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Kitchen Cabinet Laminate Doors
Cabinet doors are an essential part of the kitchen remodeling and renovation process. You have to ask yourself what matters the most to you. Is it functionality, the certain application of your favorite veneer, durability, how the materials look with other elements in your kitchen, how do the doors stand up to stains, and what falls under your budget? Before jumping into another kitchen cabinet material, here’s what you need to know about laminate cabinets and whether or not this type of cabinet door is what you’re looking for.
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Laminate Cabinets
Laminate Cabinet Doors: Pros
One of the Best Low-Maintenance Materials: Laminate cabinet doors are designed to be low-maintenance and easy to take care of. Laminate cabinet doors are resistant to stains and you can easily wipe off liquids to maintain their appearance.
Very Affordable Material: Compared to solid wood cabinets, laminate cabinets are the more affordable material. Comparing high-pressure laminate and natural wood, the former kitchen cabinets are more budget-friendly which means that you can spend more on other elements of your kitchen remodel.
Customers Get Durable Kitche Cabinets: Just because a laminate door and drawer fronts are not wood doors does not mean that they lack in durability. Laminate kitchen cabinets are usually created with a particleboard or a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) core, real wood, and resin. This cabinet door can take on daily wear and tear with proper maintenance.
Incredibly Versatile: This type of cabinet door is not only cost-effective but incredibly versatile which means that you can create the kitchen of your dreams regardless of your preferred interior design style. Get your white cabinets or faux wood drawer fronts!
Laminate Cabinet Doors: Cons
Can Be Damaged: Even high-quality laminate, known for its quality, can be damaged. Over time if these kitchen cabinets are not taken care of, the pressed layers can start to lift.
Sensitive to Heat and Moisture: Laminate cabinets should be well placed before or during your kitchen remodel so that they are not exposed to excessive heat or moisture.
Not Repairable: Unlike wood cabinet doors, laminate doors are made out of materials that are pressed together under high heat. Damage to these layers is unrepairable which means that damage to laminate cabinet doors is permanent and you will haec to purchase new cabinet dooors.
Does Not Increase Home Value: Laminate cabinets are not made out of the most expensive and rare materials on the planet. Compared to marble or natural wood, laminate cabinets will not significantly increase the value of your property.
Kitchen Cabinet Laminate Doors vs. Solid Wood Cabinet Doors
Maintenance
Laminate doors can be wiped down with warm water and a sponge. You can also clean up high-pressure laminate cabinet doors with a mild surpafe cleaner.
On the other hand, solid wood cabinets should be wiped down with a soft cloth first. To prevent stains, wipe down the wood cabinet doors with a natural wood cleaner or a dish soap and water solution. Persistent stains can be cleaned out of wood doors with a baking soda and water paste.
Appearance
Laminate cabinet doors are perfect for homeowners looking for classi white cabinets or a specific color for their cabinetry to fit into their family home’s overall aesthetic. Laminate cabinets can also mimic the look of real wood cabinet doors but are easier to shop for and cost a lot less. For those on the search for classic cabinetry that can be stained if needed, sold wood kitchen cabinets are the way to go. Solid wood cabinetry fill up kitchens well, are known for their quality, and are incredibly beautiful. Thre are so many different types of wood to choose from (e.g., cherry, oak, etc. ) and each material on the market has its own natural design and interesting textures.
Sustainability
Cabinet doors made out of laminate require a tiny amount of lumber and are more sustainable than solid wood cabinet doors in this regard. Laminate cabinet doors can use scraps of solid wood that would have been discarded of and are recycled instead. Solid wood on the other hand requires large amounts of hardwood lumber for the manufacturing process which is why you may not choose wood for the kitchen remodeling process.
Cost
The most cost-effective cabinet doors are made out of laminate. Compared to their natural wood counterpart, laminate doors are always more affordable and can sometimes cost about half the price of wood cabinets. This does not mean that laminate cabinets are necessarily inferior to real wood cabinets and you can focus on other aspects of the kitchen remodel like your storage solutions or kitchen island.
Warranty
Laminate cabinets will generally have longer warranties than wood cabinets. Take note that you should contact the manufacturer or check out their website and services but laminate doors can have a 10-year warranty. A wood cabinet door will have a 5-year warranty.