Painted Cabinet Joint Cracks – Character or Flaw?
Are the hairline joints visible on the corners of painted cabinets normal? Is this a sign of a poor quality cabinet or the character of a painted wood door?
This is a question people with painted cabinets often ask, in fact, I found an article by This Old House addressing this very concern. Bottom line is, whether it is a top-of-the-line cabinet or not, these hairline cracks are normal and unavoidable. It’s the joint between two pieces of wood, and depending on the humidity and conditions in the home, the cracks can expand or contract.
This is part of the character of the painted cabinet and if it’s not something you can live with then I do offer a line of cabinets that do not have joints (as seen in the picture above). But, for most people painted joint lines are an acceptable characteristic of a painted wood door and really is not a factor in the beauty of the cabinet.
If you’d like to check out the response by the experts at This Old House to this same question click the link here https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ask-toh/cabinet-paint-cracks
Hampton Hill Cabinets & Design, located in Bend, Oregon, offers a variety of painted door styles and colors that will most likely save you thousands on your kitchen budget. Come in and check it out.
2 Comments
Scott
Whats your opinion on molded painted doors? No cracks and takes paint well. Are there innate disadvantages? Can weight degrade the hinges?
Joel Cohen
Up to this date, we’ve not seen any warranty issues regarding hinges wearing out from the weight of engineered wood doors…and we’ve supplied scores of kitchens over many years with Bellmont’s no-joint painted doors. The biggest concern I’ve seen is with the homeowners’ perception and concerns with an engineered wood as opposed to solid wood rails and stiles. However, there is no noticeable issues in painting engineered wood doors and, with little possibility of warping (which can happen with real wood doors), this is a viable option for those who do not want to see joint lines in their painted cabinetry.
We’ll always offer both options since there is little difference in performance between the two.