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Cabinet Doors Options made simple - Part 2

Sprayed doors
These doors go by a number of names such as two pack, polyurethane and  lacquered doors. These doors are made from MDF (medium density fibreboard) and sprayed with a chemically cured paint similar to car paint.Polyurethane is a better option than an a acid catylised lacquer and is much more resilient to solvents once fully cured. The faces and edges of the door can have a routered pattern or just plain faced with pencil round edges. The paint finish can range in gloss levels from matt(10%) , satin (30%), semi gloss (60%) to high gloss (90%).  The paint finish gives a very sleek modern appearance and shows no join seams on the edges. The paint is brittle but hard and can chip. The high gloss shows marks as does any highly polished surface. Semi gloss or satin finishes now more popular show less finger marks and are not so reflective. These doors are well suited to kitchen and bathroom installations. The price of a door 730mm x 450mm is between $85-150 per door depending on the routing and finish. The high gloss being at the more expensive end of the range. Smartpack offers a number of standard polyurethane doors  click here
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Cabinet Door Options made simple - Part 1


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.
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New automatic soft closing door hinge from Hettich

In line with our commitment to bring you the latest tips and tricks on our blog we offer you this media release from our contact at the Hettich company. Smartpack can supply these hinges at a small extra cost as part of any kitchen home office or wardrobe project or we can supply the add on soft closers as mentioned in a previous blog article on soft closers.

Hettich consolidates its reputation as Australia’s leading supplier of innovative fittings for the kitchen and building industry, with their award-winning Sensys generation of fully integrated and automatic soft closing door hinges. The preferred choice of architects, cabinet makers and kitchen designers, Hettich’s commitment is to providing products that make living spaces to work beautifully.

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“As a family-owned German company with a 100-year proud tradition of being at the forefront of new concepts and design trends, Hettich produces only stylish, efficient and innovative quality products,” says Hettich Marketing Manager, Dave Angus.

Hettich’s Sensys hinge with its integrated soft close system hides the hinges and internal cabinetry, leaving the silence and luxury of soft closing cupboards. The Sensys System is available for all main door mounting options and unlike competitor products can close a door from an angle of only 35 degrees. No more doors ajar. An added bonus is that Sensys is interchangeable with the current range of Intermat hinges.

Sensys is cutting edge European design and is manufactured with high quality materials and standards Australians have come to expect from Hettich, with the drawer and hinge systems coming with a lifetime warranty and a full replacement guarantee.

People can view the Sensys range at their nearest Hettich Endorsed Showroom. Each showroom has been hand-picked to showcase the depth and breadth of Hettich products.

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Handleless doors, tip latches, push catches and positively sprung hinges

Cabinet doors without handles have become popular again although they have always had some good uses in entertainment cabinets and the hifi units. It was perceived that handles on cabinets in the lounge or living room makes the cabinet look "kitcheny". A number of solutions have been used and can still be used to solve this problem but all have required a concealed hinge. The hinges were positively sprung, so designed to keep the cabinet door closed by the spring pressure. This tended to act against the push catch or tip latch which pushed the door outwards when released. The result was that the door only opened a small amount, about 10-20mm, so you had to get your fingers around the gap to open the door. 

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