Which doors are better to choose - laminated or veneered?
Veneer doors are much more expensive than laminate doors and have a unique structure natural wood, which attracts most buyers. However, laminated doors are in many ways superior to veneered ones.
Laminated doors high quality have greater moisture resistance than veneered ones. This factor is ensured by their design and a special protective layer.
Laminated doors are easy to maintain and resistant to many types of mechanical damage. The same cannot be said about veneered doors. Over time, veneer doors darken, and with prolonged contact with water, they even crack.
Similarities between laminated and veneered doors
In addition to the differences, there are similarities between the two types of doors: both veneered and laminated doors consist of a wooden frame.
The advantages of veneered doors include the fact that they are made from different solid woods. If the door leaf is damaged, it is easy to restore. The technology used to create veneered doors allows you to apply various geometric patterns to its surface.
The disadvantages of veneered doors include the fact that during long-term use, such doors are more susceptible to mechanical damage. They darken and fade. It is also not easy to apply veneer to curved parts of the door leaf. Due to low moisture resistance, veneered doors are not recommended for installation in rooms with high humidity.
What is the difference between veneered doors and laminated ones?
Laminated doors, unlike veneered ones, retain their color and structure, are moisture resistant, and durable. They are not difficult to care for either. Laminated doors are less susceptible to mechanical damage.
Compared to veneered doors, the surface of laminated doors is smooth. This applies more to disadvantages than to advantages. If a laminated door is severely damaged, it cannot be repaired. Good laminated doors have a high cost. Model range does not differ in diversity in terms of design.
Veneered and laminated doors are traditionally in high demand among those who need inexpensive and attractive interior doors door designs. But which model should you choose?
What are veneer doors
Veneer coating - a thin layer of natural wood valuable species– is the most popular finishing method. From the point of view of environmental friendliness and safety, veneer is no different from traditional solid wood. In this case, by replacing the array with veneer:
- saving of valuables is achieved natural resource;
- the buyer receives an exceptionally reliable product at a realistic price affordable price;
- Variation in shades so typical of doors made of solid wood is eliminated.
Interior veneer doors are made of MDF coated with thin plates of wood. The basis is a spliced solid pine, followed by an overlay made of MDF coated with thin plates of natural veneer. A number of parts, in particular the panels, are made of MDF. This design is the optimal price-quality ratio. The user receives universal door, minimizing the load on both the box and the wall.
Arguments for and against veneer doors
Full list of advantages of veneer doors:
- High service life. The veneer treated with varnish retains the original appearance for a long time. Its surface is perfectly smooth, without scratches, abrasions, chips or signs of fading.
- Spectacular design. Veneer coating turns an ordinary wood fiber panel into a luxurious addition to any interior.
- Resistant to moisture. Veneered interior doors can even be installed in sanitary rooms or in the kitchen. Unlike natural wood, varnished veneer is not afraid of water and dampness.
As for the disadvantages, it is worth noting the higher cost of veneered doors compared to laminated ones.
What are laminated doors?
Unlike veneered doors, laminated doors are covered with a finishing film, popularly called paper. Used as a frame wooden beam coniferous species or a frame made of reinforced cardboard, assembled using the honeycomb filling method. The basis of the door leaf is MDF, onto which a finishing coating is applied. The price of laminated doors is lower than the cost of veneered ones. The products have even less weight and do not require complex care. This optimal solution, if environmental friendliness and maximum strength are not priority qualities for you. Moreover, in appearance, laminate does not differ from veneer, and the variety of coating options allows you to reproduce the texture of wood of any color and pattern.
Laminated doors, unlike veneered ones, have the following features:
- usage synthetic materials;
- low hygroscopicity (but sufficient for use in the bathroom and wet cleaning);
- impossibility of restoration;
- lower mechanical strength and service life. As a rule, the service life of such doors, taking into account the price range, is no more than 3 years.
In order to make an objective decision, carefully study the advantages, disadvantages and differences between laminate and veneer models described above. This way you can buy a door that 100% satisfies your expectations, both in terms of its cost, aesthetic characteristics, strength and reliability.
When choosing both interior and exterior doors and wanting to save money, you will have to make a choice between veneered and laminated coating. However, there is no clear answer as to which of these materials is better. Here it is worth focusing on the parameters and operational characteristics that are priority for the customer - only in this case the choice will be justified.
Indeed, the main difference in the properties of doors made of these materials is the difference in their characteristics, so it is worth considering the pros and cons of each option.
Doors with veneer - characteristics, pros and cons
A veneered door is a panel of spliced solid wood covered with veneer. High quality veneer- This is a thin slice of natural precious wood, which is glued onto a cheaper and, nevertheless, natural base. As a result, in terms of its parameters, such a door will be almost identical to a door made of expensive material, while the cost of veneered products is significantly lower. Natural veneer is durable, reliable and resistant to external influences. It is worth keeping in mind that natural veneer from different batches may differ in color, so when purchasing doors for your home in uniform style, it is worth purchasing them in one batch.
Let's evaluate the advantages of veneer, but it is worth keeping in mind that we're talking about exclusively about high-quality products, in the manufacture of which all stages of the technological process were completed.
