Frequently Asked Questions

Every cabinet we build is unique to each project, therefore, we do not have an inventory of ready-to-buy products. Like everyone else, we do on occasion make a mistake and have a few cabinets in storage that did not make the cut. We do not keep an inventory of what or how much may be stored at any given time. Many of these are also incomplete and missing components.

We are happy to discuss any potential projects you may be considering. However, matching existing cabinetry is a difficult task even when your cabinets are a Twin Oaks product. Many factors come into play that present a challenge, the biggest being time itself. Just as our styles change with time, many wood species and finishes change color with age making it nearly impossible to get a perfect match. If Twin Oaks provided the existing cabinetry you are trying to match, then we would like to discuss potential options with you. All cabinet makers have their own style so if your cabinetry is not a Twin Oaks product and you are looking for an exact match, we would not be the best option for your project.

A safe estimate is 6-8 weeks at any given time. We will do our best to align our production schedule with that of our client’s new home or remodel construction timeline. Your Designer or Project Manager will communicate with you throughout the process to ensure we get as close as possible to your desired installation date. There are times when many projects all come ready at the same time and our lead time grows beyond 8 weeks so for the most accurate timeline, please reach out to one of our Designers or Project Managers.

All your cabinets are individually built by us. The construction methods and materials used can/will vary based on the needs of each individual cabinet. We look forward to providing all the details you would like for your personalized project. We would also like to offer you a tour of our production facility if you would like to see the cabinet production in process. Our standard construction material consists of 3/4” plywood for cabinet box/cases and shelves, 5/8” wood dovetailed drawer boxes. All doors come with concealed hinges and under-mount drawer guides with the option of a soft closing feature.

We only offer wood tops. Our tops are a plywood or MDF deck with a hardwood band. Our tops are great for lower traffic areas and furniture style pieces. Granite, quartz, or solid surface countertops are best for all your kitchens, bathrooms, and other high traffic areas.

There are several local options for you to choose from and we would be happy to give you the names of some of the countertop providers that our clients have had success with.

We are only open by appointment on Saturdays. Please keep in mind that depending on the personal schedule of our design team, any after-hours or Saturday appointments may be with a member of our team you have not worked with previously. To help create the best possible experience and to be able to meet with your individual Design Consultant, appointments during our normal business hours are always your best option.

Each picture or idea we are given by a client needs to be looked at individually. Chances are we have probably done something similar or a version of what you are looking for, sometimes even that exact thing. On occasion we will turn a project or part of a project down if we feel it is something that we cannot do with the utmost confidence. We would rather say no upfront than attempt to create something you may not be happy with.

The construction method we use on our drawer boxes does not require more than a 1/4” thick plywood bottom. The bottom of your drawers are encapsulated on all four sides by hardwood making the drawer bottom itself virtually unable to fail.

In addition, our drawer guides are rated for a max weight of 90 pounds. Keeping the drawer construction as lightweight as possible helps to insure they function as intended, even with heavy items being stored in them.

This is a service that is not offered. We have chosen to make providing you with your new cabinetry our number one priority.

We do have a few people that have been able to meet our clients’ needs in this area previously. We are unaware of their timeline or availability for these potential projects but if you would like their information, we can provide you with that. Also, if you choose to use anyone on the list provided, we would love feedback to help us give the best referrals possible.

If you are using a contractor, it is best to consult with them as to their preferred timeline for cabinet installation on your project.

If you are doing your own work, there are a few things to consider. If you are using a luxury vinyl plank (LVP) installed as a floating floor per manufacturer is to be completed after cabinetry. All other flooring types can be completed before or after cabinet installation. This is typically decided based on personal preference or the timeline of the project itself. Whichever you choose, communicating this with your design consultant or project manager will allow us to take any allowances needed or any extra steps we may need to take to protect your flooring at the time of installation.

There are contractors we have worked with on projects previously that have been able to meet our clients’ needs. We are unaware of their timeline or availability for these potential projects but if you would like their information, we can provide you with that. Also, if you choose to use anyone on the list provided, we would love feedback to help us give the best referrals possible.

Even though this is probably our number one asked question it remains as one without a definitive answer. Why? Every project we work on is unique to you. Years of experience has taught us that the best way to serve you is to take all the guesswork out and price each project individually.

A complete order is when everything listed below has been received by your design consultant or project manager:

• All appliance specs and or model numbers (this includes sinks*)
• All cabinet choices finalized
• Wood species if applicable
• Stain/paint colors
• Cabinet door/drawer pulls
• Signed design approval
• Signed proposal approval
• 50% deposit

No, it does not.

While a deposit is an important part of your complete order, it does not lock you into our production schedule. We will typically not send an invoice for your deposit until we are within 30-45 days of your projected installation date.

Kitchen aesthetics can often be difficult to plan out on your own. Picking out a cabinet finish that fits your taste and your home’s style is an easy step in the right direction. The good news is, along with the many offerings in both stained and painted cabinetry, we also have a team of design consultants ready to help you find the cabinet style and layout that meets your expectations and needs.

