Painted kitchens – are painted wood kitchens worth the money?
Up until a few years ago, the only type of painted kitchens available were wood kitchens. However, over the last few years the market has changed & there’s now less expensive types available in the form of painted vinyl, foil & pvc wrapped kitchens.
The purpose of this blog is to point out the pros & cons of both types to help you decide which is best suited to your individual requirements & lifestyle.
Advantages of wood painted kitchens
They’ll never de-laminate
The big advantage painted wood kitchens have over painted vinyl, foil or pvc wrapped kitchens is they’ll never de-laminate. De-laminating is where the foil comes away from the MDF substrate, as pictured below. It often starts in areas of high heat & humidity such us close to an oven, hood or dishwasher.
Pictured below, a delaminated foil door
Wood painted kitchens have a natural beauty
Painted wood has a natural beauty that a painted foil will never be able to match.
Disadvantages
Cost of painted kitchens
Painted wood kitchens are expensive. They cost about 30% more than painted vinyl, foil & pvc wrapped kitchens.
Cracking around joints on painted kitchens
Wood expands & contracts over time with changes in heat & humidity levels. Therefore, you’ll often see small cracks in the paint around the door’s joints.
Greater strain on hinges
Real wood is heavy. Therefore, a painted wood kitchen door will place a greater strain on the hinges than a painted wrapped type kitchen door.
Advantages of vinyl, foil or pvc wrapped kitchen doors
Cost
Vinyl, foil & pvc wrapped kitchens cost about 30% less than painted wooden kitchens.
Looks identical to painted wood
Painted vinyl, foil & pvc wrapped doors are now so realistic, that it’s almost impossible to tell them apart from painted wood kitchens. Often, the only way you can tell the difference is by the weight.
The doors pictured below are all painted foils.
No risk of paint cracking
Unlike wood, MDF is a stable substrate. This means there’s no risk of cracks appearing in the paint around joints like there is with wood.
Less strain on hinges
A painted foil door is much lighter than a wood door. Therefore, a painted foil door will place far less strain on the hinges than a painted wood door.
Disadvantages of vinyl, foil or pvc wrapped kitchen doors
The risk of delaminating
Although the risk of delamination may be small, there’s still the risk.
It’s not natural, it’s man-made
At the end of the day, plastic will never posses the same natural beauty as wood.
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