Do-it-yourself repair of kitchen facades from mdf

In detail: do-it-yourself repair of kitchen facades from mdf from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

The design, size, color of the kitchen are very different, but in fact, the vast majority of them are made of chipboard or MDF, and the differences, sometimes very significant, are provided only by the top finishing layer.

Image - DIY repair of kitchen facades from MDF

This is especially important when it is necessary to repair damaged facades or renew them.

For the kitchen, the best choice would be MDF furniture. And it's not even about its greater density, but about the high uniformity of its composition. Unlike the same chipboard, the material does not crumble, it perfectly holds fasteners, even repeated ones, which is extremely important when replacing hinges, handles or other accessories. In addition, the manufacturing method itself is based on lignin, and not formaldehyde resins, which makes MDF facades more environmentally friendly.

Image - DIY repair of kitchen facades from MDF

In the photo - a kitchen with MDF facades covered with veneer

The plate is decorated in a variety of ways.

  • Veneer - a cut of natural wood glued to the slab. Requires exactly the same care as a real tree, just as capricious and just as beautiful. It is impossible to restore this coating with your own hands in case of damage.
  • PVC film - it is more often used for laminating chipboard, since this is the most budgetary option. The foil can imitate any kind of wood, although not entirely convincingly. The main disadvantage is that with prolonged exposure to moisture and temperature, the film peels off. Repairs are partially possible.
  • Melamine foil - it is based on decorative paper impregnated with melamine resin. The advantage of such kitchen fronts is their higher resistance to moisture.
  • Acrylic film - paper-laminated plastic, characterized by a much higher strength, resistance to mechanical damage and dampness. This coating can have a matte, satin or glossy surface, and therefore it rarely imitates wood. Any color is available - white, red, blue, black and all possible combinations.
Video (click to play).

Image - DIY repair of kitchen facades from MDF

The facades of the kitchen in the photo are covered with foil.

The undoubted advantage of the three listed film options is the possibility of finishing radius facades. And such a solution always looks original. Moreover, the size and configuration of the kitchen have little effect on the price.

    Acrylic panels - here the color or pattern, including photo printing, is applied directly to the MDF board, and then filled with transparent acrylic glass. Such a flawless gloss enhances any color - white, purple, crimson. With significant strength and absolute resistance to moisture and heat, acrylic kitchen panels have a drawback: their restoration in case of chips or other damage is impossible - the sash needs to be changed. In the photo - a kitchen with a white glossy facade.

Image - DIY repair of kitchen facades from MDF

White color as in the photo is best combined with companion flowers
  • Enamel coating. Provides an exceptionally rich range of colors and color effects: smooth transition of shades, mixing colors, pearl shine, “chameleon” effect - all this richness can be obtained by applying enamel and varnish on the surface of the slab in several layers. The mechanical strength of the enamel layer is not too high; therefore, the paint may darken under the influence of sunlight. However, the repair of enamel facades is possible even with your own hands. And you can paint any sash with enamel - smooth, milled or radius.
  • As a rule, plastic kitchens are those models in which the coating shows a bright color - white, pink or lilac, and no less bright gloss. In fact, painting can easily turn furniture into a modern glossy one, as well as an "aged" rustic one.

    Most often, over time or from overheating, the PVC coating can peel off. With melamine film, and even more so with acrylic, this happens extremely rarely, since their basis is paper, which in its properties is much closer to wood fiber material. In addition, this type of coating is attached under high pressure.

    As a result, it is possible to pull the PVC film with your own hands, but melamine or acrylic film is not.

    Repair of this kind is possible only in small areas and only in those cases when the film has only peeled off, and not deformed, as happens from overheating. In the latter case, it is easier to remove the entire coating or order a new kitchen facade.

    To remove a defect in a medical syringe - without a needle, take PVA glue, "Moment", "Titan" and carefully fill the cavity under the film. You can also use "liquid nails". The film is stretched, smoothed so that no air bubbles remain, and fixed with tape for 4 hours.

    In case of severe damage, restoration of the kitchen fronts is not possible.

    Anything can be painted on MDF facades, except for options with an acrylic panel. Such repair requires great care and some experience. Especially if you need to paint a complex surface - milled or radius.

    Image - DIY repair of kitchen facades from MDF

    Renovation consists of three stages: paint selection, preparation and painting.

    For painting MDF boards, ordinary acrylic or oil paints can be used. Better in quality and more durable - alkyd compounds. The ideal option for the kitchen is polyurethane paints and, in fact, a polyurethane primer.

    1. Water-based polyurethane primer absorbed by the top layer of the material, shrinks the loose surface, imparting sufficient strength and smoothness. Such a coating is easy to sand and the consumption of paint and varnish is noticeably reduced.Image - DIY repair of kitchen facades from MDF

    If renovating sufficiently old kitchen fronts, it is highly recommended to apply a second coat of filler primer.

    2. Polyurethane enamels differ in the richest range of colors, and provide varying degrees of gloss. The following paints are produced:

    • matte - with a minimum degree of light reflection;
    • semi-matte;
    • semi-gloss - such a coating is recommended for pastel colors;
    • glossy - the most popular;
    • High Gloss - Suitable for very clear and vibrant colors as they provide an almost mirror-like shine. The white gloss will be simply dazzling.

    3. Varnish. Acrylic and polyurethane varnishes are used. The first ones are transparent, do not turn yellow over time, however, they are inferior in mechanical strength to polyurethane ones.

    If the facades are really old, the surface includes not only peeling of the film, paint, but also chips and cracks.

    If the dimensions of the sash have changed - for example, from constant dampness, then it is advisable to abandon the restoration. It will be much faster and cheaper to completely renovate the kitchen.

    Image - DIY repair of kitchen facades from MDF

    If a decision is made to radically change the design of the kitchen, then DIY repair is quite possible.
    1. The hinges and handles are removed from the sash.
    2. Get rid of the film coating. Since PVC film, and even melamine film, are unstable to heat, the facades are simply heated with a hairdryer and the film is removed. This cannot be done with an acrylic panel.
    3. The old enamel layer is removed with a solvent.
    4. The surface is sanded with sanding sponges, brushes or a grinder. Processing removes glue and paint residues, minor scratches and chips. Grinding is carried out in three stages with abrasive materials with coarse grains - P180, medium and fine.
    5. Then the part is cleaned of dust and primed. This is best done with a spray gun, but you can use a roller or even a brush. The primer dries in about 8-10 hours.
    6. After drying, the surface must be cleaned again with the finest grit abrasive.

    The process of preparing the material is covered in detail in the video.