Melamine vs. Plywood Cabinets
Deciding which type of cabinet is the best option will ultimately come down to comparing the pros and cons of each. Those pros and cons enable homeowners to determine which, if either, is the best cabinet for their cabinetry needs. Are they going to be used as kitchen cabinets? Are they being used in the office room, the workshop in the basement, or the garage?
These are all considerations that will need weighing against the pros and cons. Then homeowners can make an informed and smart decision when deciding between melamine and plywood cabinets.
The Pros and Cons of Melamine and Plywood Cabinets
When choosing which cabinet is the best for any particular cabinetry needs, knowing what the benefits and disadvantages are is important. This is a look at the pros and cons of each type of cabinet and hopefully the answers to the melamine vs plywood cabinet question.
The Pros of Melamine Cabinets
There are several pros for choosing melamine cabinets, as evidenced by their popularity and use. The first and arguably one of the biggest benefits of using melamine is cost.
Affordability
When comparing the difference between melamine and plywood, the cost advantage and one of the pros of melamine are its affordability. For an $11,000 set of plywood cabinets, homeowners can get melamine cabinets for nearly $1,500 to $2,000 less. For our math majors, that is roughly between 10 and 15 percent more. For those less academically gifted, the difference between melamine and plywood is about $10 a sheet.
That is also a consideration for a very small job or cabinet, as in, it may be much less of a consideration and price differential too. Although price is always important, it isn’t the only consideration or pro for considering using melamine.
Appearance
In addition to edging out plywood in the price category, the aesthetic value of melamine is another big pro. This benefit of melamine is a result of the multitude of colors and finishes that melamine offers. Even its name, melamine, is due in part to its vast array of finishes and colors as it is otherwise also known as particle board.
Not only does the appearance of melamine offer a big pro in favor of this popular cabinet type, but it is also more damage-resistant. That means it is less prone to denting, scratching, or chipping.
Water and Moisture Resistance
A lesser-known benefit of melamine is that it is also a good water-resistant wood product. The compressed wood chips as a result of the glue used, and the melamine surfaces add extra water-resistant properties. This makes melamine an ideal choice for damp environments or areas prone to water exposure.
Maintenance
One more definite pro for choosing melamine for cabinets is its easy maintenance. While there isn’t typically much to maintaining cabinetry, cleaning them is the one thing we all do. And that is also a bit easier considering the typical melamine finishes are fairly easy to clean.
Yes, if it sounds like melamine cabinets are a good choice, you would be correct. That isn’t to say that there aren’t a few drawbacks to using melamine cabinets too.
The Cons of Melamine Cabinets
Like any product, melamine cabinets have a couple of cons to consider before choosing them. Most notably for melamine, those cons begin with a history of customer complaints.
Bad Reputation
Although there are several suggested reasons behind this con for choosing melamine, it still must be noted that it has a history of having customer complaints. Many suggest that homeowners and customers have often purchased cabinets thinking they were something other than melamine.
That also leads to another potential reason for the less than stellar reputation of melamine cabinets, because they are difficult to repair. The good news is that most people who make the intentional decision to use melamine are most often satisfied customers.
Durability
Another con that carries some weight for many homeowners is the durability comparison. When it comes to melamine cabinets vs plywood cabinets, plywood is undoubtedly the stronger of the two.
The Pros of Plywood Cabinets
Like melamine cabinets, plywood cabinets also have its share of pros, along with a couple of cons. This is a look at those pros and cons and if plywood is the right cabinet choice for you.
Strength and Durability
Because plywood is constructed using thin layers of wood and bound with glue as opposed to wood particles, plywood offers more durable cabinetry options. That means longevity for those who are looking for cabinets to last for a long time.
Better Mounting
In part due to its construction and its strength advantage, plywood cabinets offer better hold strength for screws and mounting options. Although plywood is a somewhat heavier cabinet wood, the weight differential is negligible, especially in light of plywood’s mounting advantage.
Repairs
One other decided pro of choosing plywood cabinets is the ease and ability to repair them. While we never want to have to repair a broken cabinet door or chipped corner, at least plywood offers a better and easier wood to work with compared to melamine.
The Cons of Plywood Cabinets
These are a couple of the cons that can play a decision in deciding what type of cabinet to get. And these are also factors that homeowners and customers will want to know before investing in a new set of cabinets.
Easily Scarred
Although plywood is a stronger and more durable cabinet, it is also more prone to surface scarring due to its real wood facing. It can also be subject to aging if not properly treated. Many plywood cabinets are purchased in an unfinished state so they can be stained or painted.
Moisture Concerns
Many homeowners choose to use plywood cabinetry for areas like the kitchen, but when it comes to moisture or water resistance, melamine is the better option. That means that those who may have cabinets in a basement or garage workshop may want to be sure areas aren’t inclined to high levels of moisture.
