Kitchen Finishes Materials

11 Popular Kitchen Finishes Materials for Cabinets

Last Updated: 2021-08-12By

The kitchen is one of the most visited places in our house. We cook food here and just spend a lot of time. Therefore, it is very important that it looks beautiful and is very convenient to use.

Since most of the kitchen is occupied by various cabinets, their style and appearance play an important role. There are many varieties of kitchen finishes materials.

  • Kitchen Cabinets Covered with Glass
  • Stainless Steel Kitchen Cabinets
  • MDF One of the popular Finishing Materials
  • Plywood as Kitchen Finishes Material
  • Red Oak Most Choose Finishing Material in the USA
  • White Oak for Luxury Style
  • Classic Cherry Kitchen
  • Surface with Hickory Wood
  • Maple Wood Material
  • Laminate Modern Type of Kitchen Finishes Materials
  • Veneer as an Alternative for Wood

It’s easy to get confused with such an abundance of interior finishing materials. And sometimes people do not understand their features. Let’s take a closer look at all types of materials presented, their pros and cons.

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1.Kitchen Cabinets Covered with Glass

Glass is a very common type of coating for kitchen cabinets and this is due to many factors. Firstly, the glass surface looks quite stylish and fits many popular interior styles. Secondly, cleanliness is an important factor. Glass is very easy to clean, which plays an important role in the kitchen. You may spill something or grease all surfaces while cooking. It would be very disappointing if these stains remained forever or it would take a lot of time to clean them.

Don’t worry about the glass being fragile. The thickness of the glass is small, moreover, it is glued to the plywood of the cabinet itself, which increases its strength. And even if a situation occurs in which the glass is damaged, it can be easily replaced with a new one.

Paint or pattern is applied to the back of the glass to give your kitchen the desired color. In this situation, the glass itself also serves as a protection against wear. Your kitchen’s color won’t fade over time, even if you clean the surfaces frequently.

But in addition to the pleasant features, glass kitchen finishing materials are not cheap compared to other types of materials. The cost of such kitchen finishes material is estimated at $ 19 – $ 23 per sq. ft.

2.Stainless Steel Kitchen Cabinets

Stainless Steel Kitchen Cabinets

Using stainless steel as the main material for kitchen.

When it comes to steel, we immediately understand that it is a durable material. This statement also applies to the use of steel as kitchen cabinet materials finish. This type of coating gained its popularity when the industrial style came into fashion. Also, it is well suited for those who like to cook a lot because of its ease of use and cleaning.

Since steel is a very durable material, you shouldn’t worry about breaking anything. Sometimes it is even better to look around and not hit the open metal cabinet door.

Unlike other coatings, this type of cabinet is completely made of steel and the cost of such cabinets starts at $ 300 per cabinet.

3.MDF One of the popular Finishing Materials

MDF One of the popular Finishing Materials

Women choosing MDF color by samples.

MDF is a fairly common material. It consists of fine wood fibers compressed under high pressure using wood resin. This material is quite practical for many types of furniture, as well as kitchen finishes material.

Finishing materials made of MDF are very smooth and pleasant to the touch. All this is because MDF boards are varnished or painted before use. Because of this, they have a huge spectrum of colors. If the varnish is used, then there will be woody shades, otherwise, paint of any color you wish.

MDF boards are much stronger than wood and come in all sizes, so there is no problem with their use in the kitchen. The cost of this type of material ranges on average from $ 16 – $ 20 per sq. ft.

4.Plywood as Kitchen Finishes Material

Plywood is another material made from wood. Unlike MDF, plywood is a glued wood chip. This material is often used in construction, but if varnished or painted it will look beautiful in the form of kitchen finishes materials.

Physically, plywood is very similar to MDF, but it is still considered a less environmentally friendly material. Also, due to the simpler production method, plywood is much cheaper.

