Interior doors coating: what to choose?

All of them are environmentally friendly, do not emit toxic substances that can harm human health, pets and the environment.

Therefore, door designs with any kind of decorative finish can be installed in apartments and private houses, office and commercial spaces.

Each of these finishes has its own pros and cons: even the most expensive finish is not without certain disadvantages. All these factors must be taken into account when deciding which coating to choose for a living, office or commercial space.

LAMINATED FINISH

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This finish is made of laminate — sheet paper treated with special resins under the influence of high temperatures.

This is the cheapest option for decorative finish, it is most often used in the manufacture of inexpensive door frame slabs with honeycomb filling.

Laminate imitates the drawing and shade of different types of wood/wood species, but cannot fully convey the beauty of natural wood. Products of the same model or color look exactly the same, you will not find differences in texture or tone, which betrays the artificial origin of the finishing material.

Laminate manufacturing technology allows you to get the same drawing and color when finish products from different batches.

The decorative laminate finish is resistant to moisture and steam. It can be subjected to wet cleaning with a non-abrasive detergents.

But laminate is unstable to mechanical damage: it is afraid of scratches, abrasion, accidental blows.

PVC sheets

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The PVC (polyvinyl chloride) sheet finish has good aesthetic and functional qualities.

The decorative PVC finish is able to resist moisture, sunlight and high temperature. It has good mechanical strength, but it's subject to scratching by sharp objects.

PVC door finish can be single-colored or it can imitate wood pattern. Of course, the artificiality of the texture is quite noticeable, as in the case with laminate, but PVC-covered slabs look quite attractive. Doors with the finish is a good option if you are on a tight budget.

Polyvinyl chloride does not absorb/pick up moisture and resist temperature changes well. It is securely and firmly fixed on the surface of the product. Therefore, door designs with PVC finish can be installed in "wet" areas and technical rooms.

Belwooddoors does not produce PVC coated doors.

ENAMEL

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The enamel coating is a mixture of synthetic resins, polymeric substances, coloring pigments and varnish. By touch, the surface of the finish conveys the texture of natural wood.

This type of finish is resistant to negative external factors: high humidity, high temperatures, ultraviolet radiation. It does not scratch or wear off over time, and dust and dirt from the enamel surface can be easily removed/wipe with a moist/wet sponge or duster/rag/cloth.

The Belwooddoors factory catalogue contains enamel doors of various colors and shades:

• White.
• White with silver patina.
• Light gray.
• Light gray with silver patina.
• Ivory.
• Ivory with gold patina.
• Graphite.
• Pearl.
• Anthracite.
• Cappuccino.
• Vanilla.
• Gray.
• Primed.
• Other RAL types

Such a variety makes it possible to fit enamel slabs into any color composition of the room.

Door designs with enamel finish are combined with any interior style. The color of the slabs is usually selected in accordance with the shade of the walls or furniture, so that the products fit harmoniously into the whole decoration. You can also install door units of a contrasting color, making them an effective accent of the room.

FINE-LINE VENEER

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Fine-line veneer is a natural facing material with excellent decorative and operational characteristics. It is made from sheets of rotary cut veneer of natural wood, which are painted over, glued and pressed to obtain a finish with a well-defined texture and color.

Fine-line veneer production technology allows to create a realistic imitation of any wood species. Moreover, the material does not contain knots, nodules, irregularities and other defects. Fine-line veneer door looks elegant and stylish thanks to even texture. For additional protection, the slabs are covered with a waterproof varnish.

Fine-line veneer is not subject to abrasion, it does not fade or peel off even during active use of the door. The finish is high humidity and temperature drops resistant.

NATURAL VENEER

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The natural veneer finish is made of thin sheets of valuable wood species. Most often, cuts of oak, ash, Milanese walnut, wenge and some other species are used for its manufacture.

The drawing and shade of each slab with natural veneer is unique; two identical doors simply do not exist. To protect interior models with natural veneer from the negative effects of moisture and mechanical damage, they are covered with wear-resistant varnish.

Repairability is another important advantage of natural veneer. Minor scratches and abrasions can be repaired by finish sanding and reapplying the paint and varnish material.

The only disadvantage of products with natural veneer is the higher price. These products are more expensive than artificial veneered finish slabs.

Toning, paint and varnish materials

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To obtain paintwork, the surface of the door slab is covered with layers of transparent or colored varnish. Tinted products has humidity proof and temperature drops resistance. They have a spectacular look of natural wood and combine perfectly with eco-interiors.

High-quality paint and varnish finish does not peel off or flake off, does not change its color during operation. When buying thin doors, be sure to check that the slabs do not emit/emanate unpleasant "chemical" smell that can harm human health.

CPL-plastic

This is a special paper compressed with the addition of resins. Long-fiber cellulose is used for its manufacture, so it has sufficiently high durability parameters.

Its advantage:

• It has an extensive range of colors and patterns.
• Moisture resistance is lower than that of laminate, but better than that of plastic.
• Is more environmentally friendly than plastic.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a polymer of propylene (propene), a highly water resistant material.

Even if polypropylene has been in contact with water for six months at room temperature, its water absorption will be about 0.5%, and at 60° the main water absorption will be up to 2%.

Polypropylene is a kind of plastic that looks more like dense polyethylene.

Only strong oxidants of oleum, halogen, as well as fuming nitric acid, chlorosulfonic acid, hydrochloric and sulfuric acids have a noticeable effect on polypropylene.

Advantages over other coatings.

• Resistance to damage.
• Moisture resistance.
• Ease of use.
• Environmentally friendly.
• Does not crack, unlike natural veneer.
• Affordable cost.
• Do not burn out.
• A wide range of colors.

LET'S SUMMARISE: WHICH INTERIOR DOOR FINISH IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND RELIABLE?

Each customer decides the task of choosing a decorative finish of door panels, on the basis, first of all, of his goals in the repair, personal tastes, and financial capabilities.

Keep in mind that economical finish options are laminate and PVC film are inferior to veneer finishes in terms of durability. And the higher cost of doors with natural and artificial veneer fully pays off due to the fact that these types of coatings are highly reliable and durable.

The best coating in terms of aesthetics is natural veneer. It preserves all the beauty of natural wood and its lively energy, veneered door designs are indistinguishable in appearance from expensive solid wood products.

If you need the most reliable and durable coating, you should choose doors with an enamel finish. Such products are scratches and moisture resistant, they can be regularly damp cleaned.

On the basis of veneered products, you can create a complete interior at the entrance to the apartment - in the hall, corridor or entrance hall. This is another reason in favor of choosing the type of covering, natural or artificial veneer.

To do this, metal entrance doors from the inside are decorated with MDF cover plate with the same finish that was used for finishing the interior door designs.