First sand any damaged areas on the doors or paint cabinet frames with 320 grit sandpaper to remove burrs or ridges then fill the areas with spackling compound photo 3.
Best wood for painted cabinet doors.
Which solid wood type is best for a specific project depends on budget if the cabinetry will be painted and personal preference.
Because most cabinets are painted with a high gloss or semi gloss paint they will be more durable and easier to wipe clean than say a matte finish wall paint but you do want to take care not to use anything so harsh that you end up striping the paint or.
Paint adheres best over a scuffed surface making true wood cabinets a great candidate for painting sand the surface to prep it for paint and the result is a better bond and smoother finish.
As with most things you won t find any shortage of opinions but there does seem to be some broad agreement on when the best types of wood are for painted cabinets.
Poplar for years has been the paint grade wood of choice for furniture makers and cabinet shops.
The best wood for cabinetry is widely considered either red oak poplar maple mahogany or plywood.
Paint grade poplar wood.
Poplar poplar wood image.
Cabinet doors come in a wide variety of styles.
If you have painted cabinet doors either your own diy project or the work of a professional there are some things to keep in mind.
Paint grade cabinetry is usually a smooth flat wood made of lower quality materials because the paint will cover the grain.
Best woods for paint grade cabinet doors.
Staining by wood type.
Poplar has for years been the paint grade wood of choice for furniture makers and cabinet shops.
Aside from the general pros and cons of each option you ll need to consider the type of wood your cabinets are before you make any decisions.
Here is a brief summary of our experience with the various paint grade woods.
Tight grained woods that are workable and durable remain a popular choice.
So what s the best wood for painted cabinets.
Some paint cabinets like ours have a catalyzed lacquer finish that s very hard.
Associated fabrication over the years poplar was the preferred choice of wood for painted cabinets.
This results in a better and smooth finish especially when the board is painted.
The reason for this is that poplar tends to fuzz up during sanding.
Primer won t form a good bond to this surface unless you scuff it up first.
Here are some of the types of wood that are best for painted cabinet doors.
This is especially important if your wood cabinets are already stained or have a glossy finish you will need to get through this finish layer first either with sandpaper or a liquid.
Maple is a strong competitor though.
There are shaker style cabinet doors flat paneled doors inset doors raised doors and many more.
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.
Here are a few types of wood best suited for painted cabinets.