costs more than poplar, so if you're just looking for the cheapest thing with which to build your project, you should go with poplar.

Is poplar better than pine?

Despite being a soft tropical hardwood, poplar is still a stronger wood compared to pine. It has a Janka hardness value of 540 pound-force (lbf), while white pine wood has a 420 lbf Janka value—translating to relative strength. However, pine wood exists in various types. Some are stronger than poplar wood.

What is poplar wood good for?

As mentioned earlier, poplar is used for construction plywood and also construction grade lumber. Most often, you will find it in smaller, single-family homes and sheds. Because paint and glue take to poplar exceptionally well, it is used frequently in woodworking projects, as well as cabinets and drawers.

Is poplar a stable wood?

Poplar is very easy to work, is highly stable, and takes paint and stain famously well. The combined factors of low cost and high availability in a variety of widths and thicknesses make Poplar an outstanding secondary or paint-grade wood that is perfect for interior building or furniture applications.

What is the least expensive wood for cabinets?

pineIn terms of cost, pine is the cheapest cabinet wood you can use while mahogany is one of the most expensive, with oak and maple falling in the mid-range in terms of price. Durability of the various types of wood is also important to consider. Pine's budget pricing makes sense, as it scratches and dents easily.

What type of wood is best for cabinet doors?

Here are some of the types of wood that are best for painted cabinet doors. Poplar, for years has been the paint-grade wood of choice for furniture makers and cabinet shops. It has Soft Maple as a competitor because Poplar tends to be more labor intensive to sand and finish, but Soft Maple is more expensive. Click to see full answer.

Which is harder, poplar or maple?

One may also ask, what wood is harder maple or poplar? Workability. Because it is one of the softer hardwoods, poplar is easier to saw and machine than hard maple. Silver and big-leaf maple are softer and not as dense as the harder red or sugar maple and machine more easily, but are still harder than poplar.

Poplar wood cabinets????

I am getting very confused on my cabinet bids!!! I have gotten custom quotes from two different cabinet makers for alder or walnut cabs....now my last bid has come in and has specified poplar wood.??? I don't know too much about wood but isn't poplar really soft??? Can anyone give me feedback on this wood? Thank you!!

Comments (13)

We did poplar because it takes a dark stain really well. So far it seems great. Our cabinet maker did a really strong finish on it and it seems just as strong as any other wood.

How Strong is Poplar Wood?

You can get an idea about how strong is poplar wood is by focusing on its,

Is Poplar Wood Good For Furniture In Terms of Strength?

Even though poplar is considered softer than most other hardwoods, Poplar is a great choice for making furniture. It has great dimensional stability.

Is Poplar Wood Strong Enough for Bookshelves?

Poplar wood is strong enough for bookshelves. The only problem that occurs when using poplar wood for bookshelves is poplar gets inevitably painted, hidden, or veneered.

Is Poplar Strong Enough For A Bed?

Poplar is strong enough for a bed. It is known as the most common type of wood for bed frame making.

How Hard Is Poplar Wood?

Even though poplar wood is considered hardwood, it is softer than most hardwoods. But it is harder than softwoods. In terms of hardness, poplar wood moves towards the bottom end of the hardness scale with a 540 rating for the Janka hardness test value.

Is Poplar Wood Stronger than Pine?

Poplar is stronger wood than pine. According to the Janks hardness value, poplar has 540 lbf while white pine wood gets 420 lbf value.

Did I cover all you wanted to know about: Is Poplar Wood Strong?

From this article, I have widely discussed, Is poplar wood strong, what makes it strong, poplar wood for furniture in terms of strength, poplar wood for making bookshelves,

Characteristics Of Poplar Wood

Poplar, amid huge debate, is classified as hardwood. However, it is far from the hardness level of other hardwoods because it lies much lower in hardness rank.

What Furniture Is Poplar Wood Best Used For?

