Oak Wood Kitchen Cabinets
Oak Kitchen Cabinets and Their Benefits
Oak is naturally a light colored wood with a strong grain. This makes oak cabinets ideal for customization. Oak looks attractive in a wide range of stains, from light to dark, and therefore can be colored to match any home's decor. Better yet, as kitchen styles come and go, oak cabinets can be sanded down and stained a different color, giving oak cabinets an impressive longevity.
Oak is a household name when it comes to home furniture and furnishing for the excellent quality that it comes in, providing homes that innate strength for beauty that lasts for many years. Oak is a popular hardwood because of its sturdiness and compared with other options, it has greater density. In busy kitchens, consistently changing temperature and moisture levels are common as well as all the spills and mess of food preparation and cooking. With proper sealing, a cabinetry collection manufactured from such hardwood will efficiently stand the test of time.
Oak kitchen cabinets are not only durable, but they also posses a beauty unlike others. This choice is perfect in capturing that unique natural touch to the décor with its beautifully changing patterns that offers a dramatic effect. Oak is well-known for being an attractive choice with its well-loved rough grains. Coming in a selection of natural colors, the assortment is made wider by the various rich tones that your cabinetry collection can be stained with. And the variety is made more versatile the different door and drawer front styles that oak kitchens showcase.
Types of Oak Cabinets
You can get full access cabinets and framed oak cabinets for your kitchen. The first option is good if you want to add space to your kitchen. Full access cabinets have larger racks, allowing you to store as many kitchen items as you like.
Framed ones are the most commonly used and they give that traditional look due to the frame on the doors. However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot change the look of your kitchen cabinets, but more on this below.
How to Clean Oak?
Since the kitchen can be a wet and messy place, you will need to keep your oak cabinets or flooring clean all the time to prevent any significant damage. To start off, wipe the interior and exterior of the cabinets regularly. If you cannot reach small areas, use a vacuum hose attachment.
You can even use a wet cloth to clean your cabinets and if any stain refuses to go, use some dish soap as well. If you are using soap, rub the oak one more time to remove residue from the soap and let the cabinets dry on their own.
You can also clean the oak kitchen with oil soap twice or thrice a year in the same way as described above. Doing all this will help you sustain the life of your kitchen cabinets and flooring.
How to Sand and Prime the Cabinets:
The next thing to do is to sand the surface for priming. Do this with a piece of fine grit sandpaper but be careful not to rub too hard. Be careful and gentle, taking your time for the best results. You do not want to remove more of the top surface than necessary. When you are done, wipe the surface down with a clean tack cloth, to get rid of dust.
Your next step will be to brush on some primer in order to cover the wood grain. Let the primer dry and you will find that your oak cabinets are smooth and ready to be painted.
If you are going to use a latex paint, use a Shellac-based primer. These primers normally dry quite fast but they do have a strong odour so open the windows before you start.
Remodeling Oak Kitchen Cabinets
As time goes by, marks and other signs of wear and use will eventually show on the surface of your cabinetry collection. When this time comes, you can refinish your oak kitchen cabinets to bring back a renewed luster, making them seem as good as new. To remodel cabinet units, here are general steps to take:
1. Unscrew every hardware and label parts as you go along disassembling them for easier re-assembling.
2. Using a clan cloth lightly dampened in mineral spirits, wipe off the surfaces. Sand your cabinet pieces with a 220 grit sandpaper, then follow with a 180 grit for a smoother finish. Complete the cleaning process with a deglosser.
3. Apply the stain or paint product of your choice, as directed by manufacturer.
And your oak kitchen cabinets will glow with a renewed polish.
Oak Wood Kitchen Cabinets
