What
About Local Cabinetmakers?
By James
Garland
 |
| Cascadia
Custom Cabinets showroom located at Endura Wood Products, 1303
SE 6th Ave. in Portland |
One
option to consider when considering the purchase of a new kitchen
is to contact a craftsman to have your cabinetry locally built. This
offers a custom fit job, and can also make more options available
to the homeowner. For example, Ron Ring of Cascadia Custom Cabinets
offers not only the standard woods available but also a wide selection
of other interesting choices. Cascadia promotes the use of local woods,
such as alder and madrone. Madrone, Ron says, is “Very durable,
better than maple or cherry.” He’s just finished a bamboo
kitchen, also an easily renewable resource, and gaining in popularity.
Using a mixture of vertical grain bamboo, with walnut pulls and trim,
Ron says the kitchen has an Asian look.
“The difference
between site-built custom cabinets and manufactured cabinets is flexibility,”
Ron explains. “There are fewer limits on what you can and cannot
do. And customers have a chance to see the cabinet work in progress.
If they see something being built that they don’t like, I can
change it.” That means there are no surprises when the kitchen
gets installed. Kitchen cabinet suppliers hate surprises.
Cascadia is also
committed to ecologically sound construction practices. The use of
sustainable materials, procured in an ecologically sound manner, is
important. Ron offers a variety of slightly different materials, like
the option of using “wheatboard,” a particleboard-type product
made of straw fibers. It’s been around for 5 to 7 years, according
to Ron, and is as strong as other materials commonly used.
Also available
with locally built cabinets is a variety of finish options. Cascadia
custom kitchens offers water-based lacquer that Ron says, “Is
on par with commercial lacquers. There’s not much difference
– the durability is close to what’s commonly used. The big
difference [for water-based lacquer] is the vehicle that carries it.
Ethyl alcohol allows it to be thinned with water.” Ron also uses
linseed and tung oil finishes.
Ron Ring was born
and raised in the timber industry, and his love of working with wood
is what keeps him at it. He’s proud of the fact that his shop
will do a complete job – from building the cabinet doors to cutting
the moldings.
To contact
Ron Ring of Cascadia Custom Cabinets call 503-274-0484 or visit his
showroom at Endura Wood Products, 1303 SE 6th Ave, in Portland. |
