Refinishing Thermofoil Cabinet Doors
Do your cabinet doors look like this? Here's some info about fixing this common problem with thermofoil finishes.
Can I Wrap My Thermofoil Doors With Your Vinyl?
Let's get the biggest question out of the way first - unfortunately, the short answer is likely No.
The full answer is a bit more complicated, and depends on how complex your doors are. If your doors look like any of the examples on this page, with complex, deep routed recesses cut into the doors to make the look of paneling, then vinyl generally won't work. Unless the recesses are shallow, fully coated with an adhesion-promoter like 3M Primer 94, and the vinyl is installed perfectly, there is a good chance any vinyl film will show bubbles and/or lift out of the recesses over time. If your doors are completely flat, or nearly-flat like shaker-style doors, then you're in luck - check out this blog post after reading the rest of this page to learn about wrapping those kinds of doors.
Well How Do I Fix It?
Unless your doors are in perfect condition and you simply plan to paint over them, you have to get that old Thermofoil off first. Even if they are in perfect condition, are flat, and you plan to wrap them, we still recommend removing the Thermofoil first before using any architectural film to wrap them. This can be done with a heat gun (available at any hardware store like Lowes or Home Depot) and some elbow grease. Check out the video below:
After completely stripping off your old Thermofoil finish, we recommend sealing the underlying wood/MDF/HDF before priming & painting or wrapping. The product we have used for years and highly recommend for this is Zinsser Gardz Problem Surface Sealer - at least 1 but preferably 2 coats.
What if I Just Want To Paint Over My Existing Thermofoil Finish?
This video by Santo Mineo gives a thorough explanation of cleaning, priming, and painting over existing Thermofoil finishes to get a clean finish that won't peel.
Have any other questions we didn't cover here? Give us a call (208-696-1180) or shoot us an email (info@rmwraps.com).
