Can you resurface melamine cabinets?
William Taylor
Updated on June 05, 2026
When your kitchen could use a face-lift, there are a number of ways to reface melamine cabinets. Some refacing products are inexpensive, while others cost more. Any homeowner handy with a paintbrush or a craft knife can update old melamine cabinets.
Can you repaint melamine cabinets?
When painting melamine, it is a good idea to apply a thin layer of Ultra Grip to your melamine cabinets. Allow the Ultra Grip to dry for 12 hours before you start painting. Step 3 – PAINT! Apply a thin coat of Fusion paint in the color of your choice.
How do I freshen melamine cabinets?
Roughen Up the Surface Protect yourself from sanding dust with a dust mask or respirator. Sand down the laminate or melamine surface with 150- or 180-grit sandpaper. Using a work light, frequently check you are removing the glossiness from the surface, giving you a matte (or flat) finish.
What is the difference between laminate and melamine cabinets?
Although different enough to be considered a separate option, Melamine is technically a laminate product. Just like Laminate, Melamine is made using paper and resin, but the Melamine costs less to produce. Also just like Laminate, the melamine surfaces have lower quality and higher quality products.
What is the best paint for melamine cabinets?
Lots of paints work well on these materials, including high-quality latex, acrylic and chalk paints, but most of them require priming. Real Milk Paint, however, requires no bonding primer for application, even on laminate and melamine surfaces.
What paint is best for melamine?
Pour a high-quality, all-purpose latex enamel paint into a paint tray; then brush or roll it onto the melamine in thin, smooth layers.
Is there a melamine paint?
This paint is durable, so it is often used to paint laminate surfaces, such as cabinets or furniture. It is also very commonly used to cover particle board at pre-fabricated or flat-pack furniture shops. Then apply primer and melamine paint to give a kitchen cupboard or an old piece of furniture a new lease on life!
What are melamine kitchen cabinets made of?
Melamine kitchen cabinets are made by heat-sealing a substrate (pressed wood, medium density fiberboard or plywood) between paper saturated with thermally fused melamine resin. Thermally fused melamine is a combination of melamine and formaldehyde chemically fused together into larger, and some say safer, molecules.
Is melamine in cabinets a safety hazard?
Knowing melamine in cabinets is not a safety hazard, other pros and cons must be considered. Melamine does not split like organic wood. Surfaces of TFM are easy to clean, which requires no painting or staining. This wears well, with little stress over cleaning.
What is the thickness of melamine?
Melamine tends to vary in thickness from one supplier to the next, and even one bundle to the next. In addition, it is rarely the thickness stated. So, a 3/4″ piece of melamine is not likely to fit snug in a 3/4″ groove.
What is therthermally fused melamine?
Thermally fused melamine is a combination of melamine and formaldehyde chemically fused together into larger, and some say safer, molecules. The home remodeling industry thrives on shorthand and nicknames. Take melamine, for example. When chemists discuss melamine, they are talking about 1,3,5-Triazine-2,4,6-triamine, also called Cyanuramide.