Foiling an Old Kitchen Cabinet Villain

by Gabby Hyman
Face Your Kitchen Columnist

It's hard to ignore the rapid development of kitchen cabinet replacement doors and panels made of rigid thermal foil (RTF). For those who swear by cabinets made of wood only, there's no argument that natural wood cabinet doors have a warmth and character that is unsurpassed by artificial surfaces. But if you're looking for an easy-to-maintain, long-lasting, less-costly alternative, RTF replacement cabinet doors are quickly finding a niche in the home-improvement marketplace. RTF doors can be ordered to fit an existing set of standardized, pre-fab kitchen cabinets, or you can have replacements made to custom specifications. These replacement cabinet doors are actually constructed of wood -- inexpensive fiberboard -- and are then covered with pressure-molded foil laminate, vacuum-sealed to ensure tight, leak-proof seals.

The RTF Good, Bad, and Ugly

The good in RTF replacement cabinet doors is that they look just like wood doors, but never need painting or re-staining. The bad is that RTF replacement doors are heavier that traditional wood cabinet parts and require careful mounting with exposed hinges. The ugly is that if you don't mount them squarely the first time, you can't adjust them as you might wood kitchen cabinet replacements. (You may want to call in a professional to install RTF).

Another potential drawback in RTF replacement cabinet doors is that, while some manufactures boast of having up to 60 colors on hand, you may have difficulty matching up the new cabinet doors with your existing kitchen scheme. On the plus side, newer and newer RTF replacement models are being sold in a variety of styles, including traditional, raised panel, and cathedral-arched doors.

Why not look over online offerings and visit a showroom to see if RTF is a reasonable replacement material for your existing kitchen cabinet doors. You could save money, wear and tear, and elbow grease in the long run.

About the Author
Gabby Hyman has written for print and online media for more than 20 years. He has created online content for eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Avaya, and Nissan UK. He has also been a web consultant to the Governor of California. As an author of fiction, journalism, and poetry, Gabby is a former English professor for the University of Illinois, University of Alaska, and Old Dominion University. He holds an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Alabama.