Table of contents
Wood Specifications
QuikDrawers Wood Grade Characteristics
Albawood Program - Conestoga’s Albawood program offers an affordable alternative to traditional wood selections. Consisting of closed grain, white wood materials, the Albawood program has been formulated to include only those designs, profiles and options that flow very efficiently through our manufacturing process to keep inventory and production costs as low as possible. Finish availability is identical to that of White Birch in both wiping stains and Truetones. End grain areas will appear dark and are not considered defects.
Note: The appearance of Albawood products can vary considerably depending on the finishing material and processes used. When finishing Albawood products, additional sanding and preparation, especially to machined areas, is recommended to ensure a more consistent color and appearance.
Premium Grade - "Premium" grade has been developed for those jobs where a more uniform look is needed. This grade contains less of the natural material characteristics and is produced within a much narrower color range.
Premium orders will be matched to obtain a look that is as uniform as possible. However, since each board is different, there may be slight differences in appearance and color between pieces. Premium products will contain fewer and smaller mineral streaks and pin knots than "Standard" grade. A Premium grade order will give you a job that is consistent throughout for color and material characteristics.
In the "Heartwood" species, such as Red Oak or Cherry, no sapwood will be seen on the face of the door; in the "Sapwood" species, such as Maple, no heartwood will be seen on the face. This includes machined areas from a normal viewpoint after installation.
We recommend Premium grade for natural and transparent finishes.
Pecan/Hickory is an exception to our normal Premium grade guidelines in that the color variations and lack of uniformity are a characteristic of Pecan/Hickory. A Premium grade of this specie will include a narrower range of variation, but will not be uniform in heartwood or sapwood color.
Standard Grade - "Standard" grade has been developed to meet a wide variety of applications and will provide a very versatile product at a reasonable cost. Standard grade material allows for many of the natural characteristics of the wood to be present in the product while limiting or eliminating the most objectionable. This material grade allows us to utilize as much of the natural resource as possible while still producing a product that meets the needs of our customers.
Even though each board has its own individual appearance regarding color and grain, staves will be matched for a pleasing appearance. Colors will be blended within each door. Character marks such as pin knots and mineral streaks are strictly limited in size and amount in most species.
At times, vertical cuts will cross glue lines and may leave exposed glue on the edges of the product. While this is common in all species, the glue used in the production of Bamboo is dark in color and may be more apparent than is typical on other hardwoods. Visible glue on the edges of Bamboo product is not considered defective.
In "Heartwood" species, such as Red Oak or Cherry, the amount of sapwood that is present on the face of a door is strictly limited and will only be present in the machined areas. "Sapwood" species, such as Maple, limit heartwood to the machined areas.
Alder has little or no distinction between sap and heartwood and is an excellent choice for light or natural finishes.
Standard grade works well with most finishes. Lighter and clear finishes may tend to accentuate the natural color differences within the product and may not be pleasing to some people. If unsure of the appearance that will be obtained with the required finish, two or more sample doors should be ordered and finished prior to ordering an entire kitchen.
Paint Grade Hard Maple - "Paint Grade Hard Maple" was developed specifically for those customers that prefer to use only Hard Maple components for paint applications. This grade will allow all the natural color range of Hard Maple, as well as moderate amounts of stain and mineral. Products made from this grade will not be matched for color, with heartwood and sapwood present in varying amounts. Knots, wormholes and other defects that would cause voids are limited, providing a smooth paintable surface.
Rustic Knotty Grade - Conestoga's "Rustic Knotty" grade is available in Alder, Cherry, Hard Maple, Hickory and Red Oak. This grade was developed to provide our customers with a material that allows knots, split knots, ingrown bark and other character marks and defects. The knots are of varying size, both sound and unsound. This material will allow all of the natural color characteristics of the specie, worm holes and any other naturally occurring defects that may be present in wood. This product will not be matched for color and may have both sapwood and heartwood present in varying amounts. Voids will not be puttied.
Flat Panels for Doors - All 1/4" panels have an "A" grade face (unless otherwise determined by the material grade) with an MDF core. This provides a much better product to finish and helps to eliminate the rattle found in plywood core doors.