Melamine Cabinets Pros and Cons

WHAT ARE MELAMINE KITCHEN CABINETS?

Melamine is a synthetic material that’s composed of different things, including wood particles, glue, resins and even paper. Having a paper and resin finish means that melamine kitchen cabinets are available in a wide variety of styles and colors. The colors they come in are usually solids, or come in multiple shades of faux wood grains.

Pros of melamine cabinets

1. Durability

Melamine cabinets are resistant to many of the common issues presented in a kitchen, whether it be excessive moisture, heat or stains.

The reason why melamine can resist these external elements is because of its tough outer coating.

This coating is also easy to clean.

2. A large variety

Because melamine is a synthetic material, it can be produced with an almost endless number of finishes. You can select from faux wood grains in various shades or solid colours. And this means you can choose black melamine cabinets, white melamine cabinets, yellowed melamine cabinets or grey melamine kitchen cabinets.

With this level of choice, you can find melamine kitchen cabinets design that perfectly matches for your kitchen’s style. 

3. A uniform finish

Unlike solid wood that can vary in grain patterns and colour, even within the same order, melamine offers a consistent finish since it is manufactured in a controlled setting.

4. Low cost

Compared to solid wood cabinets, melamine cabinets are offered at a much lower price point. High quality melamine cupboards with nice prices makes good cost-effectiveness!

Cons of melamine cabinets

1. Melamine can chip

Although the outside resin coating is durable, it can be prone to chipping.

Chips will leave the internal wood particle core exposed, and this can be very unattractive.

Also, if your cabinets do chip, it can be expensive to have them refinished.

2. Melamine can be harder to install

Because of the nature of their construction, melamine cabinets might not pair well with nails and screws. If used improperly, nails and screws can cause the melamine to splinter.

For this reason, having a professional installation team can be beneficial.

3. Melamine is susceptible to water damage

If the wood particle core of the cabinets gets saturated with water, it can compromise their structural integrity.

Water can be absorbed into this material more easily than solid wood, so you should be aware of this when installing cabinets next to your sink.