5.Red Oak Most Choose Finishing Material in the USA

Red Oak Finishing Material

Kitchen furniture covered with red Oak

Red oak is a very common material in the United States. This type of wood has the necessary qualities that are so appreciated in the manufacture of furniture. Red oak gained its prevalence due to its strength and relative cheapness in comparison with other types of wood.

In addition to the benefits listed above, red oak has a beautiful color. This is very important when you are choosing kitchen finishes materials. Nice reddish woody shades will come in handy in a classic or rustic interior style.

Red oak finishing materials are coated with a special varnish to preserve their appearance for a longer period. With wet cleaning, the tree will not swell and lose its shape.

6.White Oak for Luxury Style

If you are following the trends of popular interiors or simply prefer light colors in your home, then you should pay attention to white oak finishing materials. Unlike red oak, white oak is less common as it is more expensive.

Although the physical properties of these two types of wood are very similar, they are completely different in appearance. White oak looks more elegant and sophisticated. It goes well with light-colored tiles, which in most cases are used for the work area in the kitchen.

It is also worth understanding that white oak is not only more expensive but also looks the same. If you are looking to add luxury style to your kitchen, then using white oak as kitchen finishes materials is a great solution.

7.Classic Cherry Kitchen

Cherry kitchen cabinets have been popular for hundreds of years. This is because the material is American black cherry wood. Although the cost of such wood is much higher, this kitchen cabinet material will serve you much longer than oak.

Nevertheless, cherry wood gained its popularity not only because of its strength but also because of its beauty. There are many shades, ranging from bright red to deep burgundy. Also, a distinctive feature is that the tree changes its color slightly over time.

There is a possibility of painting cherry wood finishing materials in different colors. However, if you want to keep the natural color, Remodel on point recommends using wood coated with oil varnishes.

8. Surface with Hickory Wood

First of all, what is hickory? It is a tree from the walnut family that grows in the United States. It has a dense structure and is very heavy. This is great for using it as kitchen finishes materials.

Hickory has a variety of textures. Both light and dark colors can occur on the same board, and this pattern does not repeat. This feature will allow even two identical kitchens to stand out. Each cabinet door will have a unique color. This feature is great for a classic rustic kitchen.

9.Maple Wood Material

Maple is considered one of the most practical types of wood. Due to its variety of species and flowers, maple can be used as a kitchen cabinet finishing material in almost any interior style.

It is a very strong and durable wood. In addition to this, maple lends itself well to many types of processing, which allows you to give it any color and appearance.

Maple is very common throughout America because it costs less than rare species of wood. When using this wood in kitchen finishes, it is recommended to choose the color of maple depending on the amount of natural light. With plenty of sunlight, dark tones can fade over time from exposure to ultraviolet radiation.

10.Laminate Modern Type of Kitchen Finishes Materials

Using laminate as finishing materials for kitchen cabinets has long been considered a cheap refurbishment option. This was undoubtedly deserved, due to the poor quality and fragility.

Technology has improved over time and this has affected laminate as well. Made according to modern technologies, it has distinctive features that surpass even classic wood.

Laminate can be of absolutely any color and color as it is created artificially. It is not susceptible to UV rays and does not lose its color even after many years. Also, the laminate does not allow moisture and other pollutants to pass through, which makes it easy to keep the kitchen clean in excellent condition.

When creating a minimalist kitchen, laminate flooring is a great solution for cabinet finishes.

11.Veneer as an Alternative for Wood

Not everyone can afford to make kitchen finishes from expensive types of wood. An excellent solution, in this case, would be a veneer. This finishing material is very similar to wood. It consists of an artificial core and a glued layer of wood fibers.

Due to the inherent composition of the artificial material, the veneer is more resistant to deformation than natural wood finishing materials. Veneer has a pleasant sheen that blends well with other kitchen surfaces.

The low price and quite acceptable quality make the veneer a rather popular kitchen finishes material in renovations on a budget.

