Are you shopping for custom cabinets for your kitchen or refreshing your existing cabinets? It’s an exciting part of the kitchen remodeling process, but it can be stressful if you don’t know where to start! There are more ways to make kitchen cabinets than you might expect and more ways than you can dream of to incorporate them into your kitchen design.
In order to determine the ideal materials for your kitchen cabinets, you’ll need to know a little bit about each material and its pros and cons.
Wood
Natural wood is one of the most popular materials for kitchen cabinets because it is timeless, durable, and attractive. When a cabinet is advertised as “solid wood,” it might mean it is completely solid hardwood, or it might be mixed with plywood, which is also a type of solid wood. In these cases, hardwood is usually used for the kitchen cabinet doors and frame (called the cabinet’s “box”), while plywood is used for the inner shelves and backing. If the difference is important to you, make sure to inquire about the composition of the wood cabinets you’re considering.
Solid Hardwood
Solid hardwood is a timeless, durable, and attractive material available in many colors and styles. Plus, it is relatively easy to repair. It is also quite possibly the most expensive option for kitchen cabinet materials on this list. The cost of lumber has increased during the global crisis surrounding COVID-19, so if you want to use solid hardwood for your cabinets, keep your budget in mind.
There are countless ways to create a classic or modern kitchen look using cabinets made from red oak, white oak, pecan wood, beechwood, or any other texture or color of natural wood that suits your design preferences. Wood can also be stained or painted. However, home design experts don’t recommend the latter. Wood doesn’t paint as well as other materials, and painting can degrade the quality of finished natural wood. If you’re dead set on painting, you might be better off choosing an alternative material for your cabinets that takes paint more readily.
Plywood
Plywood is a solid wood product created by laminating thin layers of wood at alternate angles using glue, heat, and pressure. These layers are sealed together at alternate angles to make the surface stronger. Plywood can be an ideal choice for your cabinets because it is relatively moisture-resistant (compared to hardwood), easier to drill into, and lightweight. It’s easy to repair and is one of the strongest materials you can use. However, plywood cabinets can lack consistency where the boards are joined, making plywood difficult to work with during installation. It also can get pricey to use plywood — just because it’s less expensive than solid hardwood doesn’t mean it isn’t costlier than many other options on this list.
Wood Alternatives
Instead of hardwood or plywood, you might want to have your kitchen cabinets made from a wood-based alternative. This can give you the look of wood cabinets without the higher price tag. There are many wood alternatives with various pros and cons to each.
A Quick Note on Wood Veneer
Many wood alternatives are topped with wood veneer. Wood veneer is a high-gloss thin layer of hardwood glued to another material. Wood veneer is a finish material, meaning it is not suitable for cabinet interiors or sides — just cabinet doors. That being said, doors made from almost any materials for cabinets can be covered with wood veneer. It’s a great way to update old structurally sound cabinets with superficial damage. If you’re thinking about contacting our experts in cabinet refacing in Burlington, NJ, and the surrounding areas, you should definitely consider wood veneer as a great way to update the look of your kitchen cabinets.
Fiberboard
Often abbreviated to medium-density fiberboard (MDF), fiberboard is a wood alternative composed of tiny wood particles mixed with wax, glue, and resins. This gives it a smooth grain that is easy to paint, meaning MDF cabinets can be an ideal choice for the consumer who loves to update their interior design themselves every few years. MDF is also significantly easier on your budget than wood. However, due to the way it is made, MDF cannot be sanded, meaning getting rid of chips or scratches isn’t easy, especially for the novice DIYer. It’s also not a great choice if your kitchen tends to get very hot, as it isn’t as heat-resistant. (This is more of a note for industrial or commercial kitchens, as it is unlikely the average homeowner’s kitchen will get hot enough to make a huge difference).
Particle board
Particle board is a close cousin to fiberboard, but they’re not exactly the same. If you’ve ever taken a close look at a construction site or been inside someone’s shed, you’ve probably seen particle board, sometimes dubbed “chipboard.” It’s similar to MDF in its composition and creation, except it’s made from coarser and larger wood fibers. Particle board is a highly affordable option for many homeowners, and it’s very sturdy. However, it can’t be painted directly — it needs to be covered with a wood veneer or laminate to provide an attractive look — and you have to pay careful attention to the quality of your particleboard. Lower quality particle board has a worse chance of standing up to wear and tear over the years. It also handles moisture poorly, meaning it might be a bad choice for cabinets under sinks or near other water sources in your kitchen.
