Doors with which finish is better: veneered, laminated or with PVC film. Laminated doors Types of laminated doors

Now people use many traditional materials for other than their intended purpose, so decorating entrance doors and arranging the door slope with floor laminate turned out to be a very good solution. Next, we will tell you which laminate is better to take for these purposes and show how to sheathe a door with a laminate with your own hands.

The interior finishing of the front door with laminate is considered a good alternative to MDF cards.

In this case, do not confuse doors with laminate finish sheathed with MDF cards and facing doors or slopes with laminate flooring. Visually, of course, they are very similar, but the price, materials and instructions for arranging are very different.

Door trim with laminate and laminated MDF card in comparison, MDF card on the right.

What is laminate flooring

The basis of a high-quality floor laminate is HDF (it is almost the same as MDF only with a higher density), budget models are made on the basis of fiberboard, but now they are practically non-existent;
The bottom substrate of the slab is made of water-repellent impregnated paper; here, as a rule, paraffin is used;
Paper is also glued on top of the “board”, but it is already responsible for the decor, plus on some laminated “boards” the wood texture can still be applied;
To provide mechanical protection from above, the laminate is coated with melamine or some other synthetic resin.

Most of the floor laminate models are decorated with natural wood of various species, but there is also a stone finish, as well as a combined finish with patterns. So the upholstery of doors with laminate can be made in different styles.

Pros and cons of laminate

If you apply a creative approach, then a real exclusive masterpiece will turn out from a door trimmed with laminate;
Finishing a door with a laminate with your own hands often does not cause difficulties even for beginners;
In time, such door finishing takes one, maximum two days;
The laminate is floor-standing, which means that it initially has high mechanical strength, it is not afraid of bumps and scratches;
Modern models do not fade in the sun;
The "icing on the cake" is more than affordable price. Compared to a laminated MDF card, laminated door trim is at least 3 times cheaper.

But not everything is so "smart", the floor laminate has one serious drawback - it is not suitable for exterior cladding of entrance doors.

More precisely, if your doors are in a relatively warm entrance of a multi-storey building, then the laminate will withstand, but you can’t let it go outside. Moisture-resistant floor laminate exists, but this material is not designed for frost and sudden changes in temperature; after winter, such a door will peel off.

Floor laminate is not designed for sub-zero temperatures and high humidity.

Which laminate is best for doors

First, let's figure out what kind of laminate exists. For the general consumer, 6 classes of laminate are produced. It is assumed that under private houses and apartments it is necessary to use planks of 21, 22 and 23 classes, and the floors in administrative and office premises are laid with 31, 32 and 33 classes.

The quality increases in increasing order, the higher the class, the greater the wear resistance and impact resistance of the coating. The table below summarizes the main characteristics of all 6 classes. In addition to them, there is still class 34, it has the highest degree of strength and is able to withstand exorbitant loads, but the price there is just as exorbitant.

The thickness of the laminated planks ranges from 6 to 12 mm. Everything is the same here, the higher the strength, the thicker the coating will be.

Now let's talk specifically about the choice of laminate for door cladding. Consultants in the store and "sofa" builders are advised to take almost the most durable and, accordingly, the most expensive laminate. The experts of our site recommend doing otherwise.

Don't forget that we are only finishing the inside of the front doors, not the dance floor in the club. The maximum that threatens your doors is the claws of pets, and even class 21 laminate can withstand this onslaught.

Choose according to appearance. The peculiarity of the laminate is that classes 22 and 33 can visually be the same, but the price differs significantly.

In terms of thickness, a 6mm board will do fine, but in my experience, 7mm and 8mm laminates look better, plus they usually have a water-repellent finish, which is good for doors.

Planks of different classes may visually look the same.

In our case, another important parameter is the dimensions of the slats. The standard width of the front door leaf is 900 mm, therefore, we are interested in strips with large dimensions.

It is possible to sheathe doors vertically only in a run, since the maximum for a laminate is 1488 mm, but these models are expensive, so the best option would be planks about 1200 mm long, they can be sheathed both along and across the canvas. At the same time, you can take any width, because the extreme bar will still have to be cut.

Technology for finishing doors and slopes with laminate

Now we will analyze in detail how to sheathe the door and door slopes with laminate with our own hands. But first, a few words about the instrument.

