Follow the steps in this article for painting your vinyl Thermofoil kitchen cabinet doors. The good, the bad and the sometimes really ugly. Paint is an inexpensive alternative to replacing your cabinets and you should absolutely try to paint the thermofoil before going to the … I am Ashley Hall - Owner/Designer of Lexie and the Chi. Thermofoil cabinets are wood cabinets with a finish on them that looks like it is “baked on”. Copyrights (©) 2021 GetRit.Com   All Rights Reserved, ? The main problem with thermofoil cabinets is that overtime the wrap can peel and expose the not so moisture resistant MDF. After you remove the doors, just give them a quick wash with warm water. :). What I found is that you have to work in small sections - heat gun, let it cool down a bit (or maybe wear heat resistant gloves), then peel until you start to feel the tug of the adhesive stuck on the board. Remember when I said that MDF doesn't like moisture? As the ammonia solution becomes dirty, toss it out and mix a new batch. Click here for higher quality, full size image. So I wanted to test removing and painting thermofoil cabinets for a few clients. You may or may not know about Thermofoil cabinets. You may find chipping along the edges of your cabinets, as well. Thermofoil is made to be easy to clean, resistant to stains and difficult to damage. Remove and/or glue down any Thermafoil that is peeling. If not, you may need to watch the Youtube videos on using a heat gun to remove the laminate. You will … I would be very carful of removing the thermofoil and painting them as that is never what they were made for. Is what's causing this going to effect the new paint job as well? In order to protect the thermofoil face, use the soft materials & sandwich the work betwixt two flat pieces of scrap board, that is held in place, with the help of woodworker's clamps. The next step is to wear away the dried cement from the MDF core. The remaining glue can be cleaned off of the surface with denatured alcohol, then primed with a sealing primer before painting. . Supplies need to paint your thermofoil cabinets. Painting Vinyl Cabinet Doors . So I wanted to test removing and painting thermofoil cabinets for a few clients. Thermofoil cabinets, the staple of any modern 80’s kitchen, are known for being affordable, easy to maintain, and versatile. Now it was only a few small spots but, enough that I was not happy. MDF that comes in contact with moisture can expand or bubble. The second thing I wasn't happy with was a good portion of the adhesive was still on the MDF. What can happen next is a disaster. It will be easier for you to take down the cabinet doors, if you are able. Once that happens - the integrity of the door is gone. After taping everything off I applied two to three coats on each of them. After lots of testing I have found an easier way to remove the paint from the wood. If you’ve been following along the last few posts you ... Read More about Painting Thermofoil Cabinets, the Reveal It is extremely important that both the surfaces should be coated with contact cement. Use painters tape to seal off the surrounding area of your cabinet. You can paint the cabinet without removing the plastic coating, but do … The contact detail associated with Removing Thermofoil From Cabinets is also mentioned to make it easy for a user to contact the furniture seller. With thermofoil cabinets, you can give your kitchen a trendy minimalist look for cheap, and you won’t be stuck with onerous maintenance requirements. The kitchen is 10 years old. Removing Rust From Outdoor Metal Furniture, ? The verdict - I wouldn't recommend removing the thermofoil and painting the MDF board for your kitchen cabinets. Make sure to press the two materials together before holding firmly in place for nearly one hour. Use a 220 grit sandpaper so you do not damage the thermofoil in any way. There wasn't a spacer and we noted foil shrinking from the heat of the stove. How to remove Vinyl wrap from kitchen cabinets? Clean the cabinets thoroughly with water, dish detergent, and a sponge. Regluing the thermofoil layer is not difficult to do using contact cement and clamps. Thermofoil can literally be peeled off cabinet doors. For over a year I searched the Internet to find out how to paint thermofoil but was continually discouraged (I hated the idea of painting for fear that paint wouldn't stick to the laminate). Without bonding primer, the paint will peel several weeks later. As a result, thermofoil is also very difficult to paint, but it is not impossible. The plastic surface repels liquids, and to paint the cabinets they must first be sanded to a rough surface so that the paint will adhere. It could be a disaster. Then it was time for the ... Read More about Painting Thermofoil Kitchen Cabinets Part 2 Mix a 50-50 solution of ammonia and water and wash the cabinets to remove the sandpaper dust as well as any dirt and grime. While this may seem silly because of the sanding, it’s nice to start with clean surfaces. It really is easy to remove if it's peeling. Thermofoil cabinet doors are generally sensitive to quick and rough sanding. Clean the cabinets again with a damp cloth. But with Kitchen Infinity's guide on painting thermofoil cabinets, that problem is solved! Painting Thermofoil Cabinets Before doing anything else, the second coat of primer needs to be dry. When I was carefully peeling the wrap - there were still spots where the adhesive was still bonded to the wrap. I had seen tutorials about pulling all the thermofoil off your cabinets in order to paint them. After the above steps are done, it is time to press together and secure. Can you paint thermofoil cabinets, and if so, how? Another option is to replace your peeling thermofoil cabinets with sturdy natural wood cabinets. The foil is simply lifting off. ONE | Remove & Wash Door Fronts. Painting Kitchen Cabinets. Although thermofoil is typically not meant to be painted, you can successfully complete this job with a handy instructional guide and some basic painting tools. Use the solvent to rub off whatever you can't scrape off. I transformed my white thermofoil cabinets to warm ivory, and they look fantastic. Removing Stains From Hardwood Floors With Bleach, ? Susceptible to Chipping. First of all, twist the thermofoil layer back. Before applying your paint and