Expert: Jamie Yocono - 8/13/2008

Question
Hi Jamie,
I am planning to resurface my existing kitchen cabinets with quarter inch Birch plywood. My question is similar to the one Carl had ask but I wanted to clarify it. I want it to be a sleek, modern look without a ton of mouldings that scream "I've been resurfaced". I thought I could use half or one inch birch for the faces, however it is not easy to find. You told Carl to use a blond/tan poplar on his TV stand would this hold true in my instance as well? I agree mimwax stains are the only way to go and love the way the birch plywood stains, I would like to go with a red mahogany or oak stain, will the poplar be okay with that? Please let me know what you think.

Deborah

Answer
Deborah,

I'm not sure I completely understand what you're trying to do.

Are you talking about using 1/4" birch plywood for the face frame and outsides of the cabinets? If so, yes, that can be done.

But then you mention half inch to one inch birch for the faces later on in your question - I am not sure what you mean about that.  If you use something that thick, it's going to change the overhang of your counter top.

So what I think you meant to ask was - can you use half inch to one inch birch for the drawers/doors. Did I get that right?

I'm going to assume the answer to that is yes, and try to answer your question.

You can use quarter inch panel stock for facing the cabinets, but should plan on using 3/4" stuff for replacing the drawer fronts and doors. You might want to look into Baltic Birch plywood, it's usually sold in 5' x 5' panels, and comes in millimeters. A 6 mm sheet would be equivalent to 1/4", a 12 mm sheet is a half inch. And an 18 mm sheet is 3/4". My plywood supplier here sells Baltic Birch in both 5x5 sheets as well as 4 x 8, so you may have to call around a bit to locate what works best. But Baltic Birch plywood has fewer interior voids, and more layers, so it's extremely strong, stable, and will take a decent finish. Some people even like to see the exposed plywood edge, as it's somewhat graphic and not bad to look at. So it's possible to use it for doors without having to edge band it.

As far as staining, yes, you can use either of those colors with poplar or the Baltic Birch, so it just depends on what you like, color wise.

It would be my opinion that using Baltic Birch would be a good solution for the "sleek" look of your kitchen. And as far as color goes, oak is usually light, so if you're looking for a light effect, I would simply leave the Baltic Birch natural and just seal it with a polyurethane. But if you want a more dramatic look, the red mahogany will really give you a "wow" factor. I would buy a small can of the mahogany and try it on a sample piece of plywood, before committing the whole kitchen to it. Test, test, test.

OK, I hope this helps, write back if you need more help, or if you have questions after reading what I've written. Good luck, sounds like "my" kind of kitchen. I love that contemporary, sleek look.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com