7 Best Materials for Kitchen Cabinet Door

Kitchen cabinets are an essential part of the kitchen, which we use to store food and cook. High-quality cabinets can affect how efficiently we use the kitchen to a great extend. When renovating your kitchen, the choice of cabinet doors is crucial, as you will need to open and close them almost every day to access things. As a primary part of your cabinets, the look of your modern cabinet doors generally determines the style of your kitchen. We’ll show you how to install modern cabinet doors and how to choose the best cabinet door material for you in this article.

How to install cabinet doors?

1. Choose the right hinges

Before installing cabinet doors, you first need to understand what kind of hinges are suitable for your cabinet doors. At present, the more popular hinges on the market are full overlay and half overlay.

2. Punching holes

Use a drill bit to punch a cup hole and two small holes in the cabinet door. After drilling the holes, embed nylon expansion plug into the two small holes.

3. Install the hinge cups

Press the hinge cup into the hole. Use a drill to drive the screws into the reserved holes on both sides of the cup hole. Please do not tighten the screws completely.

4. Install the mounting plate

Drill holes in the side panels of the cabinet and install the hinge mounting plate with screws. Repeat the above steps for the remaining hinges.

5. Install the cabinet door

Install the cabinet door on the mounting plate with screws. Then close the door to check whether the hinges are revealed and make sure the door is in a good place when being closed. Tighten the screws after adjusting the door and hinges.

7 Popular Materials for Kitchen Cabinet Door

1. Plywood

Plywood is a popular cabinet material with many advantages. Made of many thin layers of wood laminated together by glue, plywood is moisture resistant, easy to install, and very durable. On top of that, the unique structure makes it strong and resilient. Plywood is more resistant to drilling than other materials, making it easy to repair and replace. However, the cost of this material is higher compared to particleboard and laminate. The glue of plywood may melt if exposed to high heat.

2. Medium Density Fiberboard

Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is a manufactured composite material made from recycled wood fibers, resins, and waxes sealed by high pressure. As one of the best materials for cabinetry, MDF is strong and durable and resistant to cracking and warping. However, it is not as strong as plywood and cannot bear a lot of weight.

3. Laminate

Laminate is a surface material made of paper and resin pressed at high temperatures. High-pressure laminate is strong and durable and can resist shattering and scratching. High-pressure laminate is available in a wide range of colors, styles, and accents. At the same time, this material is easy to clean and maintain. However, high-pressure laminate is more expensive than low-pressure laminate, although it is very cost-effective.

4. Thermofoil

Thermofoil is the first choice for many people’s modern cabinet doors. Often with a white or light-colored finish, Thermofoil has a fresh and elegant appearance. The material is strong, durable, and easy to maintain. Best of all, Thermofoil is reasonably priced. If you’re on a budget, this is one of the most affordable cabinetry options available.

5. Particleboard

Particleboard is an engineered product made from recycled wood products such as wood chips and shavings pressed together. Because it is made from waste materials, particleboard is inexpensive, which is one of its top advantages. But it can also provide very high quality, helping you create a firm and durable cabinet door. However, the particleboard cabinets will tend to sag and deform once they are overfilled.

6. Melamine

Melamine is also a popular choice in kitchen cabinets. This material has a uniform style and variety of patterns, giving a fresh color scheme for a modern minimalist kitchen. The surface is flat. It is affordable while being hard-wearing and long-lasting, and resistant to heat, moisture, and stains. It is easy to clean and does not require sealing or repainting. However, this material is susceptible to water, so avoid installing melamine cabinets near the sink.

7. Wood Veneer

Wood veneer is a thin layer of solid hardwood, which is usually used only for cabinet doors. People will use other materials such as particleboard, MDF together to make cabinets boxes to save costs. Wood veneer is light and stable, making it an economical choice for modern cabinet doors styles.

In this article, we have listed several main types of kitchen cabinet door materials. But there are always many factors to consider when choosing kitchen cabinets. You need to pick the most suitable kind of material that matches your decorating style.