What is the difference? Does it really matter if the cabinets are constructed from melamine or plywood? These are the facts related to melamine:
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The way it looks. When I show a customer a piece of plywood vs. One piece of melamine for cabinet construction, 9 out of 10, after looking at the depth, construction, and strength of the plywood, they are more inclined to order the cabinets built with plywood than melamine.
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When it gets wet or damp, it swells up and falls apart! Does this make any sense? Kitchen, bathroom and laundry cabinets is it so in humid areas. I can’t count the number of customers who have asked me why their melamine cabinets smell musty, are disintegrating, have mold, and doors and drawers no longer close properly. “We installed them a few years ago,” they tell me.
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Traditional melamine is very heavy.
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Lightweight melamine is ridiculous! It breaks, splinters very easily, splinters, delaminates, can’t hold a screw or nail, and it’s so thin I can’t imagine how they can make anything out of a paper-thick layer. The melamine substrate looks like stained cardboard.
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It won’t hold a screw for long (even confirmations), especially after the customer starts opening the doors. A few months later, they fall off! For example, I recently disassembled a melamine kitchen that was only a few years old that was built with 3/4 “material glued and stapled from one of those big home improvement retailers. With just a hammer, it only took 10-15 minutes to knock down about 12 cabinets. They literally collapsed with a couple of knocks. I removed the doors simply by pulling them with one hand … I just ripped the doors and hinges off in one motion.
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Smells!
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Chips easily when cutting if the blade is not sharp all the time.
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Difficult to work with.
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The ends use edge banding, basically glued melamine strips that are glued together to cover the particle board (saw dust) between the melamine sheets using heat.
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Delamination problems. The melamine is separated from the particle board between the melamine sheets.
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The surface is broken when using screws.
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Submaterials degrade over time (loosen joints).
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Hinges loosen more easily over time (door sags).
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Won’t hold trim well without glue or nails.
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Cheap (both ways).
Choosing melamine cabinets or plywood cabinets is really a choice that is up to you. There are pros and cons to each of these materials. After reviewing the summary below of the pros and cons of each material, you can make a decision on what to use for your cabinets.
Stronger
Although melamine can be strong enough to make your cabinets, plywood tends to be stronger. This, in turn, makes your cabinets more durable.
Hinges
Hinges tend to break much earlier when using plywood cabinets than melamine cabinets.
Drawers
Drawers also tend to break using plywood cabinets on melamine cabinet plywood. See screws below.
Thumbscrew
Melamine doesn’t hold screws as well as plywood and tends to come off when screwing in one.
Expenses
Plywood is more expensive than melamine.
Cleaning
Melamine is very easy to clean. Plywood is a bit more difficult to clean.
Refinement
The plywood should have a varnish, paint, or stain finish of your choice. Melamine comes prefinished in a variety of colors.