Tool

Laminate can be cut with a jigsaw, grinder and miter saw. A jigsaw is cheaper, but it gives jagged edges, so choose between a grinder and a trimmer. You will also need:

Roulette;
Square;
Pencil;
mallet;
Perforator;
Screwdriver;
Level;
Metal scissors.

Trimming gives the cleanest and most even cut on the laminate.

In addition to a laminate of materials, you will need good glue in tubes, for example, Liquid Nails and a gun for it, as well as self-tapping screws and, depending on the concept, a metal, plastic or MDF corner.

Sheathing iron entrance doors

As already mentioned, most often iron doors are sheathed with laminate from the inside. It will be much more convenient for you to work if you remove the door leaf from the hinges and lay it on some kind of flat platform.

The body of most of these doors is made of metal profiled pipes. We must not allow the laminate to come into direct contact with the metal, otherwise the condensate can greatly damage the cladding.

In order to isolate the laminated sheathing from pure metal, we paste over the entire perimeter of the doors with foil penofol (polyethylene foam covered with foil), plus such a gasket will provide additional sound insulation. Naturally, metal must be cleaned, degreased and primed before this.

If you are doing this for the first time, then it is better to choose horizontal laying, it is the simplest and practically waste-free.

Doors are lined from top to bottom. Put the bar on the canvas and mark it in width, while the sheathing is not carried out clearly along the contour of the box, but a little less, with a tolerance of 1 - 2 mm, it is necessary for the subsequent installation of a decorative corner.

In this case, the slats are cut with a grinder with a circle for metal. Of course, try to keep the cut even, but if there are small deviations, don’t worry, the edge will still be covered with a corner anyway.

The planks are attached to the box around the perimeter with self-tapping screws, but before driving the screw, you need to drill a hole in the laminate for it, otherwise the plank may crack when the screw is screwed in.

First, we drive 2 screws from each edge. The distance from the edge of the canvas to the screws is from 10 to 30 mm. It all depends on the width of the decorating corner. The caps of the self-tapping screws are taken into the bottom and screwed in flush with the plane, the caps should not stick out.

In the next plank, you will first need to drill 4 fixing holes. The laminate is joined according to the tenon-groove principle, so further insert the tenon of the next plank into the groove of the previous one and knock it tightly with a mallet, as in the photo below, you need to knock it through the gasket so as not to break the groove. After docking, drive 4 self-tapping screws.

With the choice of self-tapping screws, the situation is as follows: if the frame of your door is welded from a profile pipe, then take self-tapping screws for metal, they easily enter such a pipe. If the frame is welded from a corner, then first wooden bars are screwed to the corner and stiffeners, and then a laminate is attached to these bars with wood screws or kleimers.

The entire plane of the canvas is sewn up according to the technology described above, you may have difficulties only when you reach the castle.

Here it will be necessary to accurately measure and mark the key axis and use a 10-12 mm drill to drill holes in the area of the keyhole and handle. Next, take a round "bastard" file and bring the holes to the ideal.

In any case, you will have to cut the extreme bar, which will be located at the bottom of the canvas, along the entire length. After that, also insert it into the groove of the previous bar and drive 1 self-tapping screw on each side.

Now the upper and lower planks along the horizon must also be fixed with self-tapping screws, the fixing step is approximately 20 - 25 cm.

In this case, we use a decorative corner made of thin aluminum, but you can also decorate the edge with a plastic or MDF corner. Work begins with trimming corners at 45º, the video in this article shows the process of marking and trimming corners.

Decorative corners are screwed with self-tapping screws to the end of the door leaf, fixing step 150 - 200 mm.

The place of attachment of the corner, either before installation or during the installation of the corner, must be smeared with glue. By the way, if the corner is plastic, then you can do with only one glue, without self-tapping screws.

In principle, the lining of the door leaf with a floor laminate is over. Now you just have to hang the canvas back and do not forget to take care of this coating. How to properly care for the laminate, it is written.

If your front door is installed in a warm entrance of a multi-storey building, then outside it can also be sheathed with a waterproof laminate. The thickness of the outer metal sheet of the entrance doors fluctuates around 1.5 - 2 mm, you can drive a metal screw into such a sheet, but we advise you to do otherwise.

Only the first and last strips can be fixed on self-tapping screws, and all other laminate strips can be put on good glue, and a decorative overlay along the contour sits on the glue.

Slopes from a floor laminate

Door slopes can be equipped in different ways, the most popular options are painted. But if our doors are sheathed with laminate, then it would be logical to make the same slopes.