Conclusion for Kitchen Finishes Materials

There is a huge variety of kitchen cabinet finishing materials. You can use materials available due to the development of modern technologies and popular for many centuries.

Remodel on point advises choosing material based on several factors. These include primarily the price. If you have an impressive budget, look for modern glass finishes, or use classic rare woods.

Much also depends on the style of the room. An experienced interior designer will be able to advise you on the types of coatings to use in your kitchen. Or you can get creative and combine everything to create a unique style in your home.

Remember that all kitchen finishes materials have their characteristics and require some care. Take proper care of the selected materials and they will serve you for decades.

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Each building has some sort of driveway or at least should have. The main reason is for vehicles to come closer without need to walk all the way. Some homes are residential with small driveway for their car to come in and park before garage or front entrance, and others can be large commercial buildings with loading docks, delivery entrances and casual parking entrances. On Point Remodeling was asked for suggestions on residential driveway for new home construction, and we decided to write detailed article for all our readers. Using this guide you can select the material for your driveway and see what works for your budget. Here are the materials for driveway we will be discussing in our guide:
  • Asphalt
  • Concrete
  • Paver Stone
  • Crushed stone
  • Brick
  • Seashell
  • Gravel
To find good contractor for your driveway, you can either ask our team by email or try to find someone local that worked with neighbors or nearby buildings.

Installation process of any material surface on your driveway

a) Demolition and Excavation – Before anything is done, your contractor will get heavy machinery and scratch off old layer of driveway. They need to go down at least 5-6 inches to insure proper layering before your final layer of material is installed. b) Material Purchase and Delivery – At this point your contract is signed and you already know how the surface will look. Contracting company purchases necessary materials and delivers them to site. Double check if material is correct and not damaged. c) Preparation of Sublevel – Whatever you place as final material, it cannot just be installed directly on top soil. Gravel is the first choice of material that goes down at this stage. Other preferred material is screen sand that can go on top of gravel and works better with stone and bricks. d) Compaction of Ground – To prevent your driveway from moving and changing shapes, all the layers from bottom up have to be properly compacted. Do not leave any spot untouched while doing this or you can get small holes and cracks in driveway after installation. E) Final Installation – This is when all the magic happens. After all preparations and dirty work the final installation is made literally within hours and you can enjoy new driveway. Stone and brick is set up by hand, while other materials require some sort of machinery with manual labor to even out surface.

1. Asphalt

Probably the most used material for road top surfaces as well as driveways is asphalt. This is a mix of gravel and sand that is mixed in and combined by asphalt cement with crude oil. Pros of Asphalt Driveway
  • Very popular and easy to find materials/contractor
  • Completed in 1 day and you can drive on it after
  • Patches and small holes can be fixed fast
Cons of Asphalt Driveway
  • Easy to damage and cracks appear in few years
  • Almost everyone else has same surface
  • Oily surface and chemicals used in mix
Prepared for asphalt driveway will cost you around $5 per square foot to finish. The contractors that take care of entire process from taking out old driveway surface, install subsurface and compact the ground with new asphalt on top, will charge on average $5500 per regular size driveway at single home property.

2. Concrete

What we call concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, aggregate as well as sand with gravel. Suggested thickness of concrete for driveway is 6 inches. The mixture needs to cure without being touched or driven on top for several days. Pros of Concrete Driveway
  • Durable material for large weights
  • Long lifespan if installed properly
  • Winter and summer friendly
Cons of Concrete Driveway
  • Has marks and stains over time
  • Hard to repair without replacement
  • Super hard to DIY
To hire contractors for concrete driveway it will cost around $7-$9 per square foot. This will include site preparation with gravel spread and new concrete installation. They will order full truck of concrete (or several for larger driveways) to pour inside forming. Smoothening and curing is required after installation.

