Cabinet Door Options made simple

The kitchen behind the doors and panels is usually made up of white high moisture resistant melamine board and varies only slightly in construction and finish between different manufacturers. The major cost difference in the kitchen comes from the benchtops and the doors and the choice of doors makes a considerable difference. Most kitchen companies will offer about five styles, each having a range of colours and finishes.

Melamine doors with melamine edging
This is the cheapest door style. Melamine paper overlay is a low pressure resin impregnated paper pressed on to board.Melamine paper is a thin brittle material that cannot be handled without the backing board.It is suitable for vertical surfaces such as doors and panels but not for kitchen benchtops.(It can be used for office benchtops which have less wear). With care it will last a long time and is a very economical way to bring colour into a kitchen. The only significant drawback is that the edging on the square cut door can peel off or the colour can chip off the edging if it is melamine edging. (This does not happen with PVC or ABS edging).The colour is on both sides of the door.The edge and the door do not have great impact resistance and water damage can effect the door because water can leach through the joint of the edging and the melamine face. Edging can be replaced as can the door at minimal cost. The approximate price of a 730mm x 450mm door is about A$30-45 depending on the branded colour. White generic board is always the cheapest.