Expert: Jamie Yocono - 12/11/2010

Question
I'm totally confused - I am having a custom kitchen done with maple wood - painted and glazed for an aged look - the cabinet maker uses good grade materials and solid woods - yet another custom maker who came to give me an estimate said her doors that are painted must have MDF centers because if they are all wood they will split away from the frame.  Can you help???  

Answer
Terri,

Actually, I tend to agree with both cabinetmakers. The one who recommends using MDF is guarding against future problems. The "solid wood" cabinetmaker is gambling a bit. Here's why...

Solid wood will shrink and swell with seasonal humidity, so using MDF will eliminate that worry. I have seen light wood that was stained, and then shrunk during a dry season, only to expose a part of the wood that the stain didn't hit. So MDF panels make a lot of sense because they're not prone to movement.

On the other hand, I like the quality of solid wood, so the first cabinetmaker's choice is a good one, too. But if I were going to use solid wood, I would stain it before the door is assembled, so that every last part of the door is stained. That way, when the wood shrinks, the newly exposed wood will be appropriately colored.

Two different cabinetmaker will usually offer two different opinions... welcome to my world! Either way would be fine, but if you go with the solid wood, the wood panels must be stained before assembly.

Just my two cents... hope this helps. Write back if you have any other questions, or if something I said didn't make sense, and I'll try to help again.

Happy Holidays,

Jamie in Vegas


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