Cabinet Door Material 101

Solid Wood- Solid wood is very popular among Canadian. Solid wood doors are eco-friendly and known for natural patterns on the surface. There are many wood spices available to chose from and the price ranges based on commodity supply. When comparing solid wood to other materials, solid wood is durable and easy to repair. However, when exposed to moisture and other atmospheric conditions, the cabinet door will split from the natural expand and contract. Most damages from the split is repairable, but there are cases when the client need to replace the door completely.

Medium Density Board (MDF)- MDF is some known to be the cheaper alternative of solid wood. MDF is an engineered material. Unlike solid wood, MDF does not warp. This means MDF have higher resistance to humidity and temperature. If you plan to paint your cabinet door, MDF is also a great option for that.  On the opposite end, MDF gets easily scratched and hard to repair after. MDF also do not handle extreme heat well as the core can be damaged from it. 

Melamine- Melamine is another engineer material and commonly used for cabinet interior but can be used for cabinet door as well. Due to its strong coating, Melamine has resistance to many common kitchen damages such as scratch, mild acid, and stain. It’s weak against compression loads such as bend or twist. Another downside is melamine do not have many design style available to it when compared to other materials.

Veneer- Think of Veneer as a skin. Veneer is a very thin solid wood attach to a cheap material. This material is often a particle board. People often go with veneer when looking for a budget-friendly alternative for the solid wood look and feel. The benefit of veneer is it can be painted and stained for additional styles. Veneer are often required more maintenance while not overdoing it that will ruin the texture.