How to repair Thermafoil coating that is peeling from cabinets
by
SR
+6
Some years ago, I spent extra money for new cabinets that were coated in Thermafoil (white color). At the time I thought the wood was dipped in the product. Since then, edges are coming up and it has also peeled in a spot on the front of one of the cabinets. Is there a product that will strip this from the wood? I am going to have trouble matching the color of white if I try to paint it.
take a piece of the thermafoil that is peeling to Lowes or Wallmart. They have computers that analyze the sample and you can get a good match.
Go back to the cabinet maker and see what they have to say for themselves.
http://www.hometalk.com/diy/paint/rooms/q-how-can-i-paint-white-cabinets-that-i-think-are-thermofoil-30124870
How can I paint white cabinets that I think are Thermofoil?
Wood stripper would be your first move. Do you want to paint again so every thing matches? I don't know what is involved in stripping thermafoil. Call Homedepot or Lowe's and ask someone in the paint department what you can do to get that cabinet back to the way it was.
Duplicate question.
No you use a heat gun or a really hot hair dryer to remove thermafoil, no stripper!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ3FOcQTZwo or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FylAIun4q34 get a heat gun at Harbor Freight.
I would sand, prime with Zinseer B-I-N, and then paint..... take a piece of the coating to a store with computer color matching.
From recent experience. Stuff can't be painted over. The best you can do is grab a piece that's flaking and start pulling. I had a full kitchen of this stuff and stripped it all completely off in 15 minutes. What you have now is MDF cabinets. Get a good paint with primer already in it. The base of the cabinets aren't covered in such a thick coating so you can scuff them with sandpaper. Paint them. Hang them. Seriously. It's relatively easy.
Once this starts to peel, you really will have to redo/repaint alllllll your cabinets. Just go ahead and peel the broken places off. The underneath is a composite wood, so you will have prime/seal it well before repainting. Especially prime well the areas around the sink.
Obviously, you will need to repaint all your cabinets, not just the broken ones.
For general painting instructions:
Start by cleaning them really well.
Then hand sand the plastic just enough to help paint stick; sand it in the direction that the grain should go. Clean that off.
Wipe everything down with white rubbing alcohol.
I recommend PPG/Porter Paints Advantage 900 paint, in semi-gloss sheen. It is very, very durable. Buy really good brushes.
Put very thin coats of paint on, and let each coat dry overnight.
In the end, once the color has built up sufficiently, you will not need to put a sealing poly coat on.
Let dry well before using.
IF your weather is wet for very long, then you will need even longer before you use it.
I would find out if they are under warranty before I did anything to them. They should hold up better than that!