Vinyl wrapping galley cabinets?

C

CountMeIn

New Member
Oct 8, 2021
7
Boat Info
370 Sundancer 1997
Engines
8.1 Mercruisers
Forgive me if this has been asked before (I’m new here).

My husband and I just bought a 370 Sundancer 1997. Purchased from the original owner, but she needs a major facelift; wasn’t very well cared for. I’ve been tasked with cabin renovation duty (and any cosmetic work).

There’s some damage to the galley cabinets from the sun (cracking of the laminate) and water (discoloration) from some leaking portholes (which we’ve *hopefully* fixed as of today).

Has anybody removed the old laminate and wrapped the cabinets in a wood grain vinyl? We’re considering it since it would be more economical and obviously a bit easier than fully redoing the laminate throughout the cabin. Just hoping for some reassurance from anybody who’s already done it, or suggestions/tips! Thanks.
 
I have heard (no first hand experience) that the 3M Di-noc wrap is pretty good and used commercially for refinishing.

-Kevin
 
I have a friend that wrapped his 98' 290 interior with the 3m product right over the top of the existing laminate and it came out great. He did the doors and fridge panel and it all matches nicely. I'll see if I can get a picture for you.
 
KevinC said:
I have heard (no first hand experience) that the 3M Di-noc wrap is pretty good and used commercially for refinishing.

-Kevin
Click to expand...

I decided to try this as well, so I purchased a test piece of the 3M Di-Noc film and it looks great. I put a small test piece right over the laminate that was already there going in to the cabin (most used and a ding area) and it has held up great so far. I also put it on a draw front ( right under the sink) to see how that looked and held up, looks fantastic.

This is what I used: https://www.customautotrim.com/vinyl-wrap/wood-grain-vinyl-wrap/dn-wgbng/

It isn't the easiest to put on and is not pressure activated like vinyl wraps, it's more like contact paper and is very sticky and hard to get bubbles out of. My plan is to use Windex or just soapy water like putting on a decal. But it does look fantastic.

I am going to apply this later this fall and will post pic's when I get to this.
 
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I look forward to seeing some updates on this one! With so many options in color/appearance this could be a fun project for not a lot of $$$'s.
 
I have been looking into this as well. There are several youtube videos on it. I would like to go with a grey matte finish wood grain look like the newer boats have. My only hesitation is removing it if I need to.

 
Just a question.....would you really spend $50k+ on a boat that someone wrapped the interior with contact vinyl?

It was heartbreaking to see him put a chemical primer and contact paper onto that beautiful wood finish. He picked an interesting part to refinish but I just don't see how it will hold up on cabinet door/drawer edges. Those areas take a beating with materials that are designed for that purpose.

It is your boat and your choice.

We get dozens of questions every year from prospective owners who want to do a interior refresh on the boat they are considering to purchase. Most of the time it is to knock down the seller's price because the interior is tired or has delamination issues.

I can see vinyl maybe on a boat worth $0-25k but on anything more than $50k it most certainly will hit the resale value in a negative way unless you find a buyer that likes it.

No hate ......just some thoughts from someone who has done yacht interiors for the last 20 years.
 
PlayDate said:
Just a question.....would you really spend $50k+ on a boat that someone wrapped the interior with contact vinyl?

It was heartbreaking to see him put a chemical primer and contact paper onto that beautiful wood finish. He picked an interesting part to refinish but I just don't see how it will hold up on cabinet door/drawer edges. Those areas take a beating with materials that are designed for that purpose.

It is your boat and your choice.

We get dozens of questions every year from prospective owners who want to do a interior refresh on the boat they are considering to purchase. Most of the time it is to knock down the seller's price because the interior is tired or has delamination issues.

I can see vinyl maybe on a boat worth $0-25k but on anything more than $50k it most certainly will hit the resale value in a negative way unless you find a buyer that likes it.

No hate ......just some thoughts from someone who has done yacht interiors for the last 20 years.
Click to expand...
I would agree, however it would depend on the condition of the interior. In the video he wrapped a pretty nice finish. Probably wouldn't even think of doing something like that. But what about plain Jane white laminate, or finishes that have seen their better days. I am looking at several boats in excess of of your $50k price point, but with 90s "Miami Vice" interiors. In that case, these wraps might be a good option.
 
If you look on youtube there’s quite a few yachts having their entire interior wrapped in Dinoc 3m film. It would be interesting to see over time how it holds up.
 
PlayDate said:
Just a question.....would you really spend $50k+ on a boat that someone wrapped the interior with contact vinyl?

It was heartbreaking to see him put a chemical primer and contact paper onto that beautiful wood finish. He picked an interesting part to refinish but I just don't see how it will hold up on cabinet door/drawer edges. Those areas take a beating with materials that are designed for that purpose.

It is your boat and your choice.

We get dozens of questions every year from prospective owners who want to do a interior refresh on the boat they are considering to purchase. Most of the time it is to knock down the seller's price because the interior is tired or has delamination issues.

I can see vinyl maybe on a boat worth $0-25k but on anything more than $50k it most certainly will hit the resale value in a negative way unless you find a buyer that likes it.

No hate ......just some thoughts from someone who has done yacht interiors for the last 20 years.
Click to expand...

I would agree with you and this doesn't take the place of real wood cabinetry, but does look very nice when completed. My interior is in great condition, the only problem is it is from the late 80's when Formica was a thing, much to @Golfman25 's point, a "Miami Vice" interior. Although it is so old that it might be back in style as it is a light grey and black in color. However I prefer the early 2000's and the wood veneer look much better.

That said I am only going to do the section around the entertainment/bar area and see how that goes and I am definitely doing the state room as well. The all grey look in there isn't very appealing to me, but my wife likes it though, so we'll see how that comes as well.
 
PlayDate said:
Just a question.....would you really spend $50k+ on a boat that someone wrapped the interior with contact vinyl?

It was heartbreaking to see him put a chemical primer and contact paper onto that beautiful wood finish. He picked an interesting part to refinish but I just don't see how it will hold up on cabinet door/drawer edges. Those areas take a beating with materials that are designed for that purpose.

It is your boat and your choice.

We get dozens of questions every year from prospective owners who want to do a interior refresh on the boat they are considering to purchase. Most of the time it is to knock down the seller's price because the interior is tired or has delamination issues.

I can see vinyl maybe on a boat worth $0-25k but on anything more than $50k it most certainly will hit the resale value in a negative way unless you find a buyer that likes it.

No hate ......just some thoughts from someone who has done yacht interiors for the last 20 years.
Click to expand...

The gold lights, fixtures and outlet covers on my boat are just tacky enough that I'm not sure I could even begin judging a vinyl wrap on the cabinets :)

I think if done properly it could add value to our "quite old now" 90's boats. My white/gold interior doth not really inspire, even in premium condition.
 
I was thinking of something along these lines. I already have the white cabinetry and white upholstery, I might try just doing the upper cabinets first.

14_70my_dinnette-1300x500.jpg
 
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