How durable are laminate cabinet doors?

Although laminate cabinet doors are just about the cheapest selection for your closets, they are far from the least of them. Speaking from a durability point of view, I believe that high pressure plastic laminated doors are the most durable of all.

Now I have been in the kitchen cabinet manufacturing business for many years and have owned several companies related to the industry. I’ve seen my share of old Formica cabinets that were in great shape. I have also seen some that were not in such good condition. Just like anything else, when something is properly maintained, it is possible for “that” something to last a lifetime.

Laminate doors will last thirty to fifty years. The only thing that is required of the owners is to keep them cleaned regularly. Formica doors are easily cleaned with Windex, Formula 409, or just a damp cloth.

If you’re considering having Formica in your kitchen or bathroom, I suggest selecting white or off-white as your color. Over the years, these two colors have long withstood ever-changing kitchen cabinet trends. Many different shades and patterns of laminate are discontinued each year, but white remains in all vendors’ color chains.

Now it is important that you DO NOT confuse Formica laminate doors with Thermofoil doors. Raised panel thermofoil doors will NOT last as long as hard skin high pressure plastic laminated doors.

The two things that have a negative effect on Formica plastic laminate doors are the way they are made and how they are cared for. If the manufacturer didn’t use enough glue on the doors, you’re in trouble. In my expert opinion this only happens once in ten thousand kitchens.

It is important to understand the difference between a melamine door and a plastic laminate door. Actually, the people who make the tabletop apply melamine to the center tabletop. Formica laminate is applied by the people who build your kitchen. Melamine is NOT as durable as laminate; it is thinner and is not available in as many colors as Formica.

Here are some cabinet door styles listed from cheapest to most expensive:

• Melanin
• plastic laminated doors
• thermal foil
• real wood

Here is a list of cabinet door styles from lowest to highest quality.:

• thermal foil
• Melamine
• real wood
• Formica

The way laminated doors are made is that the plastic sheet is purchased separately from the board. The board is cut to the correct size for the cabinet doors and then the plastic is cut some more. First the laminated edges of the door are glued. Next, the front and back of the doors are covered with Formica. Contact glue is used as the adhesive and routers are what the laminate is trimmed with flush to the edges of the door. Cabinetmakers use a file to smooth sharp edges. Any access contact adhesive is cleaned with lacquer thinner.

Kitchen cabinet doors are laminated with “vertical” grade or VT plastic. This is the thinner of the two options. Countertops are made of a thicker plastic called “standard” thickness. The VT is generally thirty seconds of an inch thick and the standard is one sixteenth of an inch thick.

If you’re considering purchasing Formica plastic laminate doors for your kitchen or bathroom, ask your cabinetmaker if they can be as thick as three-quarters of an inch. Five-eighths thick laminate doors are durable and hold up well, but the thicker option will be more durable in the long run.