PVD vs Powder Coating for Stainless Steel Interiors

How should you choose between PVD and powder coating?

Compare the proposed finishes on the actual component and under the project's lighting. For a metallic appearance, start with the available PVD samples; for a specified colour, compare the powder-coating samples. Confirm the substrate, exposure conditions, care instructions and repair route before approving either. A finish name alone does not establish service life or suitability for a particular kitchen, vanity or outdoor setting.

What do the two process names mean?

PVD, or physical vapour deposition, uses a vacuum process to deposit a thin coating on a prepared surface. Powder coating uses a formulated powder based on polymer resins and other ingredients to produce a surface film. Oerlikon Balzers and the Powder Coating Institute explain these process families; their descriptions are not test reports for a particular Fadior cabinet.

Keep the finish process, colour and gloss as separate entries in the specification. A bronze colour name does not identify how a surface was made. Ask for the finish system and sample reference supplied for the particular door, panel or trim.

Name the component before specifying the finish

Fadior uses 304 stainless steel cabinet bodies. Doors, finishes, countertops, wall panels and installation materials follow their own specifications. Record the substrate of the surface that will actually receive the finish; do not assume that the cabinet-body material identifies every visible component.

The glue-free 304 stainless steel cabinet body is formaldehyde-free. That statement does not establish the emissions or waterproof performance of an entire installed kitchen. Keep the cabinet-body information alongside the separate documents for the chosen doors, surface treatment, countertop and installation materials.

Where does brushed stainless steel fit?

Brushing uses abrasives to texture a stainless steel surface. It is a separate specification decision from choosing a PVD or powder-coating system. Compare a representative brushed sample and confirm the component’s steel grade