Wood products exhibit variations in grain and color due to the variety of characteristics that make wood products distinct and unique. Variations in color and grain pattern can be caused by the minerals in the soil in which the tree thrived. The beauty of natural wood is derived from the fact that no two trees are identical. Wood cut from one part of a tree will appear different from wood cut from other parts of the same tree. Some of these differences are grain pattern, grain color, knots, pinholes, and sap runs. Each piece of wood reacts differently to all finish materials, including white and all transparent stain colors, due to the natural variations in the wood. All wood mellows and changes with the light that comes in contact with wood.
Doors and drawer fronts may not match exactly when first manufactured or as time goes on due to the different ways in which each piece of wood reacts to all of the above. In addition, environmental conditions such as smoke, cleaning agents, exposure to harsh sunlight, and chemicals may cause the finish or wood color to change in appearance. For these reasons, door samples and color samples may not appear the same as a set of finished cabinetry. This is not a defect. It is the result of the natural and environmental conditions that make each set of cabinets unique and special. The back sides of raised panel and flat panel doors receive a wood veneer to balance the door structurally. This veneer may be any of three or four species of hardwood.
These natural and environmental factors are acceptable characteristics of your cabinets. The manufacturer is not responsible for the naturally occurring differences and changes over time in your wood cabinetry. This small sample may not precisely reflect the natural grain and color found in our cabinets.
As with any natural resource, availability of specific species of hardwood will vary over time due to a number of factors including: foresting, harvesting, mill capacity and demand. To ensure consistency of grain and color when species are unavailable or cost prohibitive, REI has qualified several alternate species to assure supply of consistent wood grain and color on your projects.
Specific qualified alternates include:
- Maple : Birch
- Poplar : Beech
- Oak : Ash or Hickory
REI reserves the right to utilize these qualified grain equivalents without notice to ensure your projects ship on time and on budget.
All raw wood components and finished cabinets comply with KCMA and ASTM testing standards.
