Peel and Stick Laminate

Many manufactures , cabinet shops, sign shops, handymen, and installers use high pressure laminate from brands such as Formica or Wilsonart. Although these laminates are great they are rigid and may require a table saw and router. On site fabrication can be dusty, noisy and have the smell of glue.

Dackor manufactures a product called Peelstix. Peelstix is a flexible laminate that can be trimmed with knives and can be fabricated in a shop or on site with no dust or smells. By having the adhesive already on the product it can also save time.

Peel and stick laminate is used for cabinet refacing for single family homes, DIY, apartment remodels, and adult living facilities. Other applications are items such as office desktops, particians, walls, columns, cabinet faces, metal, ceilings, glass, on drywall, on plywood, check outs, healthcare, and many more. With over 150 stock colors and a 9 foot minimum order doing business with them is an ease. In addition, they offer a school, installation manual and guidance. You can visit them at www.dackor.com or www.refacesupplies.com or by calling DACKOR at 407-654-5013

Mark's LEGNO WENGE Kitchen Project

Previously I wrote an article which was subsequently published by Surfaces & Panel magazine entitled:

3D Laminate Thermofoils are ideal for High End Kitchens

http://thermoformingtimes.blogspot.com/2008/03/thermofoil-is-ideal-for-high-end.html

Earlier this year I decided to remodel my Kitchen and of course I used our product. Although this is certainly not the first Kitchen to utilize an affordable 3D Laminate in a high end Kitchen, each project is unique. I think that marrying kitchen design with the specialized knowledge of 3DL is key.

Below are pictures of the kitchen. I used the following products:

kitchen specs:

DACKOR  Legno Wenge drawers

DACKOR  Stone Grey- custom color upper doors

Miele Speed Oven H4084BM

Miele Convection Steam Oven DGC4084XL

Miele 30" Induction KM5753

Miele 36" Hood DA 3490 

Miele Dishwasher G5225SC

Subzero Refrigerator IT-36CIID

Everpure Water Chiller EV931830

Everpure Water Filter H140

Miele Dishwasher G5225SC

Pompeii Quartz Counters , Color Milky Way

Hafele Ribbon Strip lighting for under cabinet

Blum Soft Close and Blum Tandem Stainless boxes
Solid Plywood boxes with white melamine overlay
Higher upper cabinets for mirror install

It should also be noted that the fridge gables were manufactured by mitre folding of our laminate however on the light valances, DACKOR Stone Grey peel and stick was used. Dackor, produces and sells this peel and stick directly to Membrane Press or Vacuum Press companies or via thepeelandstickstore.com.

My experience with this Kitchen gave me some unique perspectives. I was able to learn how truly difficult Kitchen design can be, I learned a lot about how high end European appliances require special considerations, about how peel and stick can be used on the job site for specific uses such as light valances, fillers and even fridge gables.

Above is additional storage to expand the kitchen visually into the hall

Above image shows drawers lined up with Subzero freezer drawers

Above image highlights how the contrasting upper cabinets look against Legno Wenge.

Above image shows light valance lighting. Aluminum track was router-ed in.

Above image shows upper side cabinet planted on box and meeting light valance.

Above image shows mirror only used on backsplash

Above image shows the Blum Tandem Aluminum boxes. Great having all drawers in bottom cabinets.

Above image shows the flush look of the door fronts with the waterfall countertop side. Be sure to really show your top company because they typically like to have the tops overhang more.

Shot of entire Kitchen above.

The Subzero Freezer drawer. Notice the 1" Fridge gables and how they frame out the fridge.

With over 150 stock colors, I really was perplexed as to which color I'd use in my own personal Kitchen. I knew that I'd be investing most into appliances and that they would cost more than the boxes and doors since I'm (In the industry). I ultimately chose our Legno Wenge which is a stock design and our Stone Grey which is a stock transfer from German Stock. The unique thing about this Legno Wenge is that it has hints of grey inside as well as taupe. All of the walls in the house were Benjamin Moore Mineral Ice 2132-70 and most of the floors are travertine and Brazilian cherry.

