Which Is Better For MDF Cabinet Doors - 1-Piece MDF vs 2-Piece MDF
Updated December 2, 2024
1-piece MDF cabinet doors are often compared to 2-piece MDF cabinet doors, but which is actually better? See how they compare.
As a trusted installer, you need high-quality products that keep your customers happy. Not only do low-quality products upset your customers, they also damage your reputation and your profit. When it comes to MDF cabinet doors, you are probably wondering whether to offer 1-piece or 2-piece options. Which is going to save you time and money in the long run?
At Cutting Edge, we’ve made 2-piece MDF cabinet doors for almost a decade and 1-piece MDF doors for seven years. Over that time, our team has learned a lot about both options. We know you can’t risk selling a product that will cause you problems later on, so keep reading to find out what we discovered.
In this article, you will learn how 1-piece MDF doors compare to 2-piece MDF doors across four categories:
Comparison of 1-Piece and 2-Piece MDF Cabinet Doors
To begin with, let’s take a quick look at MDF. MDF is a medium-density fibreboard. In simpler terms, MDF contains many tiny scraps of wood and fibres, all squished together. Once these scraps are compressed, MDF manufacturers add resin to the top and bottom layers to hold all the pieces together.
The result is an inexpensive and stable material commonly used for painted cabinet doors.
Now for the comparison!
Category 1: Durability
How well do MDF cabinet doors stand up to everyday use? The answer is moderately well. While the many scraps of wood and fibres cut down on cost, they don’t add any strength to the product.
MDF is very easy to dent, chip, scratch, or ding. As long as you and your customers treat the cabinet doors carefully, they will last as long as other options. However, they do require careful treatment to prevent damage.
Winner: None
Both 1-piece and 2-piece MDF cabinet doors are MDF, making them equally susceptible to damage during everyday use. If your customer requires cabinet doors for a high-use area, they should consider a paint-grade wood or NEXGEN™ cabinet doors for a more durable option.
Category 2: Stability
This category is important because you are less likely to have warranty claims and unhappy customers if a cabinet door stands up to humidity and temperature changes well.
1-Piece MDF
Unlike 2-piece MDF, cabinet door manufacturers cut 1-piece MDF doors out of (you guessed it) one piece of MDF.
Now, as you already learned, MDF has a resin layer on the top and bottom that provides stability. Left as is, MDF is extremely stable and resists warping. But, to form a 1-piece MDF door, we have to cut through the top resin layer. This lets moisture escape or enter the inner core, causing the MDF to warp.
Therefore, 1-piece MDF doors are more likely to warp than 2-piece.
However, unlike 2-piece MDF doors, 1-piece MDF cabinet doors have no seams. You’ll see why this is a benefit shortly.
2-Piece MDF
There are multiple construction methods for 2-piece MDF cabinet doors. At Cutting Edge, we glue an MDF slab to the back of a second MDF piece (like the picture below) to create the appearance of a cabinet door.
Other door manufacturers create a full-thickness frame and insert a centre panel.
Either way, 2-piece MDF doors have a seam where the one piece of MDF meets the second piece. Over time, as the humidity and temperature in the surrounding environment change, this seam moves under the painted finish. Eventually, this movement will cause the paint along the seam to crack.
Although the cracks along the seam are not a structural issue, they are quite visible. And unlike a warping door, which you can correct by adding extra hinges, the cracking finish is not preventable or repairable.
Winner: 1-Piece MDF
Yes, 1-piece MDF is more likely to warp. However, you can usually straighten warped 1-piece MDF doors.
On the other hand, 2-piece MDF is less likely to warp but has seams that show up over time. This issue is not preventable or repairable (any repairs fail within a short time frame) and leads to more customer complaints than warping.
So, as a contractor looking to avoid unhappy customers and warranty claims, you should recommend 1-piece MDF.
Category 3: Price
This category might be of less concern to you, but your customers care about the price.
Although we can’t speak for other suppliers, 1-piece MDF cabinet doors from Cutting Edge are less expensive than 2-piece MDF doors.
What is the price difference? Not a lot – about $0.60 less per square foot.
2-piece MDF doors are more expensive because they take more work to assemble.
Winner: 1-Piece MDF
Although 1-piece MDF is only about $0.60 per square foot less than 2-piece MDF, this price difference might be the difference between your customer having (or not having) additional options like drawer organizers that increase the functionality of their kitchen.
When you can put less money into the cabinet doors, you can add extra details that help you stand out from the crowd and make your customers more likely to buy from you.
Category 4: Finishing
Now for the last category. Will you have to put more work into 1-piece or 2-piece MDF doors?
1-Piece MDF
Once you cut through the resin layer of MDF, the inner core is much rougher. At Cutting Edge, our employees take a lot of time ensuring that the inner core is sanded to a smooth finish so your team doesn’t have to worry about it.
However, not all suppliers take this time. As a result, your team may have to put a lot of time and effort into getting the 1-piece MDF cabinet doors ready to finish.
And if that inner core isn’t well-sanded, your painted finish will look and feel rough or bumpy – which won’t make your customers happy.
2-Piece MDF
On the other hand, 2-piece MDF has very little inner-core MDF exposed. The inside profile is the only spot you have to worry about sanding smooth.
However, you can run into issues with 2-piece MDF as well. Often, cabinet door makers machine the inside profile using ¼” MDF, which can be of lower quality. Lower-quality MDF means it is more porous, harder to sand smooth, and more difficult to get a nice finish with. In addition, at Cutting Edge, we use contact cement to hold the two layers of MDF together. Sometimes, that cement splatters, leaving behind dried bumps of cement that you likely won’t notice until the top coat of paint has dried – at which point, you have to start all over.
Winner: 1-Piece MDF
This category goes to 1-piece MDF. Neither option is perfect, but 2-piece MDF has two significant drawbacks and 1-piece MDF has only one potential problem.
| 1-Piece MDF | 2-Piece MDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Durable | - | - |
| Fewer Potential Warranty Problems | Yes | No |
| Cost-Effective | Yes | Yes |
| Easy to Finish | Yes | No |
1-Piece MDF Cabinet Doors Are the Better Option
As a cabinet maker or contractor working to become a trusted installer, you can’t afford to offer a low-quality product that will make your customers unhappy. Product issues will cost you time and money and harm your reputation. Instead, you need to ensure you understand all your options so you can offer cabinet doors you can trust will satisfy your customers and uphold your name for quality.
Now that Cutting Edge has given you a thorough comparison between 1-piece MDF and 2-piece MDF cabinet doors, your next step is to learn how much 1-piece MDF cabinet doors cost.