3. Paver Stone

The most luxurious material that you can use to create driveway path with is paver stone. It is made out of natural stone with uneven rough shapes that have different line patterns. Paver stones are very heavy and are perfect for weights on top of them. Almost every city in Europe has roads and walks made out of stone that were installed centuries ago. Pros of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Creative designs can be done
  • Personal looks, can match the house
  • Can replace single stone in minutes
Cons of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Weeds growing through
  • Stone can move over time
  • Most expensive material
There is wide selection of stone that can be purchased for your driveway. On average we recommend settling with $17-$20 per square foot for stone with installation included. Working with this material is very intense labor and we recommend hiring professionals that do this type of work every day.

4. Crushed Stone

Our readers sometimes mistake crushed stone with gravel, but this is not the same material. Crushed stone material is achieved when machine is mechanically crushing larger pieces of unused stone for this specific purpose. It is larger than gravel and can have smooth finish. Crushed stone can also have a mix of colors, which is much pleasant to eyes than gravel. Pros of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Low maintenance required
  • Fits rural area style
  • Can be reused for other purposes
Cons of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Gets very hot during summer
  • Can be messy after many drives
  • Hard to remove snow and ice
Buying crushed stone and installing it on your driveway is as easy as it gets. Similar to other rough materials discussed in this post, only small tools like shovels, dolly and buckets are required to spread it on the road. The cost of crushed stone driveway is between $4 and $6 per square foot from professional local contractors that can finish the job in several days.

5. Brick

The same brick we see being used in wall construction can be installed as top driveway surface. Brick is manufactured by compressing clay with plastic mass. It is heated to extreme temperature and dried up to become as solid as you know it. Pros of Brick Driveway
  • Variety of selections in shapes and shades
  • Bricks are recyclable
  • Slip resistant with rough top part
Cons of Brick Driveway
  • Needs regular maintenance
  • Change color over time
  • Old fashion looking
Installing brick on driveway costs $10 per square foot, which is not too far from masonry brick laying as part of the wall. To save money you can use or purchase old brick, that was part of a wall before. Do not mix these two jobs and contact landscaping professionals instead of masonry contractors that work with bricks.

6. Seashell

This material is popular on the coast line where shells can be found near the water. Construction companies use seashells to add in other materials as well as spread them on driveway in rough condition, without adding anything else. It usually comes in white or pearl color and darkens within year because of mixing with sand and dirt. Pros of Seashell Driveway
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Has natural drainage
  • Creates worm vibe of beach house
Cons of Seashell Driveway
  • Break and crack under light weight
  • Sharp and very hard to walk on
  • Gets stuck in shoes and tires
To deliver and spread seashells on driveways costs below $4, which is only slightly more expensive than rough gravel. As you go further from coast line, cost of material increases due to delivery. This material is elegant and very soft. We recommend adding edge lines with darker color landscape material to create visual path.

7. Gravel

This material is used in other construction mixes and underlayment systems. It’s literally fragments and small crushed stones that are put on top of soil. It is easily spread out by hands and anyone can do it. Pros of Gravel Driveway
  • Cheapest of them all
  • Easy DIY Job
  • Can install another material on top
Cons of Gravel Driveway
  • Needs to be graded very often
  • Will mix with dirt and leaves
  • Washes up with heavy rains
It is rough material and can be purchased in bulk (by metric tons or cubic meters). The cost of driveway with gravel should not exceed $3 per square foot, but you can save tons of money by purchasing materials and doings installation by yourself. You do not require specific tools or heavy equipment for the job and delivery of gravel can be arranged directly to your project.

Conclusion

To properly finish any and all of these driveways requires skills and experience. There is no way you can complete any of these projects without heavy equipment and tools that regular home owner’s just store in their garages. Most of those who will read this post will prefer to install asphalt driveway, because of its popularity and low costs. We want to encourage home owners to go for personal preference and what matches your house, rather than getting the most affordable and popular items. Driveway jobs have to be completed fast; otherwise you will need to park elsewhere while the project is running. To not overpay, ask us for quotation sample on material you prefer in specific region where the work need to be done and our team can provide some numbers.

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