Cabinets: Which material to choose
Cabinets are among the most important features of your future dream kitchen. You will want to carefully choose the type of material for your cabinets, based on your budget.
Let’s compare the advantages and disadvantages of 7 cabinet materials
Melamine
BENEFITS:
Price. Made of pressed wood, MD or plywood topped with a layer of colored paper with thermofused melamine resin, melamine is the least expensive cabinet material.
THE DISADVANTAGES:
Limited choice of shape. Cabinet shapes are almost always square, which limits your design options.
Low resistance. Melamine cabinets are particularly susceptible to scratches and dents, which can be difficult – if not impossible – to repair.
Melamine is heavier than more expensive cabinet materials and can eventually sag.
Polyester
BENEFITS:
Price. This material is made of melamine mixed with pine fiber, then coated with a polyester film. Although slightly more expensive than melamine, it is still very affordable.
Superior resistance to melamine. Polyester is more scratch resistant than melamine.
Color selection. Polyester cabinets are available in a wide variety of colors and wood looks.
THE DISADVANTAGES:
Difficulty in repairing scratches. If the polyester gets scratched, touching it up is not a simple task.
Solid wood
BENEFITS:
Always in fashion. High quality wood cabinets add a timeless beauty to your home that will always be in style.
Many natural colors. An assortment of beautiful natural shades offered by different wood species including bamboo, cherry, oak, birch, walnut, maple, knotty pine and walnut.
Durable. Wooden cabinets are strong, durable and resistant to damage. Scratches are usually easy to cover or polish.
Customizable. Solid wood can easily be customized to create the type of cabinet door of your choice.
THE DISADVANTAGES:
Cost. Solid wood cabinets tend to be expensive.
Reactive to humidity. Solid wood reacts naturally to moisture and can warp or crack.
High maintenance. Wood cabinets should be treated with a waterproof finish. Clean with non-abrasive products specially designed for wood.
Wood veneers
BENEFITS:
Natural wood imitation. Veneer cabinets give the look and feel of natural wood, as they are actually made of a thin layer of real wood, which is glued to less expensive base materials.
Price: Wood veneer is less expensive than solid natural wood.
Simple repair of scratches. Nicks and scratches can be simply buffed out to restore a smooth, uniform appearance.
Durability. Wood veneer is reasonably durable (more than laminate, but less than solid wood). It is very resistant to deformation.
Easy maintenance. Veneer cabinets are easy to wipe down, using only a soft, slightly damp cloth.
THE DISADVANTAGES:
Vulnerable to water damage. Excessive moisture will loosen the veneer from its base, causing an unattractive “bubbled” effect.
MDF
BENEFITS:
Same grain. Because MDF is made of small particles of wood fiber mixed with wax and resins, it has a smooth, uniform grain.
MDF will not expand or contract as much as natural wood with fluctuations in the relative humidity of your home. As a result, it will be less prone to warping.
MDF cabinets take paint well and can be repainted whenever you want.
Flexible style. Medium density fiberboard is easy to fabricate into a variety of kitchen cabinet styles.
Large pieces. MDF is made in large pieces, unlike wood which is limited by the size of the tree it is cut from.
THE DISADVANTAGES:
Cannot be sanded. Chips and scratches are impossible to sand out of MDF.
Not heat resistant. This cabinet material will not withstand extremely high temperatures,
Thermoplastic sheet
BENEFITS:
Attractive appearance. High gloss thermofilm consists of a glossy vinyl coating on a base material such as pine fiberboard. These cabinets reflect light, making your kitchen brighter and more spacious.
Easy to clean. Simply wipe away any stains or marks with a damp scratch-resistant cloth.
Resistant to discoloration and deformation. HGT cabinets will not fade or warp, as wood tends to do.
THE DISADVANTAGES:
Display the dirt. Every fingerprint or smear will show up on the reflective surface, so many homeowners with young children use this material only for upper cabinet doors.
Difficult to paint. Changing colors or covering stripes is complicated.
Vulnerable to heat and humidity. The HGT cabin of today