wood markets series wood cabinets

Wood Cabinets
Sector Overview
Cabinet demand in the U.S. was estimated to be worth $12.5 to $13 billion in 2004. This
sector has many small local producers making custom cabinets and a handful of large
producers making stock and semi-custom cabinets.

Cabinets have two distinct components; doors and boxes. Cabinet doors make heavy use of
solid and veneered hardwoods. Raised panel doors make up close to three-quarters of all
doors. Raised panel doors have a solid wood frame and most often have a solid center panel.
Flush panel doors also often utilize a solid wood frame.

The second component is the cabinet box. Three-quarters of cabinet boxes are made of
particleboard and an additional 14% are made from plywood. These panels are covered by
printed paper, melamine, or vinyl.

The cabinet industry is traditionally a local-based industry due to lead times on orders and
demand for call-back services. However, standardization and advances in manufacturing and
shipping have led to consolidation of the industry. Today only 29% of cabinets are produced
by small custom shops, while 59% are produced as stock cabinets by large firms. The
additional 19% of cabinets are built by medium to large firms on a semi-custom basis.

Material Use
Residential cabinet door types, 2003 Residential cabinet box material - 2003

Raised panel solid wood 60.2% Solid wood 10.4%

Raised panel veneered 11.3% Particleboard 75.6 %
Flush panel in frame 23.3% Plywood 13.8%
Plywood 1.3% Total 100.0%
Total 100.0% Source: WPC 2005

Source: WPC 2005

Wood Use
Solid and veneered cabinet doors are made almost exclusively from hardwoods. While
market share estimates vary greatly from study to study it is clear that three species dominate
the landscape. Oak, maple, and cherry make up 75% to 85% of the wood door market.
Softwoods, on the other hand, make up less than 5% of cabinet doors. One major trend is the
move to maple at the expense of oak.

Species used, U.S. Species used, Canada 2002

2004 KBB 2002 FCC Oak 20.6%

Oak 26% 32% Maple 31.7%

Maple 43% 26.2% Cherry 7.0%

Cherry 16% 14.9% Yellow Birch 18.5%

Birch 3.2% White Birch 4.0%

Ash 0.9% Yellow Birch 18.5%

Hickory 3.9% White Birch 4.0%

Radiata Pine 3.4% White Pine 5.0%

Poplar 1.9% Douglas-fir 3.6%

Source: FCC, 2003
Alder 6.7%
Douglas-fir 0.8%
Source: KBB, 2005 / FCC, 2003

Grades and components

Cabinet doors make heavy use of FAS, selects, and #1 common lumber. Small custom shops
tend to buy higher grades.

Hardwood grades purchased by U.S. cabinet producers, 1999

Overall Large firms Small/Med. firms

FAS and selects 32.9% 14% 51.9%

#1 common 61.9 76.5 47.4
#2 common 5 9.5 .2
Below #2 common 0.2 0 .5
Source: Olah, 2000

Cabinet doors are often purchased as unfinished components by cabinet companies. These
companies assemble the boxes, finish the doors, and market the cabinet system.

comparative species Properties

Red Oak Sugar Maple Black cherry

Specific Gravity 0.63 0.63 0.50

Hardness (N) Side (Green) 4400 4300 2900
End (Air Dry) 5700 6400 4200
MOE (MPa) Green 9300 10700 9000
Air Dry 12500 12600 10300
MOR (MPa) Green 57 65 55
Air Dry 99 109 85
Shrinkage Radial (OD) 4.0% 4.8 3.7
OD = oven dry Tangential (OD) 8.6% 9.9 7.1
air = air dry 12% Volumetric (OD) 13.7% 14.7 115
Volumetric (air) 2.15 2.06 1.92
Terminology
Description of Major Cabinet terms

t er m Desc r iption

Custom Cabinets produced to order in small runs

Stock Cabinets produced in set designs and sizes and stocked in the distribution channel
Semi-custom Stock type cabinets allowing for some degree of customization
Frame Outside stile and rail components
Panel Central panel surrounded by the frame
Raised panel door Door design with frame and raised panel, often of solid wood
Flush panel door Door design with frame and veneered flat panel
Frameless / slab door Frameless door made usually of plywood or other panels

Associations and Standards

Associations

Cabinet Makers Association www.cabinetmakers.org

Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association www.kcma.org
Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association www.ckca.ca

Standards
The Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association has a set of voluntary standards for cabinets
(KCMA A161.1). This standard includes fastener withdrawal and finish benchmarks.
Prospect Summary
Once believed to be a local market and immune to import threats, the cabinet market is now
dominated by stock products produced on a large scale. As the distribution network for stock
and semi-custom cabinets becomes more efficient, Canadian producers will increasingly
access out of province and U.S. markets. However, with the tie to local production severed,
China will also be present in Canadian and U.S. markets. The best position between the
local producers and mass import volumes may be the semi-custom market where Canadian
producers can provide some degree of options and prompt service.

With respect to softwood prospects the cabinet market is a challenge. While niche markets
exist for rustic softwood doors, the wood cabinet door market in the U.S. is 95% hardwood.
Canada appears to use slightly more softwoods.

Sources
Association of Millwork Distributors (AMD). 2004. Millwork Principles and Practices Third Edition.

Fell, D., and Lindenbach-Gibson, R. 2003. Furniture and Interior Finish Opportunities for Select Underutilized Wood Species
- Saskatchewan and British Columbia Year 1. Forintek Report.

Fell, D., and Lindenbach-Gibson, R. 2003. The North American Value-added Components Industry: Overview and Market
Opportunities. Forintek Report.

Lavoie, P.; Fell, D.; and Robichaud, F. 2003. Characterization of the Canadian Market for Value-added Components. Forintek
Report.

Olah, D. 2000. Wood Material Use in the U.S. Cabinet Industry: 1999-2001. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Partsch, B. 2004. On the Rise. Kitchen and Bath Business. http://www.kbbonline.com/kbb/magazine/article_display.jsp?vnu_

content_id=1000979499>.

Wood Products Council (WPC). 2005. Wood Used in Residential Construction.

Compiled by: Supported by:

Canadas Wood products research institute