Cabinet finishes fall into three categories: paint, varnish, and laminates. Painting and varnishing can be done after assembly, while laminates must be applied before. Paint is the least appealing option, while varnish can be used on any furniture. Stain enhances natural wood patterns, while lacquer is a colored varnish that protects wood. Laminates are the most common and can improve the appearance of unattractive wood or pressed cardboard.
A cabinet finish is a substance placed on the wooden components of a cabinet to complete it for construction or sale. Generally, these finishes fall into one of three categories: paint, varnish or laminates. Each of these three types of furniture finish provides a different feel, look and set of properties to the underlying wood. In most cases, painting and varnishing can be done after the cabinet is built and delivered, but the laminates must be applied at the time the cabinet is built. A laminate cabinet can still be painted, but it cannot be varnished.
Applying a cabinet finish is often the last step in its construction or the step before assembly. When paint or varnish is used as the primary finish on the cabinet, it is usually applied after the cabinet has been assembled. If the wood is laminated, the process takes place before the furniture is assembled. After a laminate cabinet has been assembled, it is usually ready for sale.
Paint is often used on older cabinets. Paint allows a closet to fit into the existing room and provides a little protection from damage. For many consumers, paint is one of the least appealing options for finishing a piece of furniture, mainly due to its tendency to fade and chip. The main advantage of varnish is that it can be used on any type of furniture, regardless of the previous finish. This allows users to repaint, rather than replace, their cabinets if the kitchen is updated.
Varnish is a common finish on more expensive cabinets. There are two types of paint: stain and lacquer. Stain enhances the natural wood pattern of the furniture by creating an uneven darkening on the wood grain. Generally, darker areas become much darker, while lighter areas don’t change much. Stains come in a variety of polishes and colors, but most simply amplify the existing colors in the wood.
Lacquer is a colored varnish that has a varnish-like appearance. Unlike varnish, varnish is considered to be an excellent wood protector. It bonds to the wood itself, creating a shell-like outer coating. While many lacquers are colored, translucent and even fully transparent lacquers are available. They work like stains, except they are not related to the color of the wood. Cabinets can look totally natural or they can look stained with unnatural colors like orange or green.
Laminates are the most common type of cabinet finish. These are layers of wood that are sealed on top of the cabinet. The cabinet may be made of unattractive wood or pressed cardboard and then covered in a laminate to improve its appearance.
Many laminates are prestressed. They are thicker pieces of wood that are placed in a press until very thin. This protects the cabinet from impact, as any impact would have to hit with more force than the press applied to penetrate the cladding.
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