Melamine vs. Plywood Cabinets
What is the difference? Does it really matter if the cabinets are constructed of melamine or plywood? Here are the facts related to melamine:
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The way it looks. When I show a customer a piece of plywood vs plywood. a piece of melamine for cabinet construction, 9 times out of 10, after looking at the depth, construction, and strength of the plywood, they are more inclined to order cabinets built with plywood than with melamine.
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When it gets wet or damp, it swells and falls apart! Does this make any sense? Kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinets are in humid areas. I can’t count the number of customers who have asked me why their melamine cabinets smell musty, disintegrate, have mold, and doors and drawers no longer close properly: “We just had them installed a few years ago,” they tell me.
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Traditional melamine is really heavy.
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Light melamine is ridiculous! It breaks, it chips very easily, it splinters, it delaminates, it can’t hold a screw or a nail, and it’s so thin I can’t figure out how they can do anything with paper-thin veneer. The melamine substrate looks like stained cardboard.
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It won’t hold a screw for very long (even confirmations), especially after the customer starts opening the doors. A few months later, they fall off! For example, I recently took apart a melamine kitchen that was only a few years old and was built using 3/4″ glued and stapled material from one of those big home improvement retailers. With just a hammer, it only took 10 to 15 minutes.to knock down about 12 cabinets.they literally fell apart with a couple of bangs.I took the doors off just by pulling on them with one hand…I just ripped the doors off and off the hinges in one motion.
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Smells!
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It easily splinters when cutting if the blade is not sharp all the time.
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Difficult to work.
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The ends use an edge band, basically strips of glued-on melamine that are affixed to cover the particle board (sawdust) between the melamine sheets using heat.
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delamination problems. The melamine is separated from the particle board that is between the melamine sheets.
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The surface breaks when using screws.
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Submaterials degrade over time (loose joints).
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Hinges loosen more easily over time (door sags).
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It will not hold trim well without glue or nailers.
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Cheap (both ways).
Choosing melamine cabinets or plywood cabinets is really a choice that is up to you. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these materials. After reviewing the summary below of the pros and cons of each material, you can make a decision on what to use for your cabinets.
Stronger
Although melamine may be strong enough to make your cabinets, plywood tends to be stronger. This in turn makes your cabinets more durable.
hinges
Hinges tend to break much sooner when using melamine cabinets vs. plywood cabinets.
Drawers
Drawers also tend to break with melamine cabinets vs. plywood cabinets. See Screws below.
thumbscrew
Melamine doesn’t hold screws as well as plywood and tends to splinter when you screw one in.
Bills
Plywood is more expensive than melamine.
Cleaning
Melamine is very easy to clean. Plywood is a bit more difficult to clean.
refinement
Plywood should be finished with a varnish, paint, or stain of your choice. Melamine comes prefinished in a variety of colors.