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Answers (5)
- AlexShek
- Contributions:76
I agree with Thomas Richard. The wood will expend and contract depending on the temperature and humidity in your come, so on painted cabinets crack will eventually appear.
Good luck with your project!
Good luck with your project!
- JennyGar
- Contributions:15
We have had problems just like this! We have wood cabinets that we have tried several times to paint. It never worked right, and now we just have them as raw sanded wood. We're still not sure what to do with them.
- Thomas Richard, "TRS Designs"
- Contributions:64
What Milsurvive is describing and has in their kitchen is called a 'ThermoFoil" cabinet. Thermofoil is a process of making a cabinet door shape or profile with a MDF core. A thick plastic (foil) is applied to the MDF via heat(therma) and pressure to protectively 'shrink wrap the core. Thermafoil doors are most often only available in White or Ivory colors, but some brands may offer a much wider range of colors.
There are some advantages and disadvantages associated with Thermofoil doorstyles:
One advantage that applies to this discussion is that since the 'foil' is a one piece sheet of plastic, there are usually no visible seams on the cabinet door.
A disadvantage, that might explain what Milsurvive is experiencing, is that heat, most often from the kitchen range/oven, causes the plastic to soften and un-foil or loosen around the edges. Time can also negatively affect a Thermafoil by the plastic becoming brittle and/or discolored depending on environmental conditions in your kitchen; Sunlight, Greasy Foods, Cigarette Smoke, etc, will all discolor Thermofoils over time.
There are some advantages and disadvantages associated with Thermofoil doorstyles:
One advantage that applies to this discussion is that since the 'foil' is a one piece sheet of plastic, there are usually no visible seams on the cabinet door.
A disadvantage, that might explain what Milsurvive is experiencing, is that heat, most often from the kitchen range/oven, causes the plastic to soften and un-foil or loosen around the edges. Time can also negatively affect a Thermafoil by the plastic becoming brittle and/or discolored depending on environmental conditions in your kitchen; Sunlight, Greasy Foods, Cigarette Smoke, etc, will all discolor Thermofoils over time.
- Milsurvive
- Contributions:5
I am not a cabinet expert but I can give you some input on this. I have a set of white kitchen cabinets in my new home. We had thought they were painted wood until we noticed on a couple of the doors the edges starting to separate. What we thought was painted wood was a plastic vineer over particle board. So watch for that....Might be an acceptable substitute but insure there is a warranty
- Thomas Richard, "TRS Designs"
- Contributions:64
Your kitchen designer should be advising you of this fact, but he/she shouldn't be discouraging you.
What they are describing is, in fact, quite normal and will occur on all cabinet lines from the least to the most expensive. Real wood, like most materials, will expand and contract with changes in humidity levels. Since cabinetry doors are comprised of multiple pieces of wood, with the grain running in different directions, these boards expand and contract at different rates. This movement is called humidification and can be quite extreme, depending on several factors, the major ones being your local climate and the actual HVAC system in your home. When you paint a real wood door, the paint hardens and then when the wood moves, the paint can develop visible lines or cracks at the seams of the cabinet doors. These 'cracks' may be more noticeable on "stile and rail' type doors. Miter doorstyles will experience this too, but because the miter joint is usually more noticeable anyway, it tends to be easier to accept visually.
These 'cracks' are actually present on all cabinetry, but with stained cabinets, and their visible woodgrain, you just can't see them as readily, but they are there. Just drag your fingernail across some cabinetry joints and you will find some.
If you really like the look of paint, but would like to virtually eliminate the 'cracking' you can either try to control the humidity levels in your house all year round, OR you could consider a cabinet door made from painted MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). I personally prefer the strength and solidness of real wood, and I also accept that it is a living material, so the little cracks don't bother me... In fact, they are proof that you have real wood cabinetry!
Sorry if I ran on a little bit, but I wanted to try and be thorough.
Good Luck on your Remodel
What they are describing is, in fact, quite normal and will occur on all cabinet lines from the least to the most expensive. Real wood, like most materials, will expand and contract with changes in humidity levels. Since cabinetry doors are comprised of multiple pieces of wood, with the grain running in different directions, these boards expand and contract at different rates. This movement is called humidification and can be quite extreme, depending on several factors, the major ones being your local climate and the actual HVAC system in your home. When you paint a real wood door, the paint hardens and then when the wood moves, the paint can develop visible lines or cracks at the seams of the cabinet doors. These 'cracks' may be more noticeable on "stile and rail' type doors. Miter doorstyles will experience this too, but because the miter joint is usually more noticeable anyway, it tends to be easier to accept visually.
These 'cracks' are actually present on all cabinetry, but with stained cabinets, and their visible woodgrain, you just can't see them as readily, but they are there. Just drag your fingernail across some cabinetry joints and you will find some.
If you really like the look of paint, but would like to virtually eliminate the 'cracking' you can either try to control the humidity levels in your house all year round, OR you could consider a cabinet door made from painted MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). I personally prefer the strength and solidness of real wood, and I also accept that it is a living material, so the little cracks don't bother me... In fact, they are proof that you have real wood cabinetry!
Sorry if I ran on a little bit, but I wanted to try and be thorough.
Good Luck on your Remodel
Has anyone had problems with painted kitchen cabinets seams separating?
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