MDF Thermofoil Cabinet Door Replacements

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These tips will help you find the right Thermofoil, MDF, vinyl-wrapped, kitchen cabinet door style. Replacements may not be exactly the same as the existing Thermofoil design. This is due to several reasons that we will discuss along with how to approach finding the closest match.

The problem is that there are literally hundreds of vinyl-wrapped kitchen cabinet door manufactures. The Cabinet Door Store who provided our article images is one among many.

Finding an exact match will be dependent upon three things:

• Is there a special code located somewhere on the cabinet that I will reveal in a moment?
• Did the contractor that built the house keep the cabinet records?
• Does the original kitchen cupboard supplier/manufacturer still have the design on file?

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Potential Problems You May Encounter
If you find the original Thermofoil door manufacturer, the color match may not be exactly the same. Vinyl wrapped doors have a tendency to discolor over time.

You may locate the correct company, but the MDF door style may not still be available or the texture/color may not still be available.

How to Find Replacement Thermofoil Cabinet Doors

Contacting the Contractor or Cabinet Company About the Doors
This is always the best place to start. If you can get in contact with the previous owners of your home or with the contractor who had the MDF cabinets installed in your home, hopefully they will have the records. This can be a time-consuming process, but it is surely the most accurate way of finding replacement Thermofoil cabinet doors.

Taking an Existing Door to A Local Cabinet Shop
Most kitchen manufactures that are local will have a couple of popular Thermofoil cabinet doors manufacturing companies that they deal with. If your cupboards were made in your area, perhaps the shop owner will recognize the MDF door style.

Removing a Drawer Face
This is where you may find the order code and Thermofoil cabinet door manufacture name. Usually the sticker is located behind the drawer front on your cupboards. It will have a series of numbers that represents the door’s design and will have a numeric color code as well. Once you find the sticker look up the company name on the Internet and give them a call.

There is one problem you might encounter though, you may locate the sticker, but the manufacture of the vinyl wrapped doors did not put their company name on it. This might seem strange, but it makes since. Of all the kitchen cabinet doors that I have ever dealt with, the MDF styles have needed to be replaced more often than a real hardwood door or Formica cabinet doors.

Standard Warranty for Replacing Thermofoil Cabinet Doors

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Most manufactures will provide replacement MDF cabinet doors if your order was manufactured less than five years prior to you contacting them. It usually covers discoloration and delamination of the vinyl wrapped doors. You will have to pay someone to install your new doors though. No company will cover the labor costs of the installation, only the replacement of the actual door is covered. Most companies will also cover the cost of shipping and handling.

Hire a Professional to Install the Replacements
The chances are good that your doors have European style cup hinges. In such cases the doors will need to have hinge holes drilled on the backside of them. The locations of these holes is very critical to the hinges operating correctly. You will also need an experienced installer who knows how to adjust them properly once the Thermofoil kitchen cabinet doors have been installed.

How to Avoid Having to Replace Vinyl Wrapped Cabinet Doors
The video below gives great tips on how to care for your MDF doors properly. By keeping them away from extreme heat sources, they will not be in danger of peeling. Shrinking usually happens when they are exposed to extreme heat around the oven, toaster oven or even hot oil deep fryers. I’ve seen the need for many replacement vinyl wrapped doors because the owners did not know that they would melt from intense hot areas in the kitchen.

Tip: If you don’t have glass cabinet doors consider ordering some frames and changing the look of your kitchen. Here are some stained glass cabinet door ideas.

Thermofoil kitchen cabinet doors are great alternative to having real hardwood doors. The popularity of them is directly related to the savings one gets for a beautiful looking product. They are much less labor intensive to manufacture than the traditional real wood cupboard doors. If cared for properly, these style cupboard doors will last a long time.