- Durability - long time Such doors do not dry out and retain their appearance for a long time. Indeed, when buying a veneered door you should not save, because the lower the cost of the door leaf, the lower the quality of the product and the less pronounced its advantages
- Environmental friendliness - even such a multi-layer cake as a veneered door is made of natural materials– as a result, in terms of environmental friendliness it is not much inferior to solid wood doors
- Decorative qualities and design - to obtain veneer, wood from the most different breeds wood, which allows you to choose perfect shade that will fit into the interior.
Main disadvantages:
- Do not forget that veneered doors are afraid sun rays and lose color over time
- Difficulties during restoration inexpensive doors. If we are talking about premium products, then they will not only last longer, but also will not create problems during restoration
- Negative reaction to high humidity - with prolonged exposure humid air the veneer may peel off.
Laminated doors - advantages and disadvantages
A laminated door is a hollow structure, which is decorated on top with a layer of laminate with a pattern - it imitates the natural texture of wood. On top of this product is coated with several layers of varnish, which provides the necessary resistance to external influences.
The filler of such a door leaf can be either paper or wood - in high-quality models, the blocks of wood are located quite close to each other, then so cheap option implies a hollow space inside the canvas, which, for obvious reasons, is not capable of providing sound insulation.
The main advantage of laminated doors over veneered ones is their cost. However, at quality models The difference in price is small. If we compare the performance characteristics, it is worth noting the following advantages:
- Tolerates high humidity well
- Light weight
- The entire range of doors will have a uniform shade, however, the pattern will be repeated
- Easy maintenance - just wipe the doors with a damp cloth
Let's note the disadvantages:
- Limited range of designs
- Restoration of such furniture involves a complete replacement of the laminate sheet - minor damage cannot be repaired unnoticed
- IN inexpensive models possible detachment of the outer layer
- Low sound insulation
Laminated or veneered door?
Thus, to summarize: when choosing doors for the bathroom, as well as entrance group, you should give preference to high-quality laminated doors. In all other cases, a veneered door wins in all other respects - it provides normal sound insulation, a wide selection of patterns and shades, and is more wear-resistant and repairable.
08.10.2015
Oct 08, 2015Almost every buyer wants to save money and at the same time buy a quality item. The same applies to everything related to home decoration. However, this task is not an easy one. After all, first of all, you need to understand the subtleties - for example, be able to distinguish a veneered door from a laminated one and know which one is better in quality and will not stretch your pocket too much.
First, let's look at what veneered and laminated doors are, and also pay attention to the dependence of price on the characteristics of the product.
Veneer
So, veneer is a cut of natural wood, removed from wood by planing or sawing. Veneer can be made from a wide variety of tree species. This is mainly soft wood (fir, pine, alder, linden) - budget option. Oak, mahogany, European or american walnut, merbau, wenge. Well, the most expensive exotic options are rosewood, ebony, camphor, bubingo and others.
Veneered doors have traditional wood texture and color. If we are talking about a material formed from blocks of peeled veneer, then the coating can imitate a brighter texture.
Veneered doors are more expensive than doors made from chipboard, but cheaper than those made from solid wood.
Again, the price of a veneered door depends on the nature of the door leaf. It could be:
- hollow structure in the form of a three-layer “pie” with honeycomb filling inside
- solid construction - solid pine timber
As you probably already guessed, solid canvas will cost more. It is also more durable, but it also has its drawback - the structure is heavier than a hollow door, which creates additional load on the frame. In other matters, when quality installation There are usually no problems with operation.
Laminate
For production laminated coating doors can use a special impregnated film based on melamine or acrylic (0.2 mm), as well as synthetic veneer (laminated) (0.4-0.8 mm). Among the disadvantages of laminated melamine film are a thin layer of coating, the content of toxic substances in impregnation resins and not always high-quality adhesion to door leaf. Laminate is thicker, has a low level of water absorption and is able to withstand temperatures from -40 to +80 0 C, and does not emit toxic fumes when burning.
IN in this case the price is again directly proportional to the quality and characteristics of the coating.
The second point that affects the cost of the door is the filling of the door leaf. For interior laminated doors, hollow options with a cellular structure made of corrugated cardboard in the internal cavity are more often used. Plus - light door, from the point of view of thermal insulation, is not much different from veneered doors. For standard apartments this is a good budget option. The downside is the low level of sound insulation, which, however, can easily be solved by installing a seal.
What is the difference between laminated doors and veneered ones?
We have already discussed the main differences above. However, how to distinguish a veneered door from a laminated one in appearance? Not every buyer can do this right away, and some unscrupulous sellers take advantage of this. Let's look at the key visual differences so you can come to the store fully prepared.
Which doors are better - veneered or laminated?
When making a difficult choice, always proceed from the sum of the pros and cons of both options. We have already considered some of them. But still, what interior doors choose - laminated or veneered.
Definitely better - more environmentally friendly, safer, better quality. But it is also more expensive; here, focus on your financial capabilities. The disadvantages, again, are the heterogeneity of the structure (it is impossible to choose absolutely identical doors) and the need to maintain optimal microclimatic indicators in the room, which in conditions Russian climate it doesn't always work out.