We start with arranging a frame of wooden bars around the perimeter of the doors. The recommended section of the bar is 30x40 mm; the bars are attached to the walls with anchors or dowel-nails. The gaps between the frame and the walls can be filled with mounting foam.

When the frame is ready, you can start lining with laminate. Planks are placed horizontally. In this case, it is no longer necessary to drill them to wooden bars; they are attached to the kleimer, in this way the entire perimeter is quickly sheathed.

A kleimer is a kind of metal bracket, the tongue of which is inserted into the groove of the plank, and the body of the kleimer is nailed to a wooden crate. Then a spike of the next bar is inserted into the same groove and the entire plane is sheathed in this way.

The last chord of such a finish will be the installation of platbands. You can find detailed instructions, as well as photos and videos for installing platbands. Plus, if space allows, then lighting can be brought into such a box, only the wires need to be laid in a metal hose.

Conclusion

Sheathing the entrance doors with a floor laminate according to the method described above is mounted quite quickly and is relatively inexpensive. Naturally, in addition to the floor laminate, there are several more options for facing the front doors, you can find out about them.

Outside, entrance doors with laminate can only be sheathed in warm entrances.

Laminated doors are easy to install Interroom laminated doors look great both in living rooms and office spaces. This type of door is considered the simplest and, nevertheless, the most popular type of interior doors in the middle price segment. A variety of colors allows you to choose a door anywhere - to the kitchen, bathroom or children's room.

Interior laminated doors: main characteristics

To begin with, it is worth understanding what is called lamination. The process of lamination is the coating of the surface of the door with an additional, more durable material. In fact, this is a film coating. This can be an ordinary laminated paper coating, a more expensive PVC coating - polyvinyl chloride or the most reliable two-dimensional laminate. The difference in coverage is very noticeable.

When faced with the choice of PVC doors and laminated doors, you must understand that they are the same thing, just different types of coatings.

Therefore, when buying, you need to compare the types of coatings, because the filling of the door is the same everywhere.

Interroom laminated doors can be with several types of coatings

Let's analyze in more detail these types of coatings for laminated doors:

Laminated doors. The doors are covered with a paper-based film. Paper is the cheapest coating and, accordingly, the most unreliable. Any mechanical impact, as a rule, leaves a trace. Fading, wetting - all this is characteristic of such doors.
Laminated doors with multilayer paper coating and impregnation with melamine resins. Such a coating is more reliable, equated to a plastic coating. Does not fade, has resistance to mechanical damage, as well as moisture differences. There is an opinion that melamine doors are poisonous. Resins are toxic, so you should consider this fact when choosing doors for bedrooms.
Laminated PVC doors. One of the most popular types of lamination. This is explained by the optimal combination of price and quality. PVC-based PVC coating does not fade in the sun, moderately withstands damage and copes well with humidity, especially if the door is completely rolled up in film. A coating with a thickness of 0.2-0.5 mm retains its appearance well even when using household chemicals.
Laminating with double sided laminate. Doors with such a coating will cost a lot. A coating with a thickness of 0.4-0.8 mm perfectly protects the door from mechanical damage. Also, this coating does not fade, is not subject to damage from household chemicals. It has an attractive appearance, almost indistinguishable from natural veneer.

Sometimes manufacturers cover the door with several types of films at once. For example, the edge of the door is pasted over with a cheaper coating, and the door leaf with a high-quality laminate.

What does a laminated door look like?

Since laminated doors are still in the inexpensive price segment, we can safely say that the doors themselves are made of inexpensive materials. The essence of such doors is to create the impression of solid and strong doors, but in fact this is not entirely true.

All the strength of laminated doors lies in its frame. The frame runs along the edge of the door and lintels can be added inside for strength. This frame is made of inexpensive wood, most often pine. Additionally added wooden inserts for locks.

The rest of the door space is filled with various wood waste. This composition can be chipboard or polystyrene foam.

Sectional laminated door

The cheapest option for filling laminated doors is when the filler is cardboard laid out in the form of honeycombs. The surface of the frame is covered with a layer of MDF, then with a layer of a film of various types.

Laminated doors are incomparable in terms of weight and strength to solid wood doors.

In order for laminated doors to last as long as possible, it is recommended that they be subjected to less mechanical and thermal stress.

Laminate doors: the pros and cons of coating

Before making a purchase, you need to know all the strengths and weaknesses of the product. When choosing, one should be guided not only by the appearance of the doors, but also take into account their future location.

