Wood species

Frontus uses multiple wood species. Below you will find more information on the wood species that we use in the manufacturing of the cabinet doors and solid wood worktops.

Wood Characteristics

Natural wood and its products are never the same as plastic or metal products. Solid wood products, like other natural materials, are created by nature and can exhibit a variety of expressive characteristics and colors. Each wood species has its unique qualities: density, color and texture pattern. All of these attributes also depend on the environment in which the tree grew.

Color of wood is influenced by environmental moisture, direct sunlight exposure, and soil mineralization. Wood texture pattern is affected by prevailing climate, growth rate, and soil fertility. Different methods of cutting wood into boards also influence the wood texture. All wood species change color over time; this depends on the wood itself (different species change color at different rates), direct sunlight exposure, and finishing methods. All these factors contribute to creating the unique beauty and value of natural wood.

We craft cabinet doors exclusively from the highest AA quality Lithuanian solid wood (pure wood) raw material. The wood is free from branches, knots, mold, fungi, pests, or other elements that could negatively affect the quality and appearance of the product. We glue ash, oak, beech, birch, or other solid wood, dried to 8±1% moisture.

Ash

Ash wood is the most popular hardwood used in furniture frontals. Ash wood comes in various shades (light, dark), has medium density, is hard, open-grain, resistant to weather changes, and can be easily finished in various ways. Ash texture is visibly expressive, usually with straight lines (depends on saw method). Ash heartwood is light brown, while sapwood is brown or gray. Ash is a hardwood that highly resistant to physical damage. On the other hand, ash tends to expand and contract slightly more (compared to beech) depending on relative humidity. Ash wood is commonly used for staining and patina finishing, and less often for darker stains or lacquering. 

Oak

Oak wood - a luxurious but valuable choice for manufacturing wooden products. Oak is more resistant to moisture, thus less susceptible to expansion or contraction. It is an open-pore wood, with a highly expressive and visible texture pattern. Depending on the wood's growth location and cutting method, the texture varies from straight (radial) to arched (tangential). The color of oak wood is relatively uniform, with slight variations from light to dark tones, and there are also occasional mineral streaks that further accentuate the beauty of oak wood. Oak is a hardwood, highly resistant to physical damage. It takes finishes from various techniques well, but is commonly stained or lacquered. Oak has deeper grain depths so it's more suitable for people looking for visible texture after paint or patina finish. Over time, oak wood tends to slightly darken because of UV but can be avoided with special lacquers.

Beech

Beech wood is a luxurious but valuable choice for wooden product manufacturing. Beech is more moisture-resistant, thus less prone to expansion or contraction. It is an open-pore wood, with a highly expressive and visible texture pattern. The texture varies from straight (radial) to arching (tangential) depending on the wood's growth location and cutting method. Beech wood color is relatively uniform, with slight variations from light to dark tones, and occasional mineral streaks that enhance its beauty. Beech is a hardwood, resistant to physical damage. It takes finishes from various techniques well, but is commonly stained or lacquered. Over time, beech wood tends to slightly darken.

Birch

Birch wood is of medium hardness. It is a closed-pore wood with a smooth surface, and the wood texture pattern is not very visible. Contrasting mineral streaks can appear in some areas. Birch is suitable for even staining or completely uniform painting, to conceal the wood texture.