What’s Melamine Kitchen Cabinet?

Style, cost and quality are 3 important things when you procurement kitchen cabinets. Here we introduce the most popular kitchen cabinet-melamine kitchen cabinet, including it's pros and cons.

Melamine has a core made from compressed wood particles, which is covered by a paper and resin finish which can be used for manufacturing various colors and styles. It is common for melamine to be used in making cabinets or the bathroom, kitchen or other sections of a home.

1. Durability

These cabinets are very durable, being resistant to various common problems that occur in the kitchen, from heat, stains and excessive moisture. The melamine is able to resist external elements due to the tough outer coating, which is also very easy to clean.

2. Variety

Being a synthetic material, melamine is able to be produced with a very wide range of finishes. It can come in solid colors, or multiple shades of faux wood grains.

The variety available makes it easy to find the perfect finish for your kitchen.

3. Uniformed finish

Melamine can offer consistent finishes, even within the same order because it's manufactured within a controlled environment. Whereas, solid wood grain can vary in pattern and color, even in the same order.

4. Inexpensive

When comparing melamine to solid wood style cabinets, melamine offers a less expensive option. This leads to savings with your renovations or installations, making your budget seem bigger.

1. Weight

While cabinet weight may not be the initial concern, it could require having to upgrade your brackets to a more heavy-duty install. Without having the proper brackets for hanging, cabinets may fall, which could result in more expensive damage.

2. Melamine chips

While the resin coating on the outside of melamine is durable, it's still possible to be chipped. In the event chips occur, it exposes the wood particle in the core, which can become rather unattractive. Additionally, if the cabinets chip, refinishing them can become expensive.

3. More challenging to install

Due to the way melamine is created, these type of cabinets could become harder to install, as it may not work with screws and nails. When improperly used, the screws or nails could cause splintering in the melamine. It is this reason, having a professional installation is recommended with melamine.

4. It's susceptible to water damages

In the event water makes its way to the wood particle core and becomes saturated, the overall structural integrity of the cabinet can be compromised. Water absorbs into melamine easier and quicker than with solid wood, so you should keep this in mind if installing next to a sink.

If you're going to the hardwood store, or a furniture store to look for a new set of cabinets, you should take these pros and cons into consideration. Melamine kitchen cabinets, like with various other materials, has good and bad points. However, remember to stay within budget, look for quality and your preferences.