Remember that the bathroom has a high level of humidity, so you need to choose a door with a moisture-resistant coating or plastic.

Despite the fact that laminated doors are inexpensive, they attract consumers precisely because of their positive qualities.

Advantages of laminated doors:

Low price. One of the main advantages, since not everyone can afford interior doors made of natural wood.
The weight. Due to the design and materials, laminated doors are lightweight. They are easier to install. They do not carry such a load on the door hinges and the box. Since some manufacturers produce MDF boxes, you should not insert heavy doors into such a box.
Reliability. Good laminated coating, gives excellent performance in use. The coating does not fade and washes well. Appearance is maintained at a decent level for a long time.
Wash well. Most laminated door finishes are moisture resistant, which means they can be cleaned with water and special solutions.
Environmentally friendly. A door impregnated with melamine is questionable, but, according to manufacturers, the amount of these resins is not enough to poison a person.

Laminated doors also have disadvantages, which should also be considered when buying interior doors to an apartment.

Laminated doors have a lot of advantages and some disadvantages.

Disadvantages of laminated doors:

Non-prestige. Such doors look inexpensive and simply unlike natural wooden doors.
Small selection of designs. Almost all laminated doors have a similar design, structure and fittings. Doors differ only in the color of the coating.
Bloating and delamination of the film. At the joints, the film can crack, which is almost impossible to fix. If the door lamination was of poor quality, there is a risk of film swelling.
Fragile. It can be easily knocked out with a foot, and a dent may appear from a blow with a fist or a heavy object, which cannot be fixed in any way.
Low level of sound insulation. Despite its tightness during lamination, the door lets in unpleasant odors and loud sounds.
Repair of laminated doors is almost impossible, it is much easier to purchase a new door.

If you buy really good and high-quality laminated doors, their price will be close to natural veneer doors.

Manufacturers approach the manufacture of interior doors with all seriousness, use high-quality materials, use good fittings. These doors meet all quality standards. However, when buying, you can always encounter a low-quality product.

In order for the consumer to avoid an unpleasant situation, you need to know a few simple rules.

In no case should you buy a door without a preliminary inspection.

When choosing interior laminated doors, it is necessary to take into account the type of door covering and their filler.

What is important to know when buying an interior laminated door:

Type of door covering;
door filler;
Door fastening method.

Be sure to ask the consultant about all the pros and cons, ask for a certificate of quality, and after the purchase, issue a warranty card.

We make a choice: laminated or PVC doors, which is better

Often a consumer wants to know which interior doors are best to buy PVC or laminated?

In fact, PVC is a kind of laminated coating. It is resistant to scratches, chips, UV and moisture. PVC doors are not afraid of cleaning with abrasive cleaners, so any stains from the surface can be removed.

PVC doors are scratch, UV and moisture resistant

Ordinary laminated doors, in other words, paper ones, are not as durable and reliable as PVC coating. They have a hollow construction, which means they let sound through.

Doors are afraid of moisture, they can swell, so it is undesirable to install them in the bathroom.

When installing doors to the bathroom, you need to make sure that drops of moisture do not accumulate on the surface of the canvas. You can wipe them only with a damp cloth or napkin.

Varieties of laminated doors (video)

High-quality interior doors should be well combined with the interior of the room - furniture, wall and floor decoration and harmoniously fit into the style of the room. Plain laminated doors are not fancy and are not suitable for frilly and glamorous interior designs.

Features of laminated doors

The main feature is the external resemblance to solid wood products. To obtain this effect, a special film of various colors and shades is applied.

Important! The panels are lightweight, durable, able to withstand heavy loads. Laminated canvases provide sound insulation sufficient for an ordinary apartment. Due to the resistance to moisture, they can be used in the bathroom, bathrooms.

The cost is much lower than similar wood products, and they are not much inferior in quality and service life. In addition, they do not require special care, the use of special cleaning products.

Manufacturing technology of laminated doors

The laminated panel consists of several parts:

frame made of wooden beams;
internal filler;
overlays on the door leaf from MDF;
laminate film.

The manufacturing method consists in a combination of several materials. The main component is a laminated film, which completely imitates the structure of wood. The film is glued to a canvas made of MDF. Between two sheets of MDF there is a filler, which is most often made of corrugated cardboard.

