Lacquer gives the best depth and can be repaired; melamine is the most durable for the price; veneer gives real grain; thermofoil suits profiles and tight budgets but is heat-sensitive. Heat and moisture decide more than wear. The finish that survives a busy kitchen is not always the hardest one.
Lacquer: deep colour, repairable, slower to produce.
Melamine: durable and economical, limited repair.
Veneer: real grain, needs a stable core.
Thermofoil: suits profiles, fails near heat.
Compare the system and edge treatment, not just the price.
1. The four finishes
Lacquer is a sprayed coating, usually two or three coats. Melamine is a resin-impregnated paper pressed onto the board. Veneer is a thin layer of real wood. Thermofoil is a PVC film vacuum-formed over a profiled door. Each has a different failure mode.
2. Comparaison
| Propriétés | Laque | Mélaminé | Vernis | Thermoplastique |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durabilité | Bon | Très bon | Bon | Bon |
| La chaleur | Bon | Bon | Bon | Médiocre |
| Réparation | Ponçable | Édition | Corrigeable | Médiocre |
| Prix | Haute | Low | Moyen-élevé | Low |
| délai de livraison | Plus long | Shorter | Moyenne | Shorter |
The table is directional. The actual performance depends on the system, the substrate and the edge treatment, which is why the specification matters more than the category.
3. Heat and moisture
Heat is the main failure mode for thermofoil and a risk for thin lacquer. Moisture is the main risk for melamine edges and for veneer on an unstable core. A door near an oven, a kettle or a shower needs a finish specified for that environment, not just a durable one.
4. réparation
Lacquer and veneer can be sanded or patched; melamine and thermofoil are harder to repair invisibly. In a rental or a hotel, repairability matters more than the initial hardness, because the door will be damaged and the question is whether it can be fixed in place.
5. Coût et délai de livraison
Lacquer is the most expensive and the slowest, because it needs multiple coats and curing. Melamine is the cheapest and fastest. Veneer sits in the middle. Thermofoil is inexpensive but limited by heat. The guide des carcasses covers the board behind the finish.
6. Choosing a finish
Start with the room: a busy kitchen needs heat and wear resistance; a bathroom needs moisture resistance; a bedroom can take a softer finish. Then check the design: profiles need thermofoil or lacquer; flat doors suit melamine or veneer. The door styles guide covers the profiles.
7. Specifying a finish
Name the system, the number of coats or the film thickness, the sheen and the edge treatment. A specification that says painted without a system is not checkable. Ask for a sample door, not a chip, because the edge and the sheen show the difference.
8. Erreurs courantes
Three mistakes recur: choosing the hardest finish for a hot zone, comparing prices without comparing systems, and ignoring the edge treatment. Each is visible at specification stage and expensive at handover.
9. Une liste de vérification avant de s'engager
Avant de signer, veuillez confirmer six points : la qualité du circuit imprimé, le modèle de matériel, le système de finition, les normes d’emballage, le périmètre d’inspection et les modalités de paiement. Chaque point doit être confirmé par écrit, et non par téléphone. La liste de vérification du devis permet de synthétiser ces six éléments en un tableau comparatif d’une seule page.
10. Erreurs courantes
L'erreur la plus fréquente consiste à comparer le prix d'usine avec le coût final. La deuxième est d'omettre l'inspection du budget. La troisième est de payer le solde avant la validation de l'inspection. Chacune de ces erreurs est évitable grâce à un cahier des charges écrit et une inspection avant expédition.
11. Comment mesurer la pièce
Mesurez chaque mur en trois points : en haut, au milieu et en bas, et retenez la plus petite mesure. Les murs sont rarement d'équerre, et une courbure de 10 mm sur trois mètres modifie le remplissage. Mesurez le plafond à chaque angle et repérez les prises électriques, les radiateurs et les canalisations d'évacuation avant de dessiner. Un relevé précis est plus rapide qu'un dessin, et le guide de mesure est fourni avec une fiche imprimable.
13. Liste de contrôle des spécifications
Pour chaque matériau, indiquez quatre lignes : le nom du produit, sa nuance, son épaisseur et le traitement de surface ou de bord. Si le matériau est uniquement désigné par son nom, la nuance est laissée à l’appréciation du fabricant ; or, c’est la nuance qui détermine le coût et les performances.
14. Questions que l'usine posera
Attendez-vous à quatre questions : quelle nuance, quelle épaisseur, quel type de chant et de lot. Les réponses devraient déjà figurer dans le cahier des charges. Dans le cas contraire, l’usine choisira la solution la moins chère conforme au plan.
Foire aux questions
Which door finish is most durable?
Melamine and HPL resist wear well for the price. Lacquer looks better and can be repaired, but it is softer. Thermofoil resists wear but is sensitive to heat.
Is lacquer worth the extra cost?
For visible, design-led kitchens, often yes: it gives depth and can be repaired. For rental or volume work, melamine is usually the better value.
Can veneer doors be repaired?
Small chips can be patched; deep damage is harder to hide. Solid wood edges help, because the edge can be sanded.
Why does thermofoil fail?
Heat. A thermofoil door near an oven or a kettle can lift at the edge, and the film cannot be re-bonded invisibly.
Which finish is best for a bathroom?
A moisture-resistant system: compact laminate, or a well-sealed melamine or lacquer. Avoid thermofoil in a steamy room.
How do I compare finish quotes?
Compare the system, the number of coats or the film thickness, the edge treatment and the warranty. A price without the system is not comparable.
