The problem with Melamine

A potential client recently asked me if she could "upgrade" to melamine interiors. Wow. There's power in marketing, and the big cabinet factories and melamine manufacturers seem to have convinced people that their product is better. It's not.

One of the problems with melamine is that it has very little internal structure. It is particle board coated with a very thin layer of plastic. In the picture at the left, you can see how much these lightly loaded shelves have warped. Plywood won't do that. Plywood consists of sheets of veneer that give it superior strength to solid lumber. And how long do you think those shelf support holes will last?

The melamine people will tell you how easy it is to wipe clean. Oh yeah? Ever try to remove the scuff marks left by your canned goods? If you've had melamine interiors, you know how dingy they look after awhile. Clear coated Plywood interiors do wipe clean easily, and scratches and chips can be repaired.

The third problem with melamine is water damage, especially under the sink. If you ever have a leak, and it only takes one, the particle board under the melamine will swell up, cracking and ruining the melamine coating. When that happens, you can either live with the ugly result, you can replace the cabinet, or you can try to repair a product that wasn't meant to be serviced. You probably won't like the result. If the leak goes on unnoticed for a few weeks, mold can start growing and can spread to the paper surface of the wallboard. Mold thrives on pre-digested wood products like particle board and paper. A clearcoated plywood cabinet interior is much less likely to show any damage, and if it does, It can be fixed by the homeowner with sandpaper and a can of spray lacquer.

On a side note, you'll see "green" cabinet makers advertising that they use wheat board. Wheat board is a product that uses wheat chaff as the primary ingredient for the particle board. It smells like a farm, but it's still particle board with a melamine coating. If a product has a severely limited lifespan, is it really green?

So why is Melamine so popular? Simple...Follow the money. Large new home builders try to squeeze out the most profit possible by asking their suppliers to provide products at the lowest possible price. Melamine is less expensive than plywood, and it's already finished so there's less work for the cabinet maker and finishing crew to do. Which means that the cabinet factory can still make a profit. Since the big cabinet shops set the industry standards, most smaller shops have followed, and have been able to provide cheaper cabinets. And when I say cheaper, I mean 5-10% less expensive.

When you need cabinets, you'll want to be informed, and you'll want to consider whether quality and longevity are worth a 5-10% price change.