How To Fix Chipped Melamine Cabinets? [Hacks To Get The Best Result]

Melamine kitchen cabinets are really common in almost every house, even as bathroom cabinets. Even you may have one. Don’t you? But do you know how they are made?

But did you know that these cabinets get chipped easily? Should I share something good with you that can make your worries float away? That will definitely give you a headache, just like a twisted cabinet door.

But you might be thinking about how to fix chipped melamine cabinets. Here is a simple glimpse for you.

• You can use wood filler for the chipped area and let it dry. After it dries, you need to sand it and paint melamine cabinets.
• Or else you can cut the chipped section and replace it with new pieces and apply paint or stain.

An overview of the project-

Running to fix the melamine kitchen cabinets already? You just had a flash of the entire picture. To explore the entire picture, read ahead and enjoy the best outcome!

Cause Of Chipped Melamine Cabinets

Have you ever noticed that most of the time, the cabinet façade part and the edges get chipped, and this ruins the entire look of the cabinet?

Don’t you think knowing the reasons behind the chipping issue of the melamine cabinets is really important?

I do think so! Why is that so? This is because this is the only way that can help me to get relief from this problem and choose the right techniques to fix the cabinets.

Impact And Physical Damage

No matter what kind of furniture you are using, it is obvious to handle them gently. However, impact and physical damage can cause chipping on melamine. This also can cause bubbled kitchen cabinets.

If you hit the melamine intentionally or unintentionally, or something really heavy falls on the melamine cabinets it can result in chipping.

Moisture And Water Damage

Because of moisture and water, the melamine cabinets can start warping. As a result, it can start chipping from different places and start peeling as well. So, be aware otherwise it may cause chipping on laminate cabinet doors.

Wear And Tear

Actually, as time passes, because of daily use or wear and tear, the melamine can become weak, and the coating can chip. Which also can cause cabinet doors that overlap. This is actually normal and happens naturally.

Types Of Melamine Cabinets That Can’t Be Fixed If It Chipped

Melamine Cabinets	Detail
Delaminated melamine cabinets	When the melamine coatings get separated from the unlying surfaces, it becomes really complicated to fix.
Severely warped melamine cabinets	However, some melamine cabinets are chipped because of extreme warping, and fixing these kinds of cabinets is tough. But yes, you can try to fix the warped cabinet bottom.
Cabinets with deep structural damage	If the melamine cabinets get damaged deeper enough to damage the underlying surface or melamine board, performing a cabinet update becomes really impossible in such cases.
Custom cabinets:	Some customized melamine cabinets are made of unique finishes and designs. To be honest, getting the replacement or replicating the cabinets is actually difficult.
Vintage or antique melamine cabinets	These kinds of melamine cabinets basically have unique finishes and finding the exact match for these cabinets is kind of hard and impossible.
Almond Melamine Cabinets	Because of the unique and discontinued finish of the almond melamine, it is difficult to fix them.

However, you can hire a cabinet maker or professional to fix these kinds of melamine cabinets. But in most cases, replacing them is the last solution to come out.

How Do I Prepare The Chipped Area For Repair?

Before taking you through the process of how to repair melamine cabinets, do you know that you need to prepare the cabinets for the normal or white melamine chip repair process?

Yes! You actually heard it right! You need to have proper preparation for the repairing process, and this is how you can do that-

Assess Thes The Damage

The first thing that you need to do is inspect the cabinets really nicely. This is because you need to find out the damage or chips and their size and severity of them. S0, you gotta find out the damage just like sticky paint on cabinets.

Clean The Chipped Areas

Now, what you have to do is clean the chipped areas. Clean the chipped area with mild soapy water properly to remove all the dust and debris from the cabinets.

Try to work in a well-ventilated area and spread some newspaper or paper towels on the floor to avoid mess. One of the most important things is not to forget to wear your safety gear for your own safety.

Sand The Edges

Do you know how to sand? Actually, I am asking this question because sanding is really important here. With the help of fine-grit sandpaper, sand the edges of the chipped area lightly.

This is because it will make the areas smooth, remove the roughness and help you to continue the process smoothly.

Remove Dust

However, after sanding you will definitely notice dust and debris on the cabinets. You need to clean them really nicely with a sift and dry cloth.

Apply Wood Filler

Actually, to fix the chips you need to use wood filler. However, you can get a melamine repair kit to use to repair the chipped melamine cabinets.

Why is that so? Basically, this kit contains melamine repair paste which is actually filler that is appropriate for melamine furniture. It will give you a chance to  refinish just as you would refinish old wood cabinets.

So, with a putty knife, you can fill the chipped area with the filler and leave for a few hours to let it dry completely.

How about sharing a secret with you? Actually, this is how to fix chipped white melamine. Also, you can give this step a try to fix a split wood cabinet.

However, if there are some small damages like the screw holes, you can repair the screw holes in the kitchen cabinets using fillers.

Apply Wood Glue If Needed

Basically, melamine cabinets are made by putting a thin layer of melamine on them. Therefore, you may also notice some peeled areas.  You might be thinking about, how do you fix peeling melamine cabinets?

Actually, the best way is here for you to use wood glue. You can apply wood glue on the underlying surfaces of the peeled areas and reattach them.

Easy peasy! Isn’t it? But this is the easiest way, and this is how to fix peeling melamine cabinets.

Sand The Filler

There must be some excess fillers that have already dried out, right? No worries. You can easily fix them. How? Sanding! Yes! Sanding is the solution to this issue.