The framework, a box, platbands are made of a bar of coniferous breeds. The same film is applied to the surface. To maintain the original appearance, the film is made using melamine, which provides protection from scratches and small chips. The wooden beam is treated with a special impregnation, which increases resistance to temperature fluctuations, high humidity. If the configuration of the interior unit provides for the presence of a threshold, then it is manufactured using a similar technology.

Advantages and disadvantages of laminated doors

Benefits of laminate flooring:

low price level;
resistance to mechanical damage;
a large selection of colors;
ease of maintenance.

Disadvantages of the material to consider when choosing:

standard pattern over the entire surface of the canvas;
insufficient sound insulation for installation as an input unit;

The quality of the film is checked first. When choosing, you need to specify the thickness, scratch resistance, base coat. If a paper base is used, then the film will not withstand frequent friction.

Healthy! For the safety of the canvas, it is better to choose CPL-plastic or two-color laminate. Such materials are often used in the production of doors for public places with a large flow of customers.

Don't forget about packaging. For the equipment of the entrance opening, it may be necessary to install platbands and a threshold with additional elements. All additional details must have a single color and texture.

The difference between laminated doors and other types

Unlike other interior doors, for the production of which a coating is used or, laminated sheets are cheaper, despite their resemblance to expensive solid wood products.

The film used allows you to keep a beautiful look longer, to avoid the appearance of minor damage. Also, such sashes are lighter than other analogues. A simple corrugated board in the core has little to no effect on the overall weight. But if it is necessary to weight the sash to improve the level of sound insulation, it will be used instead of the standard paper filler.

The ability to choose the color, the desired shade, will allow you to fit the panels into any interior. Many design options allow you to choose both deaf and doors with glass inserts of various shapes.

Attention! Even taking into account the use of various impregnations of wooden beams and the use of a film, laminated panels do not emit any harmful substances.

Doors are easy to install, practically do not differ in this matter from analogues.

Design options for laminated doors

All interior panels are selected in the same design that will match the overall style. They can differ from each other only by the presence or absence of glass inserts.

Manufacturers offer a sufficient selection of options for each room. The living room can be equipped with large glass doors to let in more light. The bedroom, on the contrary, should be equipped with a blank canvas. For the bathroom and toilet, it is also better to install blank canvases with a film that is resistant to high humidity.

Laminate flooring has a smooth texture. With the help of a film it is easy to imitate the surface of natural wood. Often the surface is left smooth, without drawings, if such a finish suits the specific design of the room.

Glasses built into canvases are found not only in various sizes (from a small square to full-size installation), but also in various shapes. Classic rectangles or carved figured glass inserts - the choice depends only on the desire of the buyer.

Caring for laminated doors

The essence of caring for panels comes down to caring for laminate flooring. In order for the coating to retain its original appearance, it is necessary to exclude strong impacts and loads on the canvas. The film is resistant to moisture, but it is still better to remove drops of water or other liquid with a soft cloth. It is especially important to do this if moisture gets into the joints of the components or the glass attachment points.

Important! Periodically, it is required to care for the surface with cleaning products. Detergent compositions should not be aggressive, contain acids. The applied product must be removed with a soft cloth; sponges or brushes should not be used. This may not only leave scratches on the surface, but also cause the film to peel off.

The appearance will remain beautiful when using furniture polish, which includes wax. The composition will fill microcracks, give integrity and brightness to the coating. Processing is best done once or twice a year, and for doors to the kitchen, bathroom, toilet room - three to four times. Do not forget about the processing of handles, locks, hinges, using special tools.

If the polish does not cope with scratches, you can use a wax pencil, after heating it. Scratches may not completely disappear, but will become less noticeable.

Panels covered with laminate have some drawbacks, but the presence of pluses still makes them popular in the arrangement of apartments, offices, government agencies. It is only necessary to study the characteristics and recommendations so that the purchased door leaf has a pleasant appearance for a long period of time.

Laminated doors are a good alternative to expensive wooden or veneered doors. The decorative film resembles a tree according to the drawing, and it is absolutely undemanding in its care. There is a wide variety of laminated doors, but what they all have in common is versatility and durability.

What are laminated doors?

Nowadays, more and more consumers prefer laminated doors due to their low price. The film with which they are covered perfectly protects them from exposure to chemicals and high humidity. In case of direct contact with water, the doors can be simply wiped with a dry cloth. Unlike solid wood doors, laminated doors do not deform over time. They are lightweight and easy to clean even with abrasive cleaners.

