What You Should Know About PVC Cabinet Doors

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I’ve fabricated and installed hundreds of kitchen cabinet sets that have had PVC doors. The polyvinyl chloride coating became popular during the 1990s. There are many great benefits that these doors have to offer and some important things you should know about these vinyl-coated kitchen cabinet doors.

Why Were They Developed and What are Their Benefits?

During the time when the PVC designs emerged, the raised panel solid white cabinet doors were all real wood five-piece doors that were painted. The problem with the wood doors at that time were that they had a tendency to dis color and crack at the seams.

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The advantages of the PVC style doors in comparison were and still are that they have no seams. So, there is no way that they can get cracks in the finish. This was a tremendous selling point, but as time went on the vinyl Thermofoil cabinet doors started developing their own set of problems.

In addition to them not cracking there have always been a mid-range priced cabinet door that offers the high-in look. The affordable price and elegant appearance of the doors have caused them to be ever popular among homeowners and in the kitchen cabinet door market as a whole.

Cleaning the doors is a breeze! The smooth coating and seamless design allows the homeowner to quickly wipe them down with a damp rag or Windex type cleaner.

What are the Problems With Polyvinyl Chloride Cabinet Doors

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The PVC coated cupboard doors do not hold up to high-heat sources very well. In fact the manufactures of these cabinet doors generally have “strict” design specifications that the cupboard fabricators/suppliers are supposed to use when designing, building, selling and installing cabinetry.

Heat causes the PVC vinyl to pull away from the MDF board underneath. In other words, it will shrink the plastic or cause it to peel away from the core board.

Common Heat Sources to Avoid Around The PVC
Deep Oil Fryers
Self Cleaning Oven Features
Steam From Coffee Large Pots
Crock Pots
Large/Small Toaster Ovens

In addition to the doors not being heat-resistant, they will sometimes just start to de-laminate after a few years. You will find that the normal Thermofoil Cabinet Door Warranty will replace any PVC doors that are coming loose from the board underneath within a certain time frame.

Video on How to Care for PVC Kitchen Cabinet Doors

All-in all the polyvinyl chloride cupboard doors are holding their own in the world of kitchen cabinet fabricators and suppliers. New styles continue to emerge that make it hard to distinguish real-wood cupboard doors from the fake ones.

The final things you should know about this product has to do with the durability of the doors in comparison to other selections you have to choose from. If you are looking for a kitchen cabinet door that will last a lifetime, the PVC doors are not for you. Of all the styles that I’ve ever worked with, these have the shortest lifespan. Formica kitchen cabinet doors and real wood styles will last much longer than the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) designs.