Birch Vs. Hickory Cabinets

Color and Pattern

• The major difference between birch and hickory is the color, size and pattern of the wood grain. If you opt for birch, expect your cabinets to have fairly consistent coloring, typically quite light, ranging from creamy white to a yellow hue. The grain may be straight, wavy or curly. If you prefer a darker look, birch also stains well. Hickory, on the other hand, has a much more pronounced grain with eye-catching streaks and whorls. The coloring varies along the wood's pattern, so a single cabinet door may have elements of light cream and deep red-brown or even black. Given the color variation in hickory, it's less common to use a dark stain; however, a clear or natural stain may bring out the wood's natural coloring.

Strength

• Whether you select birch or hickory, your cabinets' durability will come down to their construction more than the type of lumber; both are appropriate for cabinet-making. However, if your primary interest is a strong type of wood, you can't beat hickory -- it's the strongest North American hardwood species, with a density of 50 to 78 lbs. per cubic foot. Birch is an extremely shock-resistant wood, making it suitable for cabinet doors that bang shut repeatedly. While it lacks the superlative strength of hickory, at 40 to 45 lbs. per cubic foot, its resiliency is more than adequate for cabinets.

Varieties

• Whether you choose birch or hickory for your cabinets, you'll still have to narrow down your selection among individual varieties of each wood. Hickory wood may be true hickory or pecan hickory. The former group come from shagbark, shellbark and pignut hickory trees, while the latter come from pecan trees and bitternut hickory trees. Generally, the appearance of various hickories is fairly similar; red hickory is a notable exception, with much redder coloring than the other species. Should you opt for birch cabinets, you may select yellow birch, also known as silver or swamp birch, or paper birch, also known as white birch or canoe birch. Lumber referred to as red birch is not actually a separate species, but is the heartwood of a yellow birch tree.

Additional Considerations

• If cost is a concern, either birch or hickory are viable options for your cabinets. Hickory is relatively inexpensive, especially considering its exceptional strength, much cheaper than oak, and slightly more than yellow poplar. Birch is an even more economical option, typically the cheapest of any North American hardwoods.