The bare facts of custom-built laminate cabinetry straight from the industry experts
Synonymous with custom-made cabinetry, laminates are pretty much the prime material in every home. Look into any household today and you would most probably fnd laminate kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, shelving and design features like pillars and wall coverings. To better understand the characteristics, variety and maintenance of laminate, we got a group of laminate experts to answer some common questions and share their maintenance tips for the material.
Q. What is laminate?
Q. How is high pressure laminate (HPL) different from low pressure laminate (LPL), and why is HPL the more common choice?
A. Although HPL is pricier than LPL due to complicated manufacturing process, it has higher resistance to stains, household chemicals, heat, impact and constant pressure. It is also much more durable and long-lasting than LPL and offers much more choices in terms of design and colour.
Q. What are some other cabinetry materials available, and why is laminate the most popular choice?
A. Other materials include veneer, spray painting, acrylic, sheet metal, solid timber, solid surface, stone and melamine foil. But laminate is the most popular pick because of its extensive variety of designs, low maintenance, resistance against heat and impact, ease of fabrication and replacement and its low cost.
A. Normal grade: Used straight because it can’t be bent. Edging is used to cover the corners and is at least 5mm thick. Post-form grade: Laminate can be rolled to give a radius curve at the leading edge, and can be 0.8mm or thinner.
Q. What’s the general lifespan of laminate cabinetry?
A. High pressure laminate is a highly durable material that doesn’t stain or scuff easily and with proper care, remains colour fast and need not be replaced for as long as 20 years.
Q. What causes sagging and warping, and what can be done when that happens?
A. Sagging and warping of laminate surfaces can be due to plenty of factors like humidity, improper installation and maintenance, as well as expansion and contraction of the surfaces over a long period of time. Rectifcation depends on the extent of sagging or warping. If the cabinet has not been exposed to moisture, you can add hardwood stretchers to straighten it out. If the cabinet is sagging because of water damage, it will likely need to be replaced. However, if the sagging or warping occurs on a specifc unit of the cabinet (eg. a particular door or compartment), you will only need to replace that particular unit instead of the entire cabinet.
Q. Can laminate cabinetry be resurfaced or painted over if homeowners want a new look?
A. Homeowners can engage the services of a carpenter to strip off existing layer of laminate surface entirely and sand to even out the backing material before ftting over a new laminate surface layer. Alternatively, a more unorthodox method would be to apply a new layer of laminate directly by pasting over the existing old surface, also known as overlaying. Painting over laminate cabinetry is not encouraged as the material is naturally stain-resistant, so paint might not stick well on its surface and will eventually peel off.