Do you mean the actual door, or inside the carcass of the cupboards. If you do mean the actual doors, then YES the entire door should be the chosen Polytec colour. The carcass will be white.

Post pics and we will have a better idea.

Photos uploaded if you see the edges you can see white. Carcass is white which is fine, it is the doors that look odd for a kitchen that is only 6 months and still not finished

So are the edges of the doors that you can’t see white! Please open a door and show us.

If the edges/narrow sides of doors are white they should be coloured. If they are coloured then it is the edging applied to the doors that is a bad job. This should be a seamless application. If they are 6 months old, go back to Polytec cabinet installer, and ask to replace the abs edge tape.

It is the front of the cabinet if you look at the picture you will see the white. I dont think i have the finish edge put on the doors or panels

Yes, I can see the tiny white join between front and edge. As I said above, ask the Polytec cabinet maker to replace the abs edge tape.

This is the inside of the cabinets edges

Describing it as white threw us off. It does look like you’re seeing the backing or unfinished edge of the edge strip. It does seem to be a rough finish to me. I would send the photos to Polytechnic themselves directly and ask their opinion.

Sorry wasnt sure how to describe it. Cabinet maker says it normal I did go to Polytec they said it needs to be rectified by cabinet maker. Just thought I should get a second opinion from others who may have had this product in there kitchen. Installer said I was too fussy and its normal. Had a dark colour before on cabinets and never had this.

Sadly 6 months to finish a kitchen and will not come back always has excuses - car issues, sick .... the list goes on

Did Polytech acknowledge that it was a problem? You need that first. Your State will have a dispute process. It is usually outlined in the contract you have with the cabinet maker. I would also pop into some display homes and see how their cabinets are finished. They will give you a sanity check in how fussy or not that you’re being.

Yes Polytec said is was an issue with the way the doors are made not a product issue. Sanity check lol I think he knows the job is not of good quality hence he doesnt want to come back. Could be a Fair Trading NSW/NCAT issue if he doesnt return as promised to fix the issues

I would start the process now. You can always pause or cancel if the installer comes good. But if you’ve made a good effort to work it out and it hasn’t made a difference then it’s time to pursue the formal options open to you.

Hello Whicker,

Your doors do have ABS edging and the "white" you are seeing is most likely the Glue Line; ie a white hot melt glue used to stick the ABS to the board as opposed to using a clear glue (which still leaves a visible glue line). It looks like these are doors that have been made by your Cabinetmaker using Polytec Panels as opposed to being Doors made (and edged) by Polytec where there is a difference.

Your doors also look to have been cut out using a panel saw that has a off-set scribe blade to prevent the main saw chipping the back laminate surface as opposed to being cut out using a CNC Machine, and so this scribe offset makes the white glue line appear larger at the back of the door.

Another thing that can contribute to the white line is the very nature of Laminate board Manufacturing Process where the surface you see is an Image that is microns thin under a melamine clear layer also microns thin which are layered onto a Melamine infused paper that is sometimes white & sometimes brown and pressed onto a board. The problem is that when ABS edge is applied to the board's edges it's excess has to be trimmed off and sanded flush where the process can expose the white melamine backing of the Face Board; especially when using highly textured finishes and dark colours such as what you have selected. To test if this Oak melamine backing paper is white, I have just lightly dragged a razor blade over a sample that I have and yes Polytec use a white paper under the printed dark oak woodgrain image layer.

So where your "installers is saying that's how it is." this is your cabinetmaker telling you this is what happens when you choose to use that material when made to that process. With Laminate Melamine being a relatively cheep material compared to other Kitchen Door Finishes and having a manufacturing process that were your selections, the only come back you may have, is if your cabinetmaker showed you a sample door with ABS edging in this Oak Finish during your selection process that did not have these white marks. You could also argue that Polytec should make products fit for purpose and so use a matching colour backing formaldehyde paper under the woodgrain image instead of using White so to prevent this happening; but they will fight you on this.

If it is only a white glue line, then one solution open to you (your cabinetmaker) may be to wipe the visible white glue line with a black spirit stain and then wash it off with thinners; where the stain will darken the Glue, however if it is the exposed white Melamine backing Paper you can see, then the Melamine will remain white and not hold the stain.

I imagine you don't want to hear this but; you using this product, this brand, this colour, this Texture, this Manufacturing process and this Manufacturer, what you have ended up with is really the nature of the beast and the finish you have is to be expected. We actually have a page on our website that discusses the main pros and cons of using melamine (laminate) kitchen door panels.

I also suspect that where you say Polytec have said to you that it is an issue that "needs to be rectified by your cabinet maker" I suspect that this is just them telling you that these doors are not "their Factory Made Doors" but are made by your Cabinetmaker who used their Laminate Board product and so you need to address your concerns to the cabinetmaking Business that made the doors.

Hope this helps, Malcolm.

Agree. Check the sample the cabinet maker showed you. They are expected to build to that quality

Well said Compass Kitchens, a very comprehensive and professional response.

It is the quality of the product, tradesman and budget that makes a big difference.

Whicker101…..please note, when we have said ABS edging on doors, we mean the narrow side of the doors, not the “edge” or right angle of the door.
You definitely have ABS edging, otherwise the narrow side of the doors would be raw MDF.

Thank you Malcolm for your detailed explanation. Disappointed my cabinet marker didnt tell me this and he only showed me a small sample of the colour of the product and the colour. Looks like we are stuck with it. I did see a Reddit Article that others have had the same issue and a Polytec Representative will come out and access the issue so that could be an option.

Thank you to everyone for your messages.

Hi Whicker, I take it you mean a small laminate sample without the ABS Edgestrip.

But just to reiterate, if it is a white glue line then you could work with your Cabinetmaker on a solution still and try the Black Spirit stain option (or even take each door off and do this yourself). Dreamer I think also suggested asking your Cabinetmaker to replace the ABS Edgestrip where if you go one step further and have your Cabinetmaker use Transparent Hot Melt Glue then this may be a better result.

The white on the back looks to be definitely White Glue because it appears to not be contacting the scribe cut in places leaving small gaps (possibly because the scribe blade is set too far in) But if the white on the front that you see is from rubbing through the micron thin grey image revealing the backing paper then this can't be fixed and the only good to come out of this post is to know you have told future readers of this and the pitfalls to using Polytec Board who put a white backing paper under their microns thin dark colours image layer.

Best of luck, Malcolm.

I think I am more so disappointed with myself for trusting his suggestions as he knows how particular I am, he has done work for me before. Let see if he can fix the issue when he comes back.

I totally agree TK. With our previous 2 comments we were not saying it is right; but explaining why it is that way. We also explained how to remedy some of the causes for this; though there is nothing one can do about Polytec's practice of using a white layer under their microns thin melamine dark colours.

Malcolm