Traditionally poplar wood was shunned for its less than stunning looks and seldom used as the primary wood for furniture. It was more commonly used for hidden furniture parts and fixtures.

The Pros of Using Poplar Wood for Furniture

Poplar can be an excellent option for furniture pieces. However, it all depends on what you are aiming to do. There are many pros to take into consideration, especially when it comes to budget and stability.

The Cons of Using Poplar Wood for Furniture

We now know that Poplar wood is cheap, sustainable, easy to work with, and easily found. However, there are many disadvantages of this hardwood. It is important to consider these cons before purchasing or making Poplar furniture.

Final Thoughts

Poplar wood is a good choice for furniture, especially if it is only for inside projects like drawers and cabinets. However, it is not suitable for outdoor furniture or statement pieces that need to be very attractive.

What is the difference between hand brushed oil based paint and spray applied conversion varnish?

The difference between hand brushed oil based paint and a spray applied conversion varnish has everything to do with the look and feel, and nothing to do with durability. Clients that want a hand brushed oil should be informed of the durability issues however.

Is enameling hard wood?

Enameling is difficult to do well. It can look great, but often it does not. Depends on the look you want too. From contributor R: Poplar is a hard wood, but a soft hard wood. Soft maple mills a bit harder but easier to get a smooth painted finish. We use poplar mostly. I did on my kitchen cabinets.

Is soft maple the same as poplar?

Soft maple is very close to poplar in my area, but even if it were double it's still a very small part of the cost . You have to figure less than $1k difference even for a really big kitchen. In a high end kitchen that's likely a small fraction of the price.

Is maple or poplar better for paint?

We switched from poplar to maple a few years back and will never go back. Maple is much harder and takes paint much better - (smoother) and it simply holds up better. It's also more dimensionally stable, so over time it doesn't move as much and your joint lines don't show as much.

Is poplar more stable than maple?

From contributor J: Poplar is also less stable than maple, in addition to being very soft. You can dent the stuff with your fingernail easily. I'd be more worried about the finish being hand applied on site. Enameling is difficult to do well.

Is poplar good for kitchen?

Poplar is fine for some things but we are talking high end kitchen here. At least use soft maple. Or ask your supplier for hard in a mixed calico or natural grade it will have some boards with color and some white and part white perfect for paint grade at the cost or less then poplar.

Is AWI paint stable?

It works very nicely and is reasonably stable. There is always an issue with some movement on painted cabinets. If you can use a detail that helps conceal the inevitable crack in the paint where the style and rail meet. Keep panels as narrow as possible, or use veneered panels. Follow AWI for actual high end work.

1. Poplar vs Pine For Shelves: Which One Holds Up Better?

When it comes to choosing wood for shelving, there is one key thing you need to think about… shelf sagging.

2. Poplar vs Pine Durability: Which One Lasts Longer?

For a durable wood that can handle a lifetime of dents and dints, most types of Pine do a better job than Poplar.

4. Poplar vs Pine For Outdoor Furniture: Which One Can Really Weather The Storm?

First things first, neither Poplar nor Pine are naturally resistant to decay.

5. Poplar vs Pine Stains: Which One Stains Better?

Both Poplar and Pine don’t take on stains well. Or at all, really. In fact, applying wood stain directly onto these two wood types will do little more than leave behind unsightly results.

So, To Sum Up, Is Poplar Or Pine Wood Better?

Well, the choice between the two is pretty simple. If you want to make indoor furniture or small handcrafted items, then Poplar wood is the obvious choice. This is because it is easier to craft and machine than Pine. However, if you want to make outdoor furniture, then Pine beats out Poplar every time, thanks to its long-lasting durability.

Too Much Movement

• Poplar is not known for its stability. The Poplar tree grows incredibly fast. Like a weed. It has wider, less dense annual rings which makes for a less stable wood. And because of this weed-like structure, it has a tendency to twist, warp, and swell with moisture and humidity. Not only does i…

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Requires More Sanding and 'Fuzzes' Up

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The Verdict