Basically, sand the repaired areas without being aggressive very lightly. Keep doing this until you keep them on the same level as the surrounding areas.

Clean The Repaired Areas

Now what else? You need to again clean the dust and debris from the cabinets with a soft and dry cloth.

No, nothing is there next! Your melamine cabinets are actually ready for the fixing process.

How To Fix Chipped Melamine Cabinets?

To be honest, I am a professional who has experience of many years in fixing these kinds of issues. I have fixed more than hundreds of chipped cabinets in my life.

And trust me I have always applied the easiest techniques for this. Wondering, how do you fix chips in melamine cabinets? I go like this;

Actually, the process is the same as above till the step of cleaning the repaired areas. But after that, you need to go like this;

Paint Or Stain The Areas

After cleaning the repaired area properly, you need to apply paint or stain on them. But make sure the paint or stain matches the surrounding areas of the cabinets.

Otherwise, your cabinets are definitely going to look the ugliest. Therefore, try to get a paint or stain of the exact color. Do the same thing when restoring your wood cabinets.

Apply a coat of paint or stain with the help of foam rollers. However, you can apply a few coats if needed. But make sure you are drying each coat before applying another.

Actually, try to apply the paint or stain everywhere evenly. However, I would suggest you use knobs after fixing the cabinets as it is really helpful for gentle use. You can install cabinet knobs if needed.

Remember one thing, let the paint dry before you start using the cabinets.

Apply Sealant, 

To be honest, I always apply sealant to my repaired chipped melamine cabinets. I do this even if my clients don’t suggest it.

I mean why not! This is a wise decision to apply a sealant on the melamine cabinets. Because it adds a protective layer to the cabinets and protects them from any kind of damage. Also, provides them durability.

Therefore, apply a sealant with foam rollers or paintbrush evenly and let it dry completely.

So, now you know can you repair melamine cabinets or not, right?

How to Repair Kitchen Cabinets – MDF Water Damage

How To Match The Color Of The Melamine For The Repair?

Why do people fix damaged furniture? Maybe everyone has their own perspective or point of view. But I actually do it to give a try to kitchen makeovers or improvement projects.

However, in such cases putting a cabinet paint is necessary. Isn’t it? Well, when fixing the chipped melamine cabinet, finishing it is important. But choosing the right color is equally important.

But choosing the matched color is kind of tricky and hard especially when you don’t know the right method. But give these methods a try on your turn;

Methods	Process
Color Matching Kit	In the marketplace, you can easily get color-matching kits that are specially made for melamine surfaces and you can easily get perfectly matched colors.
Custom Paint Mix	You mix different colors and make a custom mix color to match the color of the melamine.
Test Swatches	You can carry a sample piece from the chips in kitchen cabinets to the store and swatch the color to match it will the un-repaired cabinets.

What Is The Best Filler For Melamine?

Now, that you know how to repair chipped melamine cabinets? Right? So, you are so sure that you need filler to repair the chipped melamine cabinet.

Even, if anyone asks you, how to repair peeling melamine cabinets? Your answer is gonna be, ‘You need filler’ for sure.

However, there are a bunch of fillers available in the market. But all of them aren’t the best for your melamine cabinet. However, some fillers are genuinely best, such as;

Filler	Reason	Types Of Melamine Cabinets It Works Best
Wood fillers	Amazingly fix small chips, peels, and cracks.	Best for standard melamine cabinets.
The epoxy filler	It provides a really strong and durable bond. Also, protect the cabinets from moisture.	Perfect to fix chips on melamine kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets.
Bondo filler	This works really effectively on larger chips and damages. However, it is really durable.	Suitable for all kinds of melamine cabinets.

How To Get Your Melamine Cabinets Relief From Chipping?

I am pretty sure your answer would be yes! But anyone asks you how can you stop them from getting chipped? How would you answer them?

When you don’t know the solution you are definitely gonna be clueless! But what if I tell you that you can master the solution?

How? Here is how-

• Handle the cabinet really gently. Don’t be rough with this as the impact can cause chipping.
• Do not hit the melamine laminate surfaces with anything as it can damage them.
• Close and open the door gently. Always try to use the drawer pulls or cabinet knobs gently.
• Always use a chopping board to chop or cut anything on the laminate surfaces.
• Always clean the cabinets in the right way. Because, the goofs in melamine cabinets are literally connected to the wrong cleaning methods, and it can cause surface damage over time.
• Clean the melamine kitchen cabinets with non-abrasive cleaners to avoid getting scratches on them.
• Do not use any rough materials to clean the cabinets.
• Always try to use edge banding or corner guards on the cabinet box edges to protect the cabinets from chipping.
• This is a wise decision to use sealant as it provides the cabinets with protective layers and protects them cabinets from getting damaged.

Taking care of the melamine cabinets really deserves it. The wide cabinet or wide bank of kitchen cabinets provides durable melamine surfaces that are resistant to scratches and stains making them a practical choice for everyday use.

However, I must say one thing the quality, durability, affordability, the overall look of the bank of cabinets are really impressive, and taking the proper care can help to protect its beauty.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Final Thoughts

So yes! This is how to fix chipped melamine cabinets! Easy peasy, right?

Actually, no matter what you are fixing, if you follow the right techniques with the step-by-step guidelines you can easily reach the target.

Also, these are enough to gain a fruitful and outstanding result for your cabinets.

So, what do you think, doesn’t the effort deserve this?

Wanna learn more interesting restoration processes like this? Stay with- Restore Journey.