Laminate
Laminate has been around for a long time in the flooring industry as an alternative to wood floors, but did you know it’s also a popular choice of material for kitchen cabinets? High-pressure laminate (sometimes abbreviated to “HPL” in the interior design industry) is made using wood particle board, resin, and compressed paper. These materials are then heated to make up one complete piece before being coated with wood veneer. Laminate is easy to clean, stands up well for daily use, and comes in countless colors and styles. Unfortunately, there are still cons to using this material for kitchen cabinets because it can’t be painted, and scratches and chips are difficult to repair effectively.
Thermofoil
Thermofoil is a vinyl film sealed onto a substrate via pressure and heat. Its actual construction is not unlike laminate, but it is treated for additional water resistance. Thermofoil is cheaper than laminate and looks similar or even better than some laminates after installation because high-quality thermofoil boasts a glossy, finished look. Sometimes cabinets will be otherwise made up of laminate but have thermofoil applied on the doors to give them this look as well.
It’s a great alternative to laminate but has similar drawbacks, unfortunately. Chips and scratches on a glossy surface are hard to fix and stand out like a sore thumb. Speaking of fingers, if you have kids or are in your kitchen often, you might find yourself doing a lot of scrubbing since the shiny thermofoil shows off every smudge and fingerprint on its surface.
Melamine
You might be familiar with melamine because of the plates in your kitchen cabinets. But did you know that it’s a material for kitchen cabinets as well? Melamine cabinets are made from particle board or another substrate, plus a special melamine covering. The covering is made by fusing melamine with resin with paper, then applying it to the substrate to promote water resistance and make your cabinets easier to clean. Not only are melamine cabinets easier to clean and water-resistant — they’re also most likely the cheapest option on this list and don’t require any re-staining or sealing over time.
But before you decide on melamine, read up on its drawbacks too. Melamine is heavier than more expensive wood alternatives, meaning your cabinets can sag over time or need complete replacement more often. They are also especially likely to get dented and scratched because of the delicate nature of melamine itself.
Polyester
Polyester cabinets are close relatives of melamine cabinets. Polyester cabinets are also made up of melamine. The difference is that to make polyester cabinets, melamine is combined with pine board for the substrate and then coated with a polyester film. Polyester cabinets have similar advantages and drawbacks and a similar price point to melamine cabinets.
Non-Wood Materials for Kitchen Cabinets
Some customers are looking for cabinets that don’t look or act like wood at all. There are plenty of materials for kitchen cabinets that suit these customers’ needs too.
PVC
PVC is a plastic material used to make pipes and other household utility connections, but it can also be used to make cabinets. PVC cabinets are waterproof, lightweight, and easy to customize and repair. However, they are not very eco-friendly with how much plastic they add to landfills, and they can also lack durability, especially in the long term.
Metal
Aluminum or stainless steel cabinets can make a modern kitchen look come together. Metal cabinets are durable, waterproof, and long-lasting. However, they are difficult to customize with colors or styles, and they are vulnerable to fingerprints and smudges the most compared to any other material on this list.
Glass
Glass is a historically uncommon material for kitchen cabinets, but it has lately become popular in some modern kitchen designs. Glass cabinets offer a sleek look and accentuate the beauty of your kitchen. They are also very strong and completely waterproof. However, glass cabinets can be expensive and have many of the same drawbacks as metal (including lack of customization and visible dirt). They also need to be treated with special care because broken glass can do serious harm to your family, especially children or pets.
Next Steps
Now that you know some of the common materials for kitchen cabinets as well as their pros and cons, we hope you feel more confident choosing what you’re going to use. If you have questions, want to explore your options, or are looking to restore your kitchen to its former glory, contact Capital Kitchen Refacing today! We’ll be happy to help you plan a kitchen cabinet redesign that you and your family will love.