I’m building my house in S. Ca. My cabinetmaker has warned me against using Cherry because he says it is “Photosensitive”, that is, the cherry that is exposed to direct sunlight will darken more than areas which aren’t exposed to the sun. I like the pronounced figure of cherry and I’d like to use it for the cabinets throughout my house. Some areas will receive direct sunlight and other areas won’t. (I wish I had chosen windows with low-e glass, but…) Is photosensitivity really an issue with cherry?
I should add that I’m using vertical grain Douglas fir (vgdf) for the exterior doors and windows as well as the interior doors, window stools, aprons, baseboard, and some exposed beams and T and G ceilings. The exterior doors and windows are being finished with “Sikkens, redwood”. (All exterior Sikkens products have color to inhibit ultraviolet degradation, otherwise I’d use clear.) I might try using a clear finish on the remaining vgdf interior woodwork. I was planning on using vgdf for the cabinets as well, but it’s a 15% up-charge and the cabinetmaker recommends using a hardwood for the cabinets. He has suggested red birch, but I don’t think the grain is as lively or as deep as cherry.
Any suggestions or advise will be appreciated.
Zach
Replies
Cherry darkens considerably with ultraviolet exposure in the short to mid-term; after many years, it (along with many other woods and materials) will start to bleach out. Any glass will reduce the effect, since glass is pretty effective at blocking uv (the folks over at breaktime will be able to comment in detail about grades and effects).
You might consider using this to advantage by "tanning" it prior to finishing. About two half-days works for me in northern Virginia; avoiding the hottest part of the day, turning frequently, and making sure that there is circulation on all sides. Cherry treated this way takes on a, well, cherry color within a day or two of the end of the exposure. Of course, if you treat it with linseed oil, it will continue to darken over the years, but pieces I have from this that are 15 years old are still pretty much the same color regardless of where they are in the house.
Cherry is going to look fantastic. Get a second opinion on breaktime (and ask about the glass), but it should be fine.
/jvs
I second everything that JVS said. Yes, cherry is a photosensitive wood. It gains a wonderful patina by being expsoed to light. Much of the beauty that you are thinking of ("I like the pronounced figure of cherry") doesn't even show until some of that patina has been gained.
In my opinion, one of the biggest shames in the woodworking industry is the improper use of stains on cherry. Most cabinet and furniture makers slather on a dark looking stain, in an attempt to get the new piece to look like an older, patinated piece. Then, as the wood gains its natural patina, it looks like mud.
Go for the cherry -- it truly is a beautiful wood. But tell your cabinetmaker not to use a dark stain. (My preference would be no stain at all.) In a few years, yours will be the most beautiful cabinets in town.
I grew up in a house with 14 foot ceilings and 6 foot cherry panelling in the kitchen. It was beautiful, and yes, it did turn dark.
>>the cherry that is exposed to direct sunlight will darken more than areas which aren't exposed to the sun.
Your builder is correct. It is a characteristic of cherry that it darkens with both UV exposure and oxidation. The UV darkening is fairly rapid and about 80-90% of the darkening will occur in the first couple of years. But, there is no question that cherry exposed to sunlight will darken more and more rapidly than cherry in the shade.
Red birch is frequently chosen as an alternate to cherry. It has a slightly less interesting grain pattern but, it's color is much more stable. In it's natural state, it's coloring is very close to newly sanded cherry. You can also stain it to a somewhat darker color and it will tend to maintain that color. But, it's not cherry.
Tanning of the cherry was brought up, and I concur. If it is in different rooms the different colors from exposure to light may not be apparent. If they are in the same room, you may get a transition from dark cherry at the windows, to lighter cherry deep in the room. Eventually as the years go by cherry will reach a balance that will prevent it from getting darker and the cherry inside the room will catch up. A word of caution: the sap wood of cherry does not darken like the heart wood. If you choose cherry insist on cutting away all of the sap wood unless you like the contrast it provides. The contractor may need to order quite a bit more to make up for the waste in sap wood. You can ask him to turn over the waste to you - you can then make yourself a table using strictly cherry sap wood - it is a great wood to work with.
Marcello
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