Laminate film is an artificial material that is produced in a very wide color palette. This facilitates the selection of a harmonious combination of doors with flooring, wall colors and furniture.

Thanks to modern high-tech equipment, it has become possible to produce high-quality laminated doors that can compete with other types of interior doors. And the drawing on the film can quite accurately imitate various types of wood.

The very canvas of the laminated door is a frame made of pine bars. The space is filled with honeycomb pressed cardboard. All together creates a strong and reliable design. MDF boards are used on both sides of the frame, and a laminate is attached on top of them.

Laminate film is produced using different technologies. The result is a budget option in the form of melamine paper or a more expensive two-chrome laminate of the highest quality. Due to the lightness of all materials, interior laminated doors made with a complex pattern are light in weight.

The choice of laminated doors is especially relevant if it is required to install several absolutely identical in color in one room. And unlike natural wood, a laminated door will not change its shade throughout the service life.

Regardless of the manufacturer, laminated MDF doors belong to the economy class. This is due to the inexpensive materials from which they are made and labor-intensive production technology.

More about types of films:

Paper base. The cheapest and most unreliable option, the material thickness is only 0.2 mm.
Melamine film. In fact, this is the same paper, but impregnated with melamine resin, due to which the coating is denser and more reminiscent of plastic properties.
Double sided laminate. This is the most durable and thickest laminate used in the production of doors. Its thickness is approximately 0.5-0.7 mm.
Fiberglass film. The most expensive coating ever. Consequently, the price of such a door will be significantly higher. Therefore, manufacturers rarely use it to finish the door.

Laminate perfectly imitates any materials. Most often wood, but can also be metal, plant motifs or stone. The surface of a laminated door can be absolutely smooth or has a pattern (even silkscreen and hand-painted).

Production of laminated doors

This name of the door was due to the material of the protective layer. To date, their quality is practically not inferior to doors made of solid wood, and even surpass them in some characteristics.

The production technology is simple and allows them to be produced in large quantities and in a wide range. Often when laminated doors are decorated with inserts of glass or other materials.

The design of laminated doors consists of solid or pine bars. In the first case, the frame is immediately covered with MDF or fiberboard. And in the manufacture of a cheaper hollow door, the space inside the frame is filled with light honeycomb cardboard. And already on top is attached MDF. A decorative laminate is glued on top of the facing sheets. Both the technological process and the materials themselves make it possible to create low-cost doors.

But due to the strength of the laminate, the doors are not afraid of mechanical damage and high humidity. Therefore, you should not save a lot and buy the cheapest doors with paper-based film.

Synthetic resins are used in the production of laminated doors, but the doors themselves are environmentally friendly products. Their use is allowed even in medical and children's institutions.

How to care for laminated doors

Despite all the unpretentiousness in care, laminated doors can last for many years only with proper care. If possible, they should be protected from mechanical and thermal influences.

To avoid the need for effort to clean the laminated surface, you can periodically treat it with a polish. It is best if wax is present in the composition of such a product. It will give the door a beautiful gloss and smooth out micro-scratches. For doors installed in rooms with normal humidity, it is enough to carry out such processing twice a year.

It is allowed to clean the laminated surface with abrasive products only when absolutely necessary. If you do this regularly, the surface may be damaged.

When caring for laminated doors, you should avoid chemicals that are not intended for them. Although the laminate is resistant to their effects, it is possible that the coating will enter into a chemical reaction with the components of the cleaning composition and begin to break down.

The ideal cleaner for laminated interior doors is a 9:1 solution of water and alcohol. The surface is wiped with this composition, after which it is wiped dry with a dry cloth. It is enough to do it once a year.

When wiping doors, special attention should be paid to the lower part of the door leaf, trim and door frame. It is these parts, during wet cleaning, that are most susceptible to the negative effects of water. It is worth noting here that it is much better if the laminated door has a PVC edge.

In addition to alcohol, a soapy solution or diluted dishwashing detergent is perfect. They also wipe the surface of the door, after which it is wiped dry.

If chips or cracks appear on the laminated door, they are masked with a wax pencil. It is heated, wax is applied to the damaged surface and polished with a soft cloth. It will not be possible to completely remove the defect in this way, but it will become less noticeable.

When a laminate peels or is damaged as a result of mechanical or thermal stress, you should not try to fix it yourself. At home, it will not be possible to do this qualitatively, it is better to turn to professionals, where they will remove all problems on special equipment.

