Occasionally I receive questions about Self Cleaning ovens and their affect on thermofoil doors. This article is specifically focused on the heat affect in a thermofoil kitchen.
If you are reading this article then I assume that you either have had an experience or that you are concerned about the affect of heat as it relates to thermofoil. I hope that this article will give you more information so that you can then use that information to feel more confident about thermofoil in the Kitchen.
The nature of thermofoil is that is a product that is meant to stretch when it exposed to heat. When thermofoil doors are made they are typically done so at 224F/117C on average. Thermofoils are a thermosetting product so they have memory. In a laboratory setting they can reheat the material and typically find at what termperature that the doors were formed under.
There are two types of water based adhesives used: 1 part and 2 part. 1 part adhesives have the catalysts mixed in whereas the 2 part catalyst needs to be added. In my tests the 1 part ahesives are typically good from 150F to 175 before failure occurs whereas the 2 part adhesive typically ranges from 190 to over 200F.
In a Kitchen there are key places where temperatures can go above 150F. The places are near dish washers, self cleaning ovens and in cases where rice cookers or other steam producing appliances.
For the best care and maintenance rice cookers and steaming appliances should be pulled away from under the cabinet doors. Around dish washers and ovens it is advised to use spacers/fillers or heat shields. Heat shields are 1 9/16" wide by 30" in length. They are essentially cold rolled steel and come in while almond, and powder coated black.
For cabinet companies and Kitchen dealers, you should advise your customers to open drawers or doors so that they are a safe distance away from an oven while self cleaning. In the case where a door hinges towards the oven the door should be removed while self cleaning. Please see the following video: Related Video on You Tube
As you have read the above you may have concerns however I would like to make the point that all materials can have issues. I've seen edgebanding lifting up, wooden doors cracking or fading and veneer doors wrinkling. In my house I have wooden cabinets with the wooden varnish coming off but all of my thermofoil cabinets are still in perfect condition.
My point is not that thermofoil is superior but that every product has a weakness. With proper education and information it is possible to enjoy your thermofoil Kitchen with absolutely no issues as long it is made by a quality manufacturer. I have a popular saying that goes "Discontent is the child of unmet Expectations". This basically means that customers become unhappy when their expectations are not met with what they expected. A well informed customer is a happy customer in most situations.
If a cabinet door does have issues near a self cleaning oven one advantage is that it can be replaced more affordably than wood and the color will match better than many other product segments.
I hope that you have found this article to be helpful. Please feel free to leave comments, tips, trick or additional information.
