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boone_2009

Interiors of your wood cabinets - melamine or wood?

13 years ago

What do you have and why? Please give me your thoughts on painted white maple kitchen cabinets ( solid wood) with white melamine shelves inside ( for easier cleaning).

Thanks! :-)

Comments (12)

  • 13 years ago

    Melamine is much more water and scuff resistant and it's the standard for ease of care for surface finish of cabinet boxes. Drawers are usually clear coated maple. The melamine is usually a light maple interior, not white, even if you have white cabinets. For glass cabinets, you would want to order matching interior, so that a white interior is seen for display. If you do a clear coated plywood interior, you will want to use shelf paper to cover it for better moisture and scuff resistance. You do not need to do that with a melamine interior.

  • 13 years ago

    I did n't even consider wood interiors because of expense. I wasn't too happy about melamine because I sort of have a (selective) "plastic is evil" mentality. But I'm loving the ease of the melamine now. I didn't bother to line the shelves (don't tell my grandma!), and I put things away damp from the dishwasher. So far so good!

    So I'd vote 'yes' to your plan. Oh, and my shelves are faux maple melamine, though my cabs are white. Not even sure if white melamine was an option.

  • 13 years ago

    Ours are like Breezy's, maple plywood interiors.


    It's been almost 2 years and, so far, no problems with scuffing or cleaning.

  • 13 years ago

    Mine are going to be like Breezy's and willtv's cabinets. I believe by cabinet guy coats the interior in a clear lacquer. My exterior will be inset painted. (they are not built yet, so no photos for you)

  • 13 years ago

    Birch plywood interiors here.

  • 13 years ago

    Melamie inside cherry cabinets. Like the interiors, no issues at all.

  • 13 years ago

    Thank you all so very much for your helpful feedback and for the photos... I really appreciate your time and your kindness.
    Based on your answers, I'll have melamine inside the sink cabinet, for sure ...just 2 days ago, we had a clog in the garbage disposal system ( not the first in the many years we have lived here) and the interior of the cabinet was not a pretty sight to see...or a pretty task to clean!
    Looks like folks are almost evenly divided between the two ( plywood and melamine). I'll make sure my glass cabs have matching interiors ( thanks, GreenDesigns).
    Thank you all again, very much ~ Sochi, Hags00, Willtv, GreenDesigns, Breezygirl, Laurajane02 and fouramblues. :-)

  • 13 years ago

    My white painted (from a local shop) were painted on the interior. I guess my cab guy didn't wan to fiddle with another layer. In the past I've had cherry with faux maple melamine and it's good stuff. No problems with it. Would have preferred white since fake wood is kinda fake but the material is excellent.

    Currently I have faux wood exteriors on unfinished plywood interiors which is what happens when someone with no taste refaces 1950s cabinets. I don't recommend either the interior OR exterior finishes on these.

  • 13 years ago

    Hi, Fori! I, too,think the faux wood melamine might look "fakier" ( lol!) than the white melamine :-). I think I'm going to end up with white melamine in all the upper interiors ( except for the glass cabs) because I invariably spill stuff on the shelves while taking out or putting in food items ( original butterfingers here).
    LOL @ "..which is what happens when someone with no taste refaces 1950's cabinets." :-)

  • 13 years ago

    Melamine is an extremely durable surface and a snap to clean up, and will last far longer than finished wood. With finish types, clear finishes will fail before painted finishes.

    However, Melamine is usually sold on sheets of MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). (Not to be confused with Particle Board, though they are similar.) MDF is susceptible to moisture damage if you have a LARGE spill, such as an under sink catastrophe. Thus, while it seems at first a good choice for under the sink, it really isn't. But it's excellent for drawer bottoms.

    The creme de la creme for a sink cab bottom would be plywood with a sheet of formica adhered to it. This would be custom, but not hard to do.

  • 13 years ago

    Clarion: I didn't know that ( about melamine under sink)..so I thank you for your very useful advice. LOts of helpful info: clear vs white longevity, MDF cons for under the sink, melamine far better used for drawer bottoms, plywood with Formica for under the sink ( I'll do this).
    Thank you so very much for your thoughtfulness :-).