Refacing cabinets, while replacing drawer and door fronts, or covering the vulnerable frames with new material, serves as an economical method of breathing new life into ugly or old kitchen cabinets. Formica and thermofoil are two popular refacing materials, and they offer substantial differences in terms of design, durability and appearance choices while these products cost about the same.
Formica Overview
A registered trademark of the Formica Group, formica, is a form of laminate made by bonding layers of resin and kraft paper. The layers of material are bonded under high pressure and heat, forming a tough, rigid sheet of substance. The kraft paper features a printed surface that could possibly be a solid colour or patterns. Installers stick Formica’s sheets to the faces of the cabinets, that are typically constructed of fiberboard, known as MDF, or another form of sheet timber. While Formica represents a popular brand name of timber, this term is a generic trademark for all sorts of laminate used in refacing that might not refer to Formica’s type.
Thermofoil Overview
Thermofoil is crafted similarly with a lamination process. It consists of elastic sheets of vinyl film secured to a substrate, such as MDF, with high heat and pressure. Prior whereas Formica is quite rigid, to the bonding process, thermofoil is quite flexible and malleable.
Formica Refacing Pros and Cons
Formica comes in a wide variety of designs and colours, with lots of options. Regardless of the hundreds of patterns this substance is frequently easy to spot as a laminate rather than the actual thing, and fairly easy to differentiate from timber. Its rigid nature signifies designs and the profiles used on cabinets are confined to just designs that are flat or grooved. Formica offers heat resistance that is natural and can be put near areas such as the stove under normal usage conditions. They’re vulnerable to cracks and chips beneath impact or misuse while other kinds of laminate and Formica are durable.
Thermofoil Refacing Pros and Cons
The lean consistency of thermofoil means it bonds tightly with the MDF substrate. This substance is used effectively to make the look of wood cabinets at a fraction of the cost of the actual thing. It can have more complex designs such as raised panels, routed arches and doors. White and ivory endings remain the standard for thermofoil, and colour selections beyond these basic colors may require price and special orders. Thermofoil is vulnerable to heat damage and shouldn’t be placed without the use of heat shields that are appropriate close to the stove or other heating sources. The vinyl picture can puncture, leaving the cabinet damaged and vulnerable to moisture. This substance also tends to discolor due to UV exposure or tobacco smoke.