White Laminate Cabinets Problem

Shamrock · 05-31-2009, 08:47 AM

I'm not even sure this is the right forum for this question. We have white laminate kitchen cabinets about 8 years old. One of the lower cabinets was hit by a wheelchair and the laminate in the middle of the door was removed in an area about 3" x 3". Also on the drawers next to the stove, the edges of the laminate are starting to lift and peel from the inside, due to the heat. Is laminate even the right word for this stuff. I originally thought these were painted, but now I see that this covering is almost like a white shrink-wrap especially on the drawers. Are there places I can take these to to have them repaired/recovered or what can be done? Is it a case of replacing the damaged door and or drawer fronts? For all I know the drawers may last another 8 years but it looks like it is starting to become a problem. But the door definitely needs to be taken care of now.

thehandyhusband · 05-31-2009, 10:02 AM

One of my customers has the same problem with 5 cabinet doors near the stove on her cabinets that she said are about 5 years old. It's an inexpensive brand from HD. Her husband tried to glue it with Gorilla glue which just left a lot of ugly glue showing on the doors. The local HD used to carry replacement doors in the store but doesn't any more. I called the cabinet company customer service department and they said to take pictures and e-mail them and they'd pass it on the the warrantee department. I've e-mailed the pictures and am now waiting for a response.
If you know the brand of cabinet I'd suggest you contact the company as well and see if they have any suggestions. If and when I hear back from this company I'll let you know. Good luck.

waynech · 05-31-2009, 12:29 PM

It could be a product called therma foil. Its is a wrap. Check with the cabinet supplier. Good luck

Shamrock · 06-03-2009, 02:26 PM

Thanks guys. It is in fact the product mentioned - thermofoil. I did track back to the manufacturer through the condominium developer's office and fortunately they are able to get me a replacement door for the cabinet. They are about $50 each. Regarding the drawers they did mention that the warranty period was 5 years so we are way past that. I've spoken to other owners in the buidling and they are finding the same problem as I have with the drawers, where the "wrap" is starting to crack and peel on the sides right beside their stoves. The good news is that drawer fronts are about $25 each. Thanks for your help and suggestions. I think I may start a thread on Thermofoil problems and see if there are any experts out there.

ckolman1 · 05-01-2011, 08:20 AM

I have the same problem, and it's horrible. We just bought a house with a kitchen about 8 years old, and the cabinet front are all beginning to peel. We don't want to have to replace all of them. Is it possible to just replace one? I've called the company who designed the kitchen, and they said the cabinet company is out of business (no surprise there). Help!

jsheridan · 05-01-2011, 08:59 AM

They will all fail in time. And, they yellow over time, so the replacement pieces will not match. I recently did a cabinet paint job where I had to do a lot of repair prior to painting. These cabinets were about eighteen years old. ckolman1, I would suggest you live with it while you save your pennies for new ones, as they're just going to worsen over time. I don't remember having to do repairs on the body of the cabinets, but the doors were horrible. It's possible you could have a carpenter make new door/drawer faces and paint the entire system to make them uniform.
This is a two year old thread.