I'd like to give special thanks to Reid Pasternack. http://www.reidpasternack.com
He was the interior designer of the house interior and was instrumental in the color scheme and layout.  Chris Buffington was key in the cabinet box sizing, light valance and really made the Kitchen production possible. And finally Zsolt Lovas, originally of Austria and now an Orlando based Cabinet installer did an outstanding job.

Hopefully more people will share their High End Kitchens that utilized 3D Laminates. If you have a project that used Dackor 3D Laminates and would like to share your project please email me.

Why its better to buy 3D Laminate Doors rather than to make HPL Doors

If you sell 3D Laminate thermofoil doors to cabinet shops it is very important to understand the value that your components have in terms of saved labor, time and hassle for the cabinet shop.

As we are all aware, the total sales of traditional High Pressure Laminates such as Wilsonart and Formica are much larger than the laminate sales of 3D Laminates. The reasons are:

1. HPL can be used for Kitchen Countertops. Because their product has a phenolic back and the papers are melamine impregnated, it allows for heat to be better distributed through the back of the product and then dissipated. With 3D PVC Laminates a hot placed on the top (even for a short time) will cause the material to wrinkle or even cause surface damage.
2. HPL is sold through distribution and even the smallest cabinet shop can use the material without having expensive CNCs or press machines.
3. There are currently greater design offerings from the traditional Laminate companies
4. Architects and specifiers are not afraid to specify the product because they know that the material is readily available and most anyone can process the material. With 3D Laminates there is often a breakdown between specification and implementation.

I've been around various aspects of cabinet and countertop manufacturing and have been in literally over 1,000 fabrication shops. One of my favorite shows of all time is "How its made" on the Science Channel. Over the past years I have been certified to fabricate Solid Surface, run the press machines and have been in a wide variety of production plants extruding, calendering, impregnating, laminating and coating. From each process I pick up a little insight on how our product fits into the entire picture.... So this morning one of our team members forwarded me a video on producing HPL doors that he thought I might like.

Making HPL Doors- Video 1

Making HPL Doors- Video 2

Making HPL Doors- Video 3

Making HPL Doors- Video 4


As I watched these videos I was reminded of how truly difficult and time consuming it is for a cabinet maker to produce his own Laminate doors. If you watch the videos you will notice that each step of the process is very laborious and time consuming. The video shows him:

1. Cutting the boards on a table saw
2. Sanding the boards then cleaning
3. Cutting edgebanding from HPL sheets
4. Stacking the boards to glue sides with roller then drying
5. Doing a second coat and drying again
6. Snapping laminate to approximate size, lay them out then glue (2 coats)
7. Applying edgebanding and nipping
8. Routering edgebanding on doors
9. Filing edgebanding so no sharp edges
10. Cutting out laminate sheets
11. Two coats of rolled glue on laminate sheets then drying
12. Putting sticks on door faces so laminate sheets can be placed
13. Putting on laminate and then pulling out sticks
14. Using a softwood board to rub down laminate for a good adhesion
15. Filing laminate smooth so no sharp edges
16. Cleaning up doors

The above is just a general outline to show or remind how tedious and how much labor it takes to produce a HPL door.

So why should the cabinet shop buy 3D Laminate thermofoil doors from you?
1. Saving time. Instead of spending time making the doors the cabinet guy could be building another set of cabinets or marketing his services.
2. Saving space. Shop floor space is one of the largest expenses for cabinet shops.
3. Hassle: Ordering your doors takes a lot less management involvement than managing the production of the doors in house.
4. Key Talent. Instead of a Cabinet shop having their key guy making doors he could be focused on getting more boxes produced or managing the flow.
5. Uniqueness. 3D Laminate doors have no edgebanding and specialized profiles can be added so that another cabinet shop won't be able to source the exact doors if he is unaware of which door supplier was used. This is a big selling point for the cabinet maker that is often unused.
6. The veneer factor. 3D Laminate doors can be marketed in slab version as a replacement to veneer doors. You have to remind the cabinet shop that the best colors can be used as an upsell over HPL doors ! Dackor even stocks matching phenolic back film for the veneer replacement look.

