How to renovate melamine doors?

ReluctantDYI

I'm in the middle of converting our laundry into a powder room.  I've changed the benchtop, basin, tap and installed some new wall cabinets.  I want to paint or recover the existing unit doors and trim to match the new doors.  I plan on attaching some 3mm mdf batons to the old fronts so the design matches.

I know there is paint to cover laminate and tiles but it sounds like the results are hit and miss.  I was thinking of stripping the old melamine or laminate off the doors to get then down to bare wood, sand them and then paint then with regular door and trim enamel.

My problem is I'm unable to get the melamine\laminate off the door fronts.  I've tried a heat gun, an iron on it's hottest setting and steam  but it wont budge.  Has anyone successfully removed laminate or melamine from cupboard doors?  I've tried to google it but can only find how to remove vinyl coatings, which seems quite simple.

Any advice appreciated.

Cheers

MitchellMc

Hi @ReluctantDYI,

Just to clarify — is it the lower cabinet door in your photo that you’re trying to convert?

From the look of it, it seems like it might not actually be laminate but rather a vacuum-formed coating. Vacuum-formed doors are made by wrapping a thin layer of vinyl-like material over the whole door, kind of like a plastic bag, and then heating and sealing it to the shape. You usually don't see any obvious seams at the edges, unlike true laminate, which typically has visible joins around the corners and sides.

If it is vacuum-formed, you’re on the right track with using heat, but it can be pretty stubborn — especially if it’s older and the glue underneath has hardened. Sometimes the easiest method is to make a small slit in the surface with a sharp blade to give you something to peel back. Then apply controlled heat with a heat gun (keeping it moving so you don't scorch the surface) and slowly peel the coating off bit by bit. It can be tedious, but once you get it started, it should lift in larger sections.

If it is laminate, it’s even trickier. Laminate is usually a hard, thin layer bonded to the substrate underneath, and it’s not really designed to be removed easily. Trying to pull it off can damage the MDF or chipboard underneath. In that case, it’s generally better to just sand the surface lightly to rough it up, clean it thoroughly, and paint over it using a specialty laminate primer before your topcoat.

Once you’ve got a clean, prepped surface , you’ll want to use a good-quality primer to seal it properly before painting, as MDF and other substrates are really porous once exposed. 

The other option might be to replace the door with a similar style. By the time you purchase paint and materials, it could be a similar cost to a new door.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell