If you’ve been feeling that your kitchen looks out-of-date and worn out, one of the first renovations to consider is tearing out your old kitchen cabinets. Thermofoil kitchen cabinets are a great choice for installation in your newly renovated home, and make your kitchen look brand new, even if you can’t afford to paint, or replace your flooring just yet.
What Are Thermofoil Kitchen Cabinets?
These types of kitchen cabinets are made through a manufacturing process that starts with a flexible vinyl material. It’s heated, and then it’s molded and formed over a medium-density fiberboard, also called MDF or engineered wood.
This results in a cabinet door that has a smooth surface. Not only is it easier to clean, but it will resist chipping much better than painted or laminated cabinets. Thermofoil cabinets do have some appealing features, though they may not be for everyone.
Low Maintenance & Easy Cleanup
If you are busy with a large family you may not have a lot of time to care for traditional wood laminate cabinets. Plus, no matter how much you watch kids or pets, they can damage the furnishings. But vinyl cabinets are much more durable. They’re also easier to clean, and naturally resist stains. All it takes is a simple wipe-down.
They also don’t require the additional upkeep that wood cabinets do, so you won’t have to worry about protective coatings, or having to re-varnish every few years. Thermofoil cabinets will not crack either, even around the heat of a stove or oven.
Color & Design Versatility
With natural products you’re limited to their natural colors, but with vinyl, you can have a wide range of patterns and colors. If you still like the wood-look you can choose that in your thermofoil kitchen cabinets too.
Heat & Moisture Resistance
Thermofoil cabinets may not crack or chip like standard wood cabinets do, but they also don’t stand up to heat as well as wood cabinets do either. If they’re installed too close to a heat source, the vinyl laminate can pull away from the veneer core. But there is a simple solution that will prevent this from happening. It’s essential to have a metal strip installed between the cabinets and your heat source.
Thermofoil cabinets do have excellent moisture resistance. However, you don’t want to be throwing water at them as they are not entirely waterproof. If water does get into them, the cabinet can be badly damaged. It’s important to have the proper-sized kitchen sink that drains properly, because if any water seeps down, you may need to replace your cabinets doors more often than expected.
Thermofoil cabinets are a lot heavier than your traditional cabinets. For this reason, they are a lot more difficult to install. While your traditional wood cabinets can be refinished if there are any scratches or cracks after the installation process, your Thermofoil cabinets can’t be repaired.
And, as always, when you’re shopping around for cabinets and make your choice, be sure to hire professional cabinet installers.