Expert: Jamie Yocono - 12/16/2009

Question
Hi James

Any guidance would be appreciated. My wife and I are building our dream home and they delivered our custom made kitchen cabinets tonight around 7.  We are supposed to be moving into the house in a couple of days with a three year old and new baby.

One of the doors on the frame was off and needs to be remade but that was not a huge issue.

The big question we have came when we found out they switched the Alder wood for poplar.  The cabins are going to be stained and we liked the look of the stained alder and understand it to be a good choice for kitchens.  Will the poplar stain the same and be as durable?  This is the last house we will build on a farm my family has owned for four generations and it has a fairly high end finish.  We just did not like the look of cherry and thought the Alder wood stained well based on samples we have seen.

Any advice would be very appreciated.  We are closing on Monday on our loan and should have the house completed, depending on how big an issue this is.

Thanks

Jim

Answer
Hi Jim,

I would be a little POed if someone switched the wood on my cabinets from Alder to Poplar.  But maybe for different reasons that you might think.

Trees are either deciduous or coniferous. That means they either lose their leaves, or they don't. It also means that they're considered either a hardwood or a softwood. So if a tree, like a pine tree for instance, doesn't lose it's leaves. it's a softwood. Heck, it doesn't even have leaves; it has needles. That's WHY it's a softwood.

Now along the spectrum of all the hardwoods, there are degrees of hardness. A poplar tree is considered a hardwood, but in terms of how hard it actually it - well, it isn't. Poplar is a soft hardwood. So is alder. So in that sense, both alder and poplar are both quite similar.  They also finish somewhat similarly - they take stain reasonably well, and both are frequently used for furniture.

My main beef is that poplar has a greenish hue to it. Poplar generally runs from a pale beige color to all shades of green, to even purple-ish streaks. Because of this, I feel like it's a little difficult to evenly finish. Also, since alder is part of the birch family, you can purchase birch plywood for use in the cabinet backs, or door panels. I haven't seen poplar plywood, so I'm wondering what your cabinetmaker used for the backs and door panels. And will they two woods match, once finished?

While I don't have a lumber price-list handy, I believe alder is currently more expensive than poplar, although it's been a long time since I've purchased either.

I think your cabinetmaker tried to pull a fast one on you, making those cabinets out of a less expensive wood, and (I'm guessing) pocketing the difference.

Here's my suggestion - I wouldn't let this screw-up hinder your closing, but I certainly would demand that they adjust your pricing, as well as guarantee that the finished cabinets will meet your satisfaction. Depending on the price of your cabinets, you might throw a figure out there like a 10% reduction. I'm just guessing on this, but I think you have every right to demand something for their screw-up.

In the bigger picture, I would be asking if the wood finisher will be able to make the wood look the way you want it to look. Some wood finishers are geniuses, so this might not be a big deal to them. For me, with the finishes I use, this wood mix-up WOULD be a big deal to me. I really hate poplar, LOL.

OK, I hope this helps. Write back if you need more advice and I'll try to help. Good luck, raise a little hell, and hopefully, things will work out.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com