Laminate vs. Wood Cabinets: Which is Best for Your Kitchen?

Laminate vs. Wood Cabinets: An Objective Comparison

Laminate is created when wooden byproducts are mixed with resin and glued together with pressure and heat. Adhesives are then applied in a variety of designs and styles. 

Wooden cabinets, on the other hand, are crafted with hard wood combined with some plywood. They can be customized with different paint colors or stains many times over the course of their service life. 

The differences between laminate vs wood cabinets will manifest themselves over the months or years you have your kitchen cabinets installed. 

Here’s how the major differences work out over time:

Wood Lasts Longer, But Laminate is Easier to Clean

Because laminate cabinets contain hardened resin at their core and an adhesive layer on top, they rarely scratch or dent and are easier to clean than wooden cabinets. You can use standard household cleaners to wipe them down. 

If your cabinets get dirty often or are more prone to scratches, you might consider laminate cabinets over wooden cabinets. 

Wooden cabinets are made with a much softer material and, as a result, get scratched more often. But, wooden cabinets are far easier to repair. They can be sanded over and over again.

If your laminate cabinets do get scratched, or if their corners break or blunt, you likely won’t be able to repair them.

Both Laminate & Wooden Cabinets Have Problems with Humidity

All wood expands with humidity. Since both cabinet types contain wood particles in their construction, humidity will cause problems for either type. 

When wood particles expand within laminate cabinets, the laminate loosens and there’s not an easy way to fix it without destroying your cabinets. 

Wooden cabinets with shelves made of plywood will also expand in humidity. But, unlike laminate cabinets, a professional who specializes in refinishing cabinets can sand down the surfaces that expand and then repaint or re-stain them. 

Humidity might not be a big problem for you depending on how close you live to a body of water.

However, if it is an issue and you plan on keeping your kitchen cabinets for a long time, wood is the best material for your cabinets because it can be repaired.

Wood Costs More to Install, But Adds More Value

Installing wooden cabinets is a more expensive investment, but if you’re selling your home soon, it’s worth it because you are more likely to see a return than if you were to install laminate cabinets. 

Unless you opt to install higher-quality, commercial-grade laminate cabinets, wooden cabinets add more value to your home.

Laminate Cabinets & Wood Cabinets are Customizable in Different Ways 

Our team works with many homeowners who want to update their kitchen cabinets using a particular theme (like a beach house theme) or make their kitchen look more modern. If that’s your goal, both laminate and wood materials can help you meet it. 

Laminate cabinets can be customized with almost any design adhesive you can imagine, even designs that look like real wood. You might not have the option to make changes later, but laminate cabinets offer a modern look with more variety in terms of initial customizations. 

With wood cabinets, though, you’ll be able to refinish them over and over again with different paint and stain colors. Wood cabinets are unique in that they will allow these ongoing customizations. 

Laminate cabinets generally cannot be painted or customized once they are installed—the process is tricky and will likely ruin them. Overall, wooden cabinets are the better call if you want the option to make changes in the future.

Talk to the Pros at Oceanside Painting & Refinishing

The team at Oceanside Painting & Refinishing specializes in giving cabinets the refresh they need to fit into your plans through a process called cabinet refinishing. 

If you have any questions or want to learn more about how we can help you create a kitchen you’ll love, call us at 732-818-0092 or shoot us an email at phil.oceanside@gmail.com.