For example:
If your sense of interior design tends to lean more towards the contemporary style, painted cabinets in light or dark gray might serve your taste well. Lighter, white-yellow wood stains also evoke a more modern feel.
On the other hand, if you consider yourself more of a traditionalist, then darker wood stains might better suit your needs. Of course, white-painted cabinetry remains perhaps the most traditional option of them all.

When choosing a cabinet finish, also consider how your lifestyle might affect it. One of the biggest factors in this equation is children.
If you have young children, your cabinets will get damaged. Try all you want to protect them, but sooner or later life will happen.
For families with younger children, your best bet is probably going to be a stained finish since stained wood grain can take more abuse before it really shows signs of damage. If your kids are older, painted cabinets might make more sense. Sure, little things are still bound to happen, but the painted cabinets can handle the occasional one-off scuff, oftentimes better than a stained cabinet.

• There is a very large variety of standard color choices available.
• You can create a unique look by choosing a premium or custom matched color.
• You will not see any knots or wood grain on the surface of the doors or drawer fronts.
• Provides a sleek, clean design with a smooth finish.
• Can often change the perception of space. Lighter finishes create an open, airy feel, which can be a great choice for a smaller kitchen. This will help make the space look and feel larger than it is. Darker colors create a more intimate space, which works well in a larger, more open kitchen.
• Painting cabinets, especially a neutral color, can make decorations and furniture buying an easier process.

• A crack or “witness line” on a white cabinet may be more apparent than one on a stained cabinet. When within industry standards, this is completely normal. Witness lines occur where pieces of wood are joined together when the grain is running in different directions. The frames on cabinet boxes, cabinet doors, and drawer fronts can develop witness lines over time, due to expansion and contraction. This may occur when your home’s temperature changes, with increased dryness or humidity.
• Color matching and disguising touch-ups can be tricky.

• Creates a warm, attractive space with beautiful wood grains. Hardwoods such as oak, hickory, walnut, cherry, and maple have a beautiful, pronounced wood grain.
• Stained cabinets balance color and texture in any room
• Stains bring out the wood’s natural qualities. Depending on the color stain you choose, some colors will enhance the natural wood and texture of your cabinets. Just like painted cabinets, lighter stains create an airier feel, where darker stains create more intimate space.
• Any cracks or “witness” lines that may develop over the cabinet’s lifetime will not be as apparent. Cracks will be more noticeable on lighter cabinets than darker ones. With a stained cabinet, there is more “activity” going on visually (with the different grain patterns), so these cracks tend to be less visible. They may very well be there; you just won’t notice them as much or at all.
• Minimal touch-ups necessary
• Considered to be very low maintenance since dirt and dust are not seen as easily as on a painted cabinet.

• Dark stains will show dust more easily.
• A stained surface allows every feature of the wood to show, i.e. Knots and the particular grain pattern. This may be good or bad depending on your taste.
• Matching stains can be tricky.
• While matching stains may be a bit tricky, many people choose not to match all the different woods in their home. You may choose lighter stained cabinets and have darker wood floors. This design element can make everything “pop” in your kitchen and create a beautiful contrast.

With all cabinet details being equal, a painted cabinet can typically cost 20% more than a stained cabinet. The process required for the paint application is much more involved than that of a stained cabinet. It also requires a specific preparation and application area within the cabinet shop, void of dust and with minimal foot traffic. A painted surface requires a higher focus on its surface perfection throughout the entire process from start to finish.
For the best possible, attention to detail is imperative. Preparing the product for safe travel to the project’s delivery location is vital, as well as careful and professional installation. Both painted and stained cabinetry must be handled with care, to not scratch the wood grain or chip painted cabinet surfaces.

Based on your inspirational photos and discussions with you, your designer will be able to help guide you in determining if painted, stained, or a combination of both is the best direction for you.
For instance, it is very common for the perimeter of a kitchen to have a painted finish, with the island in a complementary stain. This creates a beautiful contrast, and the island becomes a gorgeous focal point.

Despite popular belief, wood is not always the superior choice, in some situations, HDF is the better material. When it comes to painted cabinet doors, we choose to use HDF. Our experiences have proven to show far more benefits than solid wood doors.
HDF, like wood, expands, and contracts when there are fluctuations in temperature and humidity. But unlike wood, HDF, due to its structure, moves as a unit. Even with extreme changes in humidity and temperature, you do not have to worry about any movement to the cabinet doors.

With changes in temperature and humidity, even with the product being finished and sealed wood will “move” (shrink/swell). Solid wood construction of cabinet door panels and frames can show signs of movement anywhere two pieces of hardwood are joined together. Areas where movement occurs often resemble a crack and are also referred to as witness lines. It is very common and only superficial and does not compromise the strength of the joint. In stained hardwood many times these areas are never even noticed but on painted hardwood the witness lines can be more pronounced.

HDF is fabricated like MDF, but because of the higher density, HDF is remarkably similar to wood in terms of strength and durability. Due to these reasons, when people hear MDF, they try to stay away from it. This is why we came up with the solution to produce our doors in HDF instead of MDF. The feedback from our customers states that our HDF doors are similar to solid wood.