A laminated door is cheaper, however, it is far from environmentally friendly. At the same time, laminate is more environmentally friendly than melamine film and tolerates temperature changes well. In addition, this coating is easier to care for than veneer. Of the minuses: strong side impacts can cause the edges of the laminate to fall off, artificial origin repels many buyers.
These are the differences between laminated doors and veneered ones. Now you have the background information to help you make the best choice.
We would also like to point out that with all our functional disadvantages doors can be made with high quality. It all depends on the manufacturer, the equipment used and the quality of the starting materials.
Sooner or later when complete renovation At home or apartment, everyone is faced with the question of which doors are better - veneered or laminated? Unfortunately, there is no definite answer; here everyone must personally understand what exactly he wants to see, what qualities and characteristics are of priority.
The canvas is always selected to suit overall design and the style of the room. Today there are a very large number of domestic and foreign manufacturers offer a wide variety of models of veneered and laminated interior doors.
Main difference various models lies in their performance characteristics. For consumers, the most important thing has always been the optimal ratio of quality and price. But besides this, there are many more differences. Therefore, before making the final choice, it is worth understanding in detail which options are better.
Veneered doors are made from spliced wood, making the finished base strong and solid. The base is covered with natural wood species - veneer, i.e. thin cut. It is treated with special moisture-resistant solutions, then covered with several layers of varnish.
Thanks to this, the product is durable, reliable and resistant to external conditions.
The type of wood is the first major factor that influences the final appearance. Color and pattern may vary, even in the same model. This is due to the structure of natural components.
Veneered varieties are more expensive than analogues made from other materials, because the use of natural components significantly increases their price.
Ready-made systems are necessarily inlaid with panels or natural overlays, this gives them completeness, integrity, and grace.
Advantages of veneered structures:
- High-quality veneer doors, subject to all production technologies, are durable, reliable, and do not swell from moisture and do not dry out. It is better not to save on canvases of this type, as this directly affects their quality and service life.
- Use of natural, environmentally friendly products and types of wood. Natural materials always fit better into the interior and complement it.
- Large selection of different wood species, exclusivity of each series.
- Production technologies make it possible to produce various shapes with inlays.
- If operating conditions are normal, the system can last a very long time.
- Compared to solid solids, veneered doors are distinguished by the fact that their weight is significantly less.
Disadvantages of veneered doors:
- If there is constant exposure to sunlight, the natural color will be lost over time.
- Difficult to restore. The only exceptions are premium products that are of high quality.
- Instability to high humidity is the main drawback. The result can be swollen, warped canvases. Exposure to moisture can also cause veneer to peel off.
Laminate structures
Laminated systems are a smooth canvas with a void inside; on top it is decorated with a thin layer of laminate, which creates a pattern similar to natural. The final stage is a special tint coating and several layers of varnish that prevent damage.
These designs differ in that their painting is the same on all models of the same batch. They can be plain or have a characteristic design pattern.
The cost is significantly lower than other types of interior systems. Thus, it is worth remembering that high-quality raw materials cannot be very cheap.
Advantages of laminated doors:
- The weight of such canvases is significantly lower than other analogues.
- This coating is better suited for rooms with high humidity, for example, bathrooms, saunas, etc.
- Laminated variations are presented in an assortment with a uniform shade, but you can always apply a decorative design to them.
- Caring for such systems is much easier; almost any detergent can be used to clean them.
- The price of laminate is lower than that of veneer. Although, if the product properties are high, then there will be no noticeable difference.
Disadvantages of laminated doors:
- Not a very large selection of designs. Most often, monochromatic variations are presented that do not have significant differences and do not fit any unusual style.
- Minor damage and “chips” cannot be repaired; only complete replacement. If there is a threat of sufficiently large loads, the entire structure may collapse completely.
- Possibility of detachment of the outer layer. This depends, first of all, on the characteristics of the material used in production, so you should pay attention to the availability of certificates and guarantees.
- The main disadvantage of laminated options is the very low sound insulation. For interior systems this is a very significant drawback.
- The price is lower than that of veneered ones, but not by that much, but the quality in some respects is significantly worse.
Main differences
What are the differences between veneered and laminated options, which can significantly affect the choice when purchasing.
- Use of various components in manufacturing. In the first option, natural wood species are used, and in the second, artificial variations are used.
- The color and pattern of the veneer depends on the solid wood used, while laminate has an artificial appearance and a monochromatic pattern.
- Veneer structures can be restored, but laminate flooring is easier to maintain, but in case of serious damage it can only be completely replaced.
- Price is a relative criterion, since it depends on the quality of the raw materials used in both cases. Nice designs have a fairly high cost in both cases, but inexpensive options laminated doors are significantly worse in reliability.
When the question of what options need to be chosen is seriously raised, then in each specific case, it is worth paying attention to many factors. The most important thing is the availability of quality certificates for the materials used in production, as well as the availability of guarantees from the manufacturer.
Veneer is natural natural material, which will be an excellent decoration for rooms where the emphasis is on naturalness when decorating.