Flat fronted cabinet doors

[siggy_7]

We're hopefully moving house soon, and one of the first jobs I've been tasked with by my wife is to refurbish the kitchen cabinets with new doors and worktops. She is very insistent that the doors are flat fronted, with no panel recesses - just flat panels with a round on the edge (this website describes it as a "Lincoln" style - http://www.dreamdoors.co.uk/door-designs/replacement-kitchen-doors). On first glance this is a very easy task of getting some 22mm MRMDF, cutting to size and routing the corners, however I'm worried about three things:

1. Long term durability of MDF doors compared with solid wood
2. Warping of a solid panel as opposed to a typical frame and panel style
3. Weight of solid 22mm MRMDF doors

Are these things just normally constructed out of a solid panel, or does the construction need to be more intelligent to provide something robust and of sensible weight? The finish will be a sprayed gloss colour, so if made of a material with texture I will have the additional hassle of using filler-primer, which I don't mind if it's necessary but don't want to make life harder for myself if it isn't.

 

[murdoch]

hi, if it was me then i would make the doors out of 22mm mr mdf as you say but i would lip all the way around with 20mm tulip or similar. this will make the doors more durable where they are most likely to be damaged and also give a better surface for the paint to stick.

also, choose a top quality paint. we paint in morrells waterbourne lacquer which they mix to any colour and its very hard wearing and gives a lovely smooth finish.

22mm shouldn't be too heavy.

nathan

 

[Chrispy]

In reply
1. Whats to wear out with MRMDF it's the paint/lacquer that will suffer
2. Why will it warp? MDF is very stable
3. If worried about weight use 18mm instead, I would only go to 22mm for the frames in a framed door.

 

[Peter T]

My kitchen's maple rather than painted, but the requirements were the same, flat panel with a rounded edge

I used 18mm maple veneered MR MDF for the panel and edged it with 20mm solid maple, mitred at the corners, and finished with a thumb molding.

I would have liked to have solid wood doors but I couldn't keep the wider ones flat. The glued up panels always ended up banana shaped, despite taking care with the planing/thicknessing.

 

[siggy_7]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like an edge banding is the way to go to make it more knock-resistant and also should have the advantage of being more machinable. Chrispy - I have seen feedback from people constructing Shaker doors out of MDF the cheat's way (thinner full size panel with tacked on frame) and heard that they can warp. To my mind the frame and panel structure should offer more rigidity against warping than a panel, but if this is common practice then I guess it's not an issue. Thanks also for the Morrells recommendation Murdoch, I was looking at their paints anyway but good to get endorsements of the product.

 

[jasonB]

I'd just make it out of a single piece of MDF, its what all the flatpack stuff is made from and I don't see that denting. The problem with lipping and using a high gloss is that the lipping can move and ghost through the finish. If you do choose to lip then in a kitchen I would use something harder than tuplip as thats softer than MRMDF

 

[paul saunders]

I'd just make it out of a single piece of MDF, its what all the flatpack stuff is made from and I don't see that denting. The problem with lipping and using a high gloss is that the lipping can move and ghost through the finish. If you do choose to lip then in a kitchen I would use something harder than tuplip as thats softer than MRMDF

Seconded, my kitchen doors are flat panel MDF with a 6mm radius spray painted and they're as flat now as the day they were made. As for lippings, I've seen a 5x18mm oak lipping cause a length of 18mm birch ply to bow .......... and we all know how stable birch ply is!!

 

[fluffflinger]

Greetings

18mm MRMDF and that's it no edging required, 22mm is too chunky and adds nothing but unnecessary weight and expense, 95% of kitchen doors are 18mm. Anything else is adding levels of complication way beyond any possible benefit. Kitchen doors don't take much or a battering except maybe in a home with small kids and in that case nothing will come out unscathed.

You'll find plenty of threads on here that will give good advice on getting a great finish and it's a simple project that should reward your efforts and give you a new fresh look for a very modest outlay. Personally I'd go a frame and panel door but that's personal preference, I just feel simple Shaker door is a timeless classic that never seems to date.

I work in the industry so I have a little experience in this matter, if you need anymore help please just get in touch.

 

[MrYorke]

I make 99.9% of my wardrobe doors out of MRMDF and have never had a problem. Slab doors are simple to make. Just make sure you seal the edges well. I use Zinnser Bin (shellac NOT the water based stuff)

Don't bother putting edging on as there really isn't a need

 

[pip1954]

hi my son made his entire kitchen full of doors slab construction, with wet look finish they looked great and still do years down the line
i would do the same slab don't be tempted to mess about with edging would be an easy job to make doors and i agree the edging would show as the doors get older .
pip

 

[siggy_7]

Wow, thanks again for all the responses. Sounds like it really is as easy as it seems after all then! I have heard elsewhere that if not using frame & panel construction then the doors can still warp, but I can't (and have no wish to) argue with all your collective experience. Cheers. And Richard I agree that Shaker doors look much nicer, but I don't get a say about anything much in the kitchen!

 

[AndyT]

Just a thought... I often walk past the Bristol showroom of the company you linked to and have never seen any customers in it... if I were you I'd be finding out what sort of deal they could offer on a supply-only basis as they may be glad of the business! (And I assume that the real base price of factory made doors is probably pretty low - so hard to compete with for a small quantity of a diy equivalent.)