primer, you will need to remove any dust, dirt, or debris from your thermofoil cabinets. You should consider using foam for applying paint to the thermofoil. How To Remove Grease From Thermofoil Cabinets, ? the area without thermofoil) blend properly with the area of the door that still had thermofoil on it. When you finished painting it did the paint on that section (i.e. My suggestion to keep costs down if you are happy with the current placement of the cabinets just have new doors made for them. Non-porous: Thermofoil is seamless across the entire face of the surface. Usually, the drying time period of nearly 15 minutes. Here’s is a photo of the cabinet doors after the thermofoil has been removed. They should be standard sizes since thermofoils are not usually made to order. Jan 20, 2018 - This video shows how to remove thermofoil from a cabinet door in 2 minutes. Thermofoil cabinets are made from a laminate substance that is fused over the top of particle board. Now, apply the contact cement & make sure that your helper takes hold of the thermofoil independent from the MDF, coat both the thermofoil back as well as the MDF core top with the help of contact cement, using a disposable brush. It may appear that simply heating it will allow the plastic to simply peel off, but not all of it will come off as easy as you think. You can quickly do this by some suggestions like modification in shade theme, textile wall surface art work, removing thermofoil from cabinets therefore several other things which you can present according to your demands. UPDATE~Since painting this kitchen I have decided that removing the thermofoil from the doors is much easier than painting over it. The surface underneath is called MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) and is painted in the same way you would paint raw wood. As Interiors International noted, you can have trouble next to a stove, which we did have. Painting this style door requires special wax removers and paint. It's pretty cool because you can actually watch the wrap bubble as the heat gun removes the bond between the adhesive and the wrap. Step 1 - Wash Your Cabinets. Very lightly sand the doors. We had Thermofoil cabinets in a kitchen and had problems over time. Eventually, and by eventually I mean an hour or so later - I had removed the wrap from the front of the door. You need to take the assistance from someone in order to hold the peeling thermofoil at a distance from the MDF. Refinishing Failed Thermofoil Doors ... is delaminating. The job is located in Irvine CA. Article from hometalk.com. While this kitchen is holding up well it’s just easier to remove it. So I busted out the heat gun (I assume a high powered hair dryer would work as well). Making the wood swell and crumble after a short while. Scrape off as much as you can using a solvent, such as paint thinner or acetone, to soften it. While this kitchen is holding up well it’s just easier to remove it. EVERY SINGLE CABINET DOOR AND DRAWER were peeling. The main problem with thermofoil cabinets is that overtime the wrap can peel and expose the not so moisture resistant MDF. I didn't get too far with the razor because there is a bit of adhesive between the wrap and the MDF. Do not directly move the back of the thermofoil onto the MDF core. This video shows how to remove thermofoil from a cabinet door in 2 minutes. Dec 16, 2013 - UPDATE to see the finished kitchen click here…. Cabinets can accumulate grime and grease over time so get them nice and clean! Despite the name, thermofoil actually contains no metal. Yep, all of them. The next step in the process was to paint the skeletons. UPDATE~Since painting this kitchen I have decided that removing the thermofoil from the doors is much easier than painting over it. One of the drawbacks of thermofoil is that it can’t easily be painted. I lightly sanded it before applying the paint. Paint will adhere to thermofoil if a bonding primer is applied first, but if the cabinets are older and the thermofoil is not stable, I prefer to remove the thermofoil with a heat gun. I am contemplating removing thermofoil just from one cabinet door as it is 50% peeled off but leaving it … How To Remove Hair Dye From A Kitchen Cabinet, ? I didn’t see a need for this because the thermofoil on these cabinets don’t really even feel like a … Bonus for me - makes taking the Thermofoil off much easier. Not one door or drawer in my kitchen is completely sealed anymore. Finally, I found the secret. Be careful to spread contact cement near the edges of the repair portion. Every single day is an adventure. My husband and I often feel like we should SO have our own reality show. To remove it you simply heat it up with a hair dryer or heat gun and carefully peel it off. Use a paint brush or roller to apply latex paint and once again, use wide and even strokes. Yes, if you paint the MDF you will seal it but, its your kitchen...I think about all of the cooking, the steam, the spills, the dogs, the little ones, the soda, the juices, eeeeeeek! If you’ve been following along the last few posts you know I’ve been working on this kitchen. Make sure not to twist too far or at an angle less than 90 degrees, due to the reason that old thermofoil can break away or crack. Low cost – Thermofoil cabinets are some of the least expensive you can find. You may or may not know about Thermofoil cabinets. Once clean and dry apply a bonding primer. Removal of the thermofoil surface is difficult. And the previous paint job was not prepped very well, can you see the tape that was painted over… Now back to stripping the paint from the cabinets. LIGHTLY is the operative word here. Wait for the primer to dry. Scrap Soft Materials Like Rags, Carpeting, Etc. You can also paint or stain wood surfaces, whereas thermofoil cabinets are built to mimic paint. Then repeat. The surfaces should be completely dry to the touch, otherwise, they will not adhere together. ? Since we do not have a camera crew following us around - this blog will have to do. Like peeling, age makes thermofoil cabinetry vulnerable to chipping. The cabinet is created by vacuum-pressing a thin layer of vinyl onto medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Create your own unique website with customizable templates. Not sure if it was the brand or problems with thermofoil generally.