So what can your shop do to better promote your doors through cabinet shops?

1. Give them a good display system for the doors. If the doors are not displayed then they simply won't sell as well.
2. Make sure that your literature gives example Kitchens. If people don't see proof they won't believe a 3D Laminate Kitchen is capable of looking great.
3. Understand your customer's shop. If you know their shop is small you might bring up the value of outsourcing doors in terms of savings in space, time and labor. Of course the cabinet shop knows this however it certainly does not hurt to politely bring it up in conversation.
4. Don't be afraid to charge for rushes. Favors given when you start will end up training your clients to delay ordering. Charge 20% for rush orders so as to keep your door production running smoothly.
5. If you use distributors or Independent Reps be sure to have a Sales Manager travel with them routinely. Don't assume that because you landed a Distributor or Rep that your product will sell itself. If you travel with them you'll get triple the results. By showing them how easy it is you equip them to sell better when you are not around.

In conclusion, we should all remember that 3D Laminate doors add a lot of value to the Cabinet Industry and its our job to highlight those values. Since less than 8% of Kitchens in North America use 3D Laminates and in Europe its over 65% I am sure that many Cabinet Shops are actually serving as a filter to NOT specify the product. With more education, better literature and understanding I believe that the Cabinet Shop will someday better embrace 3D Laminate doors.

3D Laminate Thermofoils for Multi-Family

In a previous article, “Thermofoil Is Ideal for High End Kitchens,” I stated my case for why I think 3D Laminates are ideal for high end kitchen applications.

For this article I’d like to discuss why I believe 3D Laminates are ideal for use in multi-family apartments and condos. Almost every producer of 3D Laminate doors have a few customers who purchase their doors for the use in an apartment or a condo; additionally, makers of thermofoil doors often give out their sample swatches without a special interest or marketing literature created for the multi family developer. Often colors like summer flame or basic white are offered and it is assumed that these colors will be suitable for that customer. It seems, however, that these markets often go with real-wood veneer in the high end condos or HPL in the apartments because the designs seem to be limited in the 3D Laminate market. When compared with a typical veneer door, 3D Laminates are very competitive in price and also competitive in appearance when the right colors are selected. In the pervious article I stated my case for why 3D Laminates can be used for the high end, but we all know that this is a difficult proposition. It is, however, an easier case to state that 3D Laminates are ideal for multi-family developers.

In addition to 3D Laminates being a good fit for these projects, I suspect that multi-family will continue to prosper over the long term. We’re all familiar with the weak housing market, though what predictions can we make about the future? What’s almost certain is that for your typical couple getting out of college, the price for a single-family home will be out of reach in most parts of the country. In addition, fuel prices are continuing to increase and this may encourage people to attempt to live closer to their work. Although we have plenty of land in America, condos will become an attractive alternative to many families in the coming years.

What’s interesting to note is that most condos or apartments opt for euro-style kitchens. Often, euro-style cabinetry is also called “Full Access” since there are no face frames impeding storage, which allows more of the box to be usable. Euro-style kitchens also make the kitchen look larger with the doors and drawers being closer together.

Throughout the next few years, the US market will be undergoing subtle changes. We’ve all seen the US furniture industry go to China, however the US cabinet market has remained insular to some degree. This is slowly changing and many of the big producers are starting to outsource many of their parts to China.

The euro-style kitchens using 3D Laminates should be produced here in the US. These type of kitchens need more machinery, technology and precision than that of the wooden kitchen, hence decreasing the Chinese labor advantage. In addition to labor being less of a factor for euro-style kitchens, the quality of glue and board used is critical. Finally, many of these projects need to be delivered in three weeks leaving little time for an overseas manufacturer to complete them.

I have nothing against foreign produced products, however my loyalty rests with the American kitchen cabinet and door manufacturer. You could say that I have a bias; however, one thing is for certain, and that is that if we share our ideas and successfully market our products together we’ll both be successful and prosperous.

http://www.dackor.com/rtfsupplier.html