When it comes to the dual purpose of appearance and functionality, the cabinets around your home play a major role along with any other stationery furniture. However, are wood cabinets better than laminate? When choosing the right material, brand, and style can be challenging, even if you’re planning to restore them.
While considering kitchen cabinets, you must have seen various options in both solid wood and laminate cabinets. Both are good options depending on your budget and needs for kitchen cabinetry.
To help you select the right kind of material, we have gathered a few points that will assist you in choosing the best material to select for your kitchen cabinets. Whether to go for laminate or wood cabinets? The facts we have gathered will serve a great purpose to help you make your mind.
What Are Laminate Kitchen Cabinets?
Covered with a plastic-like layer known as laminate, these are cheap wooden cabinets. They give a transitional-style or modern look to the cabinets in the kitchen with their glossy shine. To withstand different environments, there are high and low-pressure laminates available for you to opt for as per your requirements.
One of the famous types of laminate cabinets includes mdf kitchen cabinet or medium-density fiberboard, which is not naturally occurring, but an engineered board product. This means that it isn’t genuine wood but is a combination of resin, wax, and wood fiber and is cost-effective, making it ideal for kitchen cabinets.
What Are Solid Wood Kitchen Cabinets?
Manufactured from real high-quality wood, solid wood cabinets, as the name implies, are a superior choice for your classic kitchen look. Several types of wood materials can be used, but Poplar, Red Oak, Mahogany, and Maple are most popular for their appearance, grain, and natural strength. To attain the aesthetic you desire, wood cabinetry is usually sanded down and then painted, varnished, or stained for your choice of the result.
When kept natural or stained, wood cabinets are ideal for nearly every decorating style in the kitchen with its classic features. In addition, this material is a popular cabinetry choice among homeowners with the quality and modest appearance it provides. Even though most cabinets are produced from hardwoods, often these materials are applied as veneers over a substrate, like plywood, to reduce costs. Thermofoil or laminate, a wood alternative, can be considered a cabinet material option for lower costs.
Benefits Of Wooden Cabinets
Traditional kitchens are usually found to have top-quality wood cabinets, celebrating the natural wood finished. However, in modern designs, you may find that these woods have been painted with a compelling semi-gloss color.
In general, wooden cabinets are considered more efficient and stronger than laminate cabinets because of the type of woods they are made of. A top quality wooden cabinet can last for decades if you take care of the wood with polyurethane layers and appropriate topcoats to protect it from moisture,
One of the most preferred woods for kitchen cabinets is plywood, a sturdy material made from compressed wood sheets and then coated with a veneer. Plywood kitchen cabinet is well-known for its durability because it stands up well to tear and wear.
The question is, how much does a plywood kitchen cost? The sturdy material is comparatively expensive than its alternatives like MDF, but the quality, strength, and environmental credentials are worth the additional cost.
Comparison of Wood and Laminate
Laminate cabinets can last longer when properly cared for, but wooden cabinets have better quality and typically last longer. Laminate is tough, but when the corners or edges of laminate shift, the problem occurs. In addition, if the glue under laminate loosens, the situation can worsen, as it is nearly impossible to reattach it.
Secondly, if you live in a high humidity region, the problem worsens as it makes laminate loosen at a greater rate. Wood cabinets, however, also contract and expand with changes in humidity. But edges break or blunt on wood corners can be repaired and sanded more easily than laminates.
Few of the laminate cabinets contain particleboard jambs and shelves but with price variations. Real wood cabinets are more likely to have jambs and shelves included, which are plywood and considered more durable and resistant.
Importance Of Appearance
Between the perplexity of selecting wood or laminate for your kitchen cabinets, appearance plays a significant role in the decision-making. Both materials are durable and functional, but wood takes the lead when it comes to style and tradition. And in the case of laminate cabinets, it can be painted and purchased in various designs.
However, painting laminate is not an ideal option as it has a porous surface which makes it difficult for the paint to stick on it. But you can paint white laminate cabinets. Unfortunately, the laminate countertops or cabinets provide resistance to stain and ease of clean up, and this is one of the reasons which makes it difficult to paint the laminate. So in terms of a more natural look and reliability, real wood is always preferable.
How Long Do Wood Cabinets Last
The amount of time the wooden cabinets will last depends on the quality of wood you purchase. High-quality wooden cabinets can last up to 50 years in general. Cabinets are considered one of the durable components in your entire kitchen, and 50 years of life sounds like an incredibly long time.
Differentiating Real Wood From Laminates
The drawer fronts of a kitchen cabinet are a major component when it comes to appearance. So manufacturers have become a pro at creating laminated products similar to solid wood that it becomes difficult to differentiate between them. But we have gathered some tips for you to tell evaluate the difference between them.
Check the drawers and door edges: You will notice end grain on bottoms and tops if they are solid wood. And you’ll see a longitudinal wood grain with edging material if they are laminated, making it look unnatural.
Analyze the corners: Real wood is usually rounded or shaped, while laminated ones are square and sharp.
Check for any chips or nicks: They will reveal the particleboard core or plywood if it’s deep enough or on the door edges. Usually, if the doors are painted, the grain running on the bottom or top edge of the door underneath the paint will be visible. The corners can also help you to identify whether the material used is wood or laminate.
After all, don’t you think wood is the best option to choose? With its more aesthetically pleasing and durable quality, along with the possibility of customization, wood can surely increase the value of your home.
Take Away
We hope you have gotten some valuable insight on which cabinets to go for, after all this is a big investment and you should be happy with the fruits of your choices.
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Thank you for stopping by today and we will see you in the next one.
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