Comparison
Polymer / lacquered MDF vs Painted MDF
Polymer gives a factory finish impossible to reproduce on site; painted MDF repairs and repaints in ten years.
What settles it
Take polymer / lacquered mdf if…
Choose polymer for a minimalist kitchen with slab fronts. The cured finish is perfectly flat and even, which applied paint does not achieve across a large surface.
Take painted mdf if…
Choose painted MDF if you want a shaker door, or if you want to change colour without changing the kitchen. It is the only front here that can be fully repainted, which buys the kitchen an extra cycle.
Criterion by criterion
Rated 1–5, comparative within the category.
| Polymer / lacquered MDF | Painted MDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | 4/5 Durability: 4 sur 5 | 4/5 Durability: 4 sur 5 |
| Heat | 3/5 Heat: 3 sur 5 | 3/5 Heat: 3 sur 5 |
| Staining | 4/5 Staining: 4 sur 5 | 3/5 Staining: 3 sur 5 |
| Scratches | 3/5 Scratches: 3 sur 5 | 3/5 Scratches: 3 sur 5 |
| Repairable | 3/5 Repairable: 3 sur 5 | 5/5 Repairable: 5 sur 5 |
Polymer / lacquered MDF
A finish applied and cured over MDF. It is the minimalist choice: it gives a deep, even matte that melamine cannot match.
What they don't tell you Dark matte finishes show fingerprints and micro-scratches dramatically. Ask for a handled sample and look at it in raking light before committing.
Painted MDF
The substrate behind shaker doors. Its real advantage is repairability: a chip fills and touches up, and the whole kitchen can be repainted in ten years.
What they don't tell you Frame joints can telegraph a hairline with seasonal humidity swings, pronounced in Quebec between winter heating and humid summers.
Worth knowing before you sign
A shaker door's frame can telegraph a hairline at the joints with humidity swings. In Quebec, the gap between January heating and July humidity makes this more pronounced than elsewhere.
Other comparisons
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Melamine vs Thermofoil
Melamine fails at the edges, thermofoil fails from heat. The right choice depends on where your oven is.
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Thermofoil vs Polymer / lacquered MDF
Same look from two metres; polymer handles heat better and can be touched up, thermofoil costs less.
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Wood veneer vs Polymer / lacquered MDF
Veneer has real grain that shifts with light; polymer has a stable colour that will not change.
Take the next step
Talk to a designer
You have settled the choice. A designer will tell you whether it is the right one for your kitchen specifically.
Reply within 24 to 48 hours. No obligation.