Cabinet door types how do they compare?

Hi Nruber,

The doors I am used to providing are:

Colourboard with matching 2mm edge.

Vinyl Wrap (thermolaminate).

Two Pack (Polyurethane).

Timber Veneer and Solid Timber.

There are differing opinions about the level of quality of some of these finishes, even here, and you will find some quite intense discussions if you look for them.

In my opinion, flat melamine colourboard is one of the toughest and most value for money door types one can choose.
There are even a number of boards now available in a gloss, or "sheen" finish that are quite impressive.

Next up the dollar ladder is Vinyl Wrap, or "Thermolaminate".
I haven't seen any where both sides of the door get coated, mine are normally routed out of 18mm MDF with white melamine on the inside and covered in Vinyl on the other.
The vacuum forming process is quite effective, but will always slightly round out any inside edges of a routed pattern.
I believe that vinyl is softer and more succeptible to damage than Two Pack.
Some things that vinyl can do that two pack can't are be applied in a variety of textured (including woodgrain) finishes and come in patterns, such as timber look.
This finish is not heat tolerent and has been known to peel off in certain conditions such as when exposed to steam, being next to an oven or just being installed in Townsville...

Two Pack, commonly Polyurethane, is normally more expensive than vinyl, depending on the level of detail on the door and who is supplying them.
The preperation process for the doors is the same as for vinyl but the door is then spray painted with a laquer like resin that when cured finishes up smooth and hard.
Normally these doors still only get painted on one side, leaving a flat white on the inside - of course , one can specify for both sides of the board to be painted but this will significantly increase the price of the job.
Two Pack, since it is a resin, is very hard and quite durable, but it is brittle.
This means that it is quite easy to chip the corners and edges of your doors, and of course, just like car paint, they are also not immune to scratches, which are seldom possible to repair.
Two pack is more resistant to heat and moisture than vinyl and does not normally require any special considerations when placed next to ovens.

Timber doors have traditionally been the most expensive type of kitchen door, but once again, it depends on the level of detail in the profile and what sort of timber you are going for.
Timber doors are often coated in a clear polyuretahne or other laquer finishes to bring up the gloss, but they can also be oiled for a more natural look and feel.
To my mind, the real advantage of timber is that it is a "solid" material, which is to say it is the same stuff all the way through, not just a coating.
This means that even if it does get dented or scratched you will not be exposing the substrate.
Of course the marks will still show, but unlike the other finishes these marks can sometimes be sanded or polished out.
Even if you leave them, the slightly worn look on timber seems to have more integrity than on the coated surfaces.
One thing that a lot of people don't realise when choosing timber is that, being a naturally grown material, the colour and pattern can vary, even across a couple of doors.
The manufacturer normally tries to match the colour and grain of adjoining panels as closely as possible, but it is rare that an entire kitchen will feature exactly the same colour and grain on every board.

I hope this has helped you a bit.

Cheers,

Earl

Hi Nruber,

If you were buying Two Pack doors from me they would be manufactured using Australian Standard MRMDF (Moisture Resistant Medium Density Fibreboard).

The doors would be locally machined into profile then sent to a local cabinetry spray painter who would apply the two pack.

The painted boards are prepped and finished over a period of days and aren't sent out until the paint has had plenty of time to cure, as the painter doesn't want any liability issues.
This also means that any volatiles should have long cooked off, as this is how the paint hardens.

Local painters have to comply to strict regulations regarding the application and quality of polyurethane, which should mean that the product is safe to have in your home as well.

Technically the same is true about vinyl wrap if it is made in Australia.
Any of the manufacturers should be able to provide you with a "Material Safety Data Sheet" specifying the nature and standards compliance of all materials used in their products.
If you have any qualms about a product ask for these specifications.
If your potential supplier is reluctant or unable to provide this information my suggestion would be to reconsider your choice.
Don't just take someone's word for it - ask to see the evidence.

Your biggest worry regarding "outgassing" should still remain the boards from which the cabinets are made, and once again, if the materials can be demonstrated to comply to all the relevent standards you should have the least concerns.

Cheers,

Earl

A vinyl kitchen should be specified and installed to incorporate manufacturer provided "heat shields" on either side of the oven.

If these are installed a "good" vinyl supplier should give you seven years warranty on the doors and boards.

Of course the fact that you are also having problems around your range hood only emphasises my opinion of the inappropriateness of vinyl in a kitchen - an environment that by definition gets hot and steamy - neither of which is conducive to vinyl wrap.

You should not have any problems with colourboard edged with 2mm PVC.
This is the door I would recommend ahead of any other.
It is sleek and keeps a good edge - it will look contemporary for a good while and it lets your attention focus on the handles and the benchtops.

My preferred style is simple square doors with a high end handle and a good looking top.

A rolled edge door should be able to take whatever you put it up against - at least I have not heard of any problems with them viz heat, but once again, my personal opinion is that style wise they are out, and an unneccesary expense.

I would encourage you to examine some of the Sheen range of boards now available - but I have said that before.
Simple, flat and easy to keep clean.

Put your money into good handles, some nice frosted glazed wall unit doors or a thicker benchtop with pencil edges.

Cheers,

Earl

Thanks for the thanks - and a great score on that granite!

To provide a 40mm edge they would only double the thickness on the visible edges, but this still represents about a 10% increase in the quantity of granite used.

Did you go for straight flat doors with duraedge all round or rolled edge doors?

And do you get a choice of handles?

Glad I could be of help.

Cheers,

Earl