Kitchen Wrapping Compared to Paint Proper Refinishing Always Wins
Vinyl kitchen doors have been around for decades, but more recently, a growing number of companies have started offering vinyl kitchen wrapping services to refurbish existing kitchen cupboards and units. While it might seem like an easy way to refresh a kitchen, kitchen wrapping is a far inferior option compared to professional kitchen spraying in enamel paint.
Vinyl wraps are a temporary solution at best, and we’ve seen time and time again the problems they cause for homeowners only a few years down the line.
We first started professionally spraying kitchens with specialist paints over a decade ago, becoming one of the leading specialists in this field long before the newer wave of kitchen wrap companies entered the market. Today, although there are more providers offering kitchen spraying and kitchen wrapping services, few have the technical knowledge and high standards that come with real experience.
History of Kitchen Wrapping
Vinyl kitchen wraps have been around since the seventies, especially on lower end ranges using manufactured board or chipboard cores. These doors and drawers are generally manufactured with a vinyl sheet glued and heat formed around the panel to create the finished product. While this method provides a low cost, decorative solution with a wide choice of colours and effects, the end result is never designed to last forever.
Modern kitchens are exposed to far greater pressures than kitchens of the past. Higher heat levels from appliances like air fryers and toasters, moisture from steam mops, and the harsher chemicals in many cleaning products all contribute to breaking down vinyl kitchen wraps and coatings faster than ever before.
We see regular failures of factory-applied vinyl in areas such as around sinks, near ovens, and above kettles where heat and moisture combine to weaken the glue. Once peeling or bubbling begins, it usually spreads quickly, and there is no long-term repair solution available.
Rise of Kitchen Wrapping Services
In recent years, new companies offering kitchen wrapping services and kitchen wrap options have appeared across the country, claiming to extend the life of existing kitchens by applying a new vinyl wrap over the top. While on the surface this might seem like a simple and affordable way to transform a kitchen, it carries all the same problems as original factory vinyl, and often even more.
When a kitchen is wrapped after installation, it introduces a number of compromises. Every kitchen cupboard, drawer front and kitchen unit must be trimmed and heat treated manually, leaving multiple joins and weak points. These edges are highly vulnerable to lifting, peeling and moisture penetration over time. Unlike a brand-new manufactured door, which can be factory sealed on all edges, a wrapped kitchen relies on manual edge trimming of vinyl wraps and adhesive, both of which can easily fail with regular use.
In our experience dealing with these issues later in the timeline, kitchen wraps often start to fail after just a year or two, particularly in high moisture or high heat areas. Once peeling or bubbling occurs, the only remedy is another expensive rewrap, or a proper, permanent solution with professional kitchen paint spraying. While some wrapping companies may honour their warranty for early problems, they rarely stand behind the finish long term, often citing heat, moisture or cleaning products as reasons to avoid responsibility, the same excuses kitchen manufacturers have relied on for years.
Spraying Better than Wrapping
Rather than sticking another layer of plastic wrap on top, our method involves fully preparing and refinishing kitchen cupboards, drawers and units with a permanent, hardwearing enamel coating. Our acid catalyst enamel paints chemically bond to the surface, creating a finish that is vastly stronger than standard household paints and far superior to any vinyl wrap.
Unlike kitchen wrapping, paint spraying enamels create a smooth, continuous coating with no joins, no glued seams and no edges to fail. In cases where a natural wood is used, you can even see the original grain through the paint, if desired.
The finish is extremely durable, resistant to heat, moisture and chemicals, and properly cared for can easily last for decades without issue. In many cases, our sprayed kitchens are stronger and more hardwearing than the original finish when the kitchen first left the factory. Our process is tried and tested with thousands of kitchens transformed over the past decade. Every surface is properly degreased, chemically and mechanically keyed, and professionally sprayed to an industrial standard, ensuring the best possible finish both now and long into the future.
Kitchen Wrapping, Don't Do It
While kitchen wrapping might seem like a quick fix, it simply doesn't compare to the durability, appearance and long-term value of professional enamel refinishing. Vinyl wraps will always have a limited lifespan, and any method relying on adhesive films and manual trimming is asking for future problems.
If you are thinking about transforming your kitchen, don't fall into the trap of a temporary solution. Choose a permanent solution over kitchen wrapping and temporary vinyl wraps. Contact our team today for a no obligation quotation and find out how we can properly refinish your kitchen doors, drawers and units to a better-than-new standard.
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