How to choose a quality laminated door

But no matter how much effort is spent on caring for the door, a low-quality product will still soon begin to present unpleasant surprises. To secure your choice, even before buying you need to know what to look for.

Most inexpensive doors are made using frame-panel technology with honeycomb filling of the internal space. This is not a disadvantage at all, these doors have good strength and sound insulation. Of course, monolithic doors are stronger, but they are also much more expensive. The determining criterion for the strength of such a door is the thickness of the MDF and the number of honeycombs of the filler. It is often not possible to see the door in a section, but nevertheless, it is possible to determine its reliability. It is enough just to lift it, the heavier it is, the more material was spent on its manufacture, and the stronger it is.

Now it is necessary to determine the quality of the decorative coating of the door. The laminated surface must be absolutely smooth and even, without roughness, irregularities, etc. The thickness of the laminate is only a few millimeters, but it is he who protects the door from all external factors.
A high-quality coating imitates not only the pattern of wood, but also repeats its texture. It must be matte. This gives the door a noble appearance and more resemblance to natural wood, but such a coating is more resistant to ultraviolet radiation, high humidity, is the most durable and is better cleaned of dirt. But a cheap paper-based surface is easy to distinguish - it is glossy and has a sheen.
A general inspection of the door is also carried out. First, attention is drawn to the weakest point of laminated interior doors - the side edges. In low-quality models, they quickly exfoliate. Along the entire length, the edges of the edges must be perfectly even without burrs and notches. If there are decorative inserts in the door, they are also carefully inspected.
All panel fasteners must be firmly fixed. When made on poor equipment, the edges of the glazing beads will look torn.

Thus, you can quite accurately determine the quality of laminated doors even in the store.

Manufacturers of laminated doors

The leading domestic manufacturers of high quality laminated doors include the Rostra, Sodruzhestvo, Bekar, Odintsovo, Good Doors, and Optima factories.

But until recently, only Errebi Porte, Treviso Porte and Vera Porta (Italy) factories were engaged in the production of laminated doors. Therefore, until now, Italian laminated doors mean top-level quality.

Other global brands are located in Germany - Lebo Turen, Westag & Getalit. They are fully focused on the production of laminated doors.

PVC laminated doors

These are the most popular economy class doors. They are perfect for residential and office use. Thanks to the imitation of precious woods such as oak, walnut, wenge and others, laminated PVC doors are a good combination of beautiful appearance and price.

Advantages:

they are the most resistant to high humidity, so they are recommended to be installed in bathrooms, kitchens, etc.;
this is a durable one-piece coating that does not have separate side edges;
the coating is easy to clean and does not leave fingerprints;
the door is able to withstand even strong blows.

White laminated doors with glass inserts look especially beautiful. And if desired, they can be repainted independently in any color. To do this, the surface is first primed and painted with alkyd paint or acrylic enamel (for furniture or universal).

When renovating, when it comes to choosing a door leaf, many often pay attention to laminated doors. But what is it and what are the advantages of such products? The answer to this question is very important, because not every material is suitable for different operating conditions.

Laminated doors have significant differences from PVC-coated doors.

Product Features

In order to find out what a laminated door is, it is necessary to consider in more detail the features of this product. In fact, such a door is a canvas lined with a thin film, that is, a laminate. In most cases, it can be easily distinguished from wooden and veneered models.

In some cases, laminate and PVC can be classified in the same category. To be more precise, polyvinyl chloride is a type of laminating coating. However, due to differing characteristics, these materials are often divided into two separate types.

How is a door with such a coating arranged? As in any other case, the basis of the design is a canvas, most often made of MDF. The elements of the product are interconnected according to the design idea. A film is applied over it by hot pressing. This technology avoids delamination, residual air bubbles and other defects.

Structural scheme of the door leaf with PVC coating

Base and filling

To better understand the categories of such products, it is necessary to consider them in several aspects. You should start directly from the canvas itself. Laminated doors can be made from different materials, MDF is the most popular and more or less reliable. In order to reduce the cost of the product, thin sheets of material are used that are stuffed onto a wooden frame. For the latter, finger-jointed pine timber is used, as it is the lightest of all available materials.

The cheapest, but the least quality products are made from plywood or chipboard, but this option is only suitable for dry rooms.

