From Ordinary to Extraordinary: Remodeling Ideas

Five Materials Typically Used For Kitchen Cabinet Doors

26 December 2018

Mila Legrand

Terminology abounds regarding kitchen furniture: MDF, veneer, laminated wood, plywood. Knowing what these expressions refer to can be a big help when restyling your home and choosing cabinetry. You just need to become familiar with the few materials that are used over and over again to construct cabinet doors.

Solid Timber

Solid timber doors are just that: they consist of lumber sawn from a tree log. After leaving the sawmill, the timber is typically treated to protect it from water and insects and is then graded, primarily based upon its appearance. Wood grains which show fewer imperfections, defects and knots usually earn a higher grade than timber which displays more flaws.

Particleboard And MDF

Particleboard and MDF (medium-density fibreboard) are engineered wood products. Particleboard consists of wood particles, such as wood chips, shavings and sawdust, collected from the timber mill. These wood byproducts are processed and combined with a resin and additives which provide protection from water damage and increase durability. The composite is pressed and extruded to form particleboard.

MDF is manufactured from (more processed) fibres rather than particles. Typically denser and stronger than particleboard, MDF results from a combination of the fibres, resin and waxes which are heated to extreme temperatures before being pressed into panels. 

Laminated Wood And Plywood

Both plywood and laminated wood are constructed from multiple sheets of wood veneer. Veneer is just a thin layer of timber, obtained by slicing a tree log. Numerous layers of these fine timber slices are then pasted together to form panels. When the wood grains of the numerous layers lie parallel, the result is laminated wood. Alternatively, when the wood grains of subsequent layers criss-cross, the outcome is plywood. The benefit of crisscrossing the sheets is that this strengthens the plywood and makes the plywood more durable. Typically, if a piece of timber splits or cracks, it does so along the grain. Alternating the grains minimises this tendency.

Cabinet doors constructed from these materials are often finished with another element on the outside, such as laminate, vinyl film or a high-quality layer of timber veneer. Laminated wood and plywood can themselves be finished by either reserving the most attractive layers for the outside or by decorating them with something else entirely. In the case of solid timber doors, they can simply be stained or painted. Companies that provide custom joinery services can provide more information about the various materials and finishes used for cabinetry.

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