What We’re Made Of!
Urban Effects Cabinetry offers a selection of materials including real woods, manufactured products, and specialty environmentally sustainable options. Each material has its own unique characteristics and benefits. Learn about our specific materials defined below.
Cherry
Cherry displays a distinctive grain pattern and warm color shadings ranging from nearly white to dark reddish brown. Dark pockets, pin knots, and random streaks are common. More than most woods, Cherry will darken when exposed to light, especially in lighter stains.
Maple
Maple is a versatile hardwood with a fine, smooth grain. Maple varies in color from nearly white to slightly reddish brown. Mineral or sugar streaks occur naturally and can vary from piece to piece, but are more noticeable in lighter stains.
Oak
Oak is a strong hardwood with a long, linear grain often displaying tiny rays. At times, Oak has small pinholes and tight knots. Oak coloration can range from a golden wheat color to deeper tones and can include grays and greens.
Rift Oak
Natural grade quarter and rift sawn Red Oak has more character markings than the premium grade for a less formal feel. Quarter and rift sawing slices the wood at a different angle so the planks have radial and vertical grain instead of tangential grain. This exposes the medullary rays or “fleck” (a hallmark of arts and craft style oak furniture) and provides additional stability.
Rustic Alder
Rustic Alder is a hardwood with a fine straight-grain and even texture. The natural color is a light brown with a yellow or reddish tinge. Natural characteristics include spots, knots, and blemishes. As one of the softest hardwoods, Rustic Alder can be easily dented or scratched.
Walnut
The sapwood of Walnut is creamy white, while the heartwood is light to dark brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. Walnut develops a rich patina that grows more lustrous and lightens with age. The wood is generally straight-grained, but sometimes has a wavy or curly grain that produces an attractive and decorative figure. Walnut produces a greater variety of figure types than any other wood.
MDF
MDF doors are either one-piece or consist of a sandwich-type construction. The core material in MDF is a 48lb industrial strength composite bond, created by using special resins and finer wood particles compressed to a dense board. The core is shaped with precision routers using diamond tooling to give exact profiles and edges ready for coating. MDF two-piece construction doors are comprised of a 1/4″ HDF front and a 1/2″ MDF back, sandwiched together.
Thermofoil
Thermofoil doors are comprised of vinyl-coated, thermally-glued ¾” HDF with a melamine backer. The vinyl is bonded to the high-density core using heat and pressure, resulting in a product with excellent wear and heat-resistant properties. When Thermofoil is selected, some fillers, panels, mouldings, and embellishments will use a non-melamine backed core. A heat shield must be used where doors are near heat-producing appliances.
Melamine
Melamine doors are comprised of a particle board core with a durable, thermally-fused melamine coating.
PureStyle
PureStyle™ doors feature 5 piece MDF mitred construction. PureStyle’s malleable laminate wraps and contours around each individual lineal and insert panel. After each piece is individually wrapped, the pieces are then assembled into a door or drawer front. This construction enables the door style to attain a higher degree of styling with clean lines and distinct features. A benefit of PureStyle™ is that it provides a surface that is abrasion resistant to dents and scratches.
Echo Wood
Echo Wood material is available in Oak, and is made from reconstituted wood products. The use of common wood fiber from well managed plantation-grown and FSC Certified forests provide an excellent resource for the production of reconstituted products. These products provide a practical alternative to achieving the look of even the most expensive and rare woods by providing the highest quality architectural wood veneers, panels, and edge tape available. These environmentally responsible veneers are defect-free and are consistent in color and grain time and time again.
Due to lighting fluctuation, manufacturing variances, and limitations of computer screens, actual product colors may vary from swatch images. Please visit your local dealer to see in-person products.