Question for Cabinet finishers - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Flikka · 08-22-2007, 02:49 PM

I saw a client today who had new kitchen cabinets installed late last year. The doors are melamine based with a solid wood trim added on the front. The doors were painted all over 1 colour and then a glazing was put on over top giving it a nice old look. Within 2 weeks of the installation the finish cracked. On the two doors that I saw that weren't too bad the finish is cracking right at the spot where the added trim meets the melamine. Client said that on the other 60 pcs, that are back at the kitchen place, the cracks were so deep she could run her fingernail in them. Any idea of what may have caused this? Kitchen guy has no idea. These were installed in mid Dec. last year......is it possible that if they were stored in the truck over night or for a few days and then brought into her home that a temp change could do that? Bad product? If anyone has any experience with this I'd love to hear from you. I want to add here that it is not a crackled finished on the doors but very smooth with cracks here and there that are very noticeable.

Thanks
Mary

BMAN · 08-22-2007, 06:03 PM

Wood does move with weather changes (humidity)

Flikka · 08-22-2007, 07:04 PM

I should have written that Dec. here in Central Ontario could be quite cold....I don't remember what the weather was like last Dec. but don't think it was humid. And wood that has been sealed with primer and 2 coats of paint shouldn't expand and contract should it? The joints of the trim look good its the finish where the trim meets the original door that is cracking.

Thanks for your reply
Mary

Wolverine-Eric · 08-22-2007, 09:03 PM

Do you have any pics? Was there a UV cured coating on the cabinets when new?

Dansbell · 08-22-2007, 09:10 PM

I wonder if the trim was glued to the melamine with Roo glue or a similar product. It is hard to get a good permanent bond between wood and plastic. Was the joint caulked before it was painted? My suspicion is that simply allowing the doors to slam closed has loosened the trim from the melamine.

daArch · 08-22-2007, 10:02 PM

Mary (Flikka),

I just did a search for melamine, read:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-melamine.htm

and:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine

and disregard all the health concerns.

My experience with melanine coated products is that it is a thin "plastic-like" coating that is not very impervious to hard wear and tear. ALSO, I have had experience that not many coatings want to adhere well to it.

I can only GUESS that the melanine coating degraded and the wood based product (or other substrate) became exposed to whatever elements were present and cracked.

Suggest to the homeowner to discover what the cabs were made of (solid wood, plywood, or sawdust and glue).

I have never seen melanine covering good solid wood stock, but that's only my experience.

I think the problem was an inferior substance covered with melanine to simulate a decent product.

But what do I know

Flikka · 08-23-2007, 08:54 AM

lol daArch you always make me laugh...thanks.

I wondered too how the wood trim was attached to the original door and was thinking that it might have been a bit of run off of the glue that was separating from the door. I then noticed that the middle of the door was indented from outside edging. My client told me that the original door that they were shown had a profile and that the trim was set just back from that. All the cracking is in the indent on the original door not where the trim is attached. Hope that made sense.

I guess it still doesn't mean that the trim wasn't glued on and that some excess could have hit the indent and just wasn't fully wiped clean. I'll ask her to email me a picture if she has any.

Thanks
Mary

P.S. If worked with this client before, she is very very quiet and has no kids.....everything is low key with her I doubt that she slams her cupboard doors....but I guess it's possible.

Dansbell · 08-24-2007, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dansbell

My suspicion is that simply allowing the doors to slam closed has loosened the trim from the melamine.

I don't expect she uses force to close the doors. Most people simply let them close too hard. Even the hinge hardware it self seems to slam doors. I have repaired many doors for people complain about their recessed door panels rattling when they close. It seems over time that repetitive closing can really shake things loose. Do the doors have good mutes or bumpers on them?