To fill the voids in the canvas in the simplest models, a thick cardboard honeycomb filler is used. This solution allows you to improve the performance of sound insulation and at the same time not to make the structure too heavy. For more expensive models, a solid MDF sheet is used, this guarantees protection from noise and heat loss in the room, but at the same time, the weight of the door increases several times. Some manufacturers offer sheets filled with extruded polystyrene foam.
If decorative inserts or panels are required, thin MDF, glass or mirrors are used for this purpose. Next, a laminate or PVC is glued onto the prepared base.

Sectional view of a laminated door

Film types

It is the quality of the film and its composition that largely determines the life of the product, its characteristics and appearance as a whole. It is after considering all the available options that the difference between doors laminated with ordinary film or PVC will become more clear.

So, let's look at what types of laminate door film are:

Paper. The simplest and cheapest, made on a paper basis. The low cost is due to the low cost of manufacturing the material and its poor quality: such a film does not withstand moisture, contact with household chemicals, is easily torn off, etc. Therefore, it is practically not used, with the exception of creating temporary partitions or for dry utility rooms.
Melamine. It is made of multilayer paper and melamine resin impregnation. Due to this, it acquires the properties of strength, wear resistance in relation to mechanical, chemical and ultraviolet effects. May also be referred to as laminated plastic.
Fiberglass. Additional reinforced film. It has excellent wear resistance characteristics to various impact factors, however, high quality has a considerable price, and therefore it is sometimes easier to order a veneered or wooden door.
Two-chrome. Pretty good quality, but not strong enough. Serious mechanical impacts are detrimental to the coating, but it is not afraid of moisture, temperature changes, household chemicals and sunlight. In addition, the material has a relatively low cost and can outwardly imitate veneer.
Polyvinyl chloride. This is the same PVC film. It is made on the basis of polymeric materials, and therefore is not afraid of moisture and is able to withstand conditions of intensive use. Its cost is quite attractive, in addition, a wide range of colors is available.

Polyvinyl chloride film is represented by a wide variety of colors and shades.

Advantages and disadvantages

In order to finally understand what a laminated door is, it is necessary to consider the main advantages and disadvantages of this product.

Advantages of laminated doors:

Availability. The low cost and rather simple manufacturing technology generate demand and supply for this category of goods.
Color palette. A wide range allows you to choose the best option. Some types can imitate wood texture, stone, plaster and leather.
Moisture resistance. To a greater extent, this applies to PVC film and fiberglass, however, models with an additional polymer coating can withstand slight changes in humidity.
Ease. The canvas is lightweight, which is especially important in conditions where the wall structure is not designed for massive products.

Disadvantages of laminated doors:

Low margin of safety of the coating. Scratches and impact marks are a fairly common defect in such doors.
Under the influence of ultraviolet light, it can change its color over time.
In case of poor-quality gluing, the coating may peel off.
Paper-based laminate does not withstand moisture.

For frequently used passages, as well as rooms with special microclimatic conditions, laminated doors are not well suited and, although in most cases such products are unmatched in price, it is better to find a more worthy alternative.

Comparison with other products

Often the question arises: which doors are better to choose, laminated or PVC? It is rather difficult to give an unambiguous answer to this question. The fact is that PVC is essentially a type of laminated coating. But if we talk about it as a separate category, in most cases PVC is superior to laminate. This is a more durable and stable material, but a controversial point arises on the issue of safety. Some film is capable of releasing toxic substances, but this is more dependent on the manufacturer.

When compared with, in terms of cost, even the most expensive laminate wins, however, focusing on other indicators, it is better to give preference to veneer. This material is more durable and natural. In addition, its appearance is much more attractive.

Veneer is a more durable and natural material compared to PVC

Natural wood can also compete. But there is such a drawback as the large weight of the canvas. In addition, only expensive breeds that not everyone can afford are considered to be of high quality.

What to look for when choosing

If you still decide to purchase laminated doors, approach this issue with the utmost care. First of all, you should pay attention to:

Base material. If chipboard is used, such a door is unlikely to last long, the best option is thin MDF with honeycomb filling.
Cover type. Specify what type of film is used: paper, PVC, melamine, etc.
The quality of the sticker. On volumetric parts, as well as on the canvas as a whole, there should be no delaminations and swellings.
Edge. The most common defect is edge delamination or damage to the ends of the door.

If in all respects the door meets the quality indicators, you can safely buy such a product. Do not forget to check with the seller the composition of the coating in order to prevent toxic emissions at high temperatures.