Vinyl Wrapped Kitchen – Pros and Cons
Vinyl wrapped kitchen doors are everywhere. Regardless if you are planning your new home; renovating your old house or just updating your kitchen: You will come across them. And more so, you will be tempted. Vinyl wrapped doors, aka thermos-foil doors are a popular option for kitchen, laundry and linen cabinets. We have taken a closer look and summed up for you if they are worth the hype.
What Are Vinyl Wrapped Kitchen Doors
Vinyl wrapped doors are basically mdf (medium density fibreboard) doors wrapped in a thin plastic coating. The thin layer of plastic, called ‘foil’ is heated up until it becomes flexible enough to form and to mold it around another shape – usually the kitchen doors and drawer fronts.
Pros for Thermo-foil Kitchens
Above all thermos-foil doors are cheap. They cost less than a third of the price of painted kitchen cabinets. This makes them an attractive choice for many buyers and builders. Another advantage is that vinyl wrap offers unlimited design options. It comes in all colours and finishes from wood-grain to, high loss or from a classic white to fancy patterned look.
Vinyl Wrap Doors Cons
Unfortunately you get what you pay for. Vinyl wrapped doors are not made to last. They react to heat and moisture. Dishwashers, coffee machines, even toasters can damage the thermos-foil. This really makes them a less than ideal choice for kitchens and laundries.
When to Buy Thermo-foil Doors
- If you have a) a fixer upper that you b) just want to sell again quickly and you c) don’t care about leaving the future owners with a temporary kitchen, thermos-foil is your go-to choice.
- Thermo-foil doors are for you if all you want is a quick fix –as long as you don’t mind to redo everything in a few years’ time.
- If you are a Home Builder who is just interested in quick cash.
- The only situation, in which we would recommend to buy vinyl wrapped kitchen cabinets, is, if you are looking into split up the investment. E.g. you really do need a new kitchen now but you simply don’t have the funds to finance a proper one. You could buy thermo-foil cabinets now and then, in five to seven years, when the cheap cabinets start to peel, pay the extra to get them painted. You are basically getting a premium kitchen in instalments.
What Not To DO If You Have Peeling Thermo-foil Doors
Let’s start with, what not to do: Don’t under any circumstances glue back the peeling vinyl with superglue or similar. Most if not all over the counter glues damage the underlying mdf boards. This damage is not visible to the bare eye; however the chemical reaction that occurs when you apply these cheap glues to the mdf ruins the doors for any further treatment. No paint will reliably stick to it anymore.
How to fix Peeling Thermo-foil Doors
The best thing to do if you have peeling vinyl doors is to get in touch. It does not take much or long for us to investigate the problem. We do it as part of our customer service – no strings attached. Simply click here to hop over to our website and we will get back to you ASAP. If your cabinets are suitable for repair, we will strip all doors of the thermos-foil. We will then sand them back and prepaid them for painting. Once the prep work is done, we will apply a high quality 2-pac paint finish of your choice and colour, which will make your doors look like brand-new. The best about it? It lasts forever and costs a fraction of buying a brand-new kitchen.
Does this ruin the cabinets? I’m a renter and will need to remove it before I move out. Thanks!
Hi Dani, removing peeling vinyl and spray painting or “resurfacing’ the cabinets is the best and most affordable way to keep your kitchen up to date and functional.
I have an RV with the vinyl wrap over MDF. Can you remove and replace the cherry wood on the cabinet faces?
Vince
Sure thing Mate. Just fill in the contact form here and we will be in touch to arrange an obligation free quoate appointment. https://www.dianellapolishing.com.au/contact/
Does it ruin the original cupboard if you remove it
Hi Elizabeth,
thank you that is a good question. Luckily, it does not harm the original cupboard if you remove the peeling vinyl. Underneath the vinyl-wrap is the plain substrate – most often mdf, which can be sanded back and prepared for spray-painting to give your kitchen a new look. Kind regards,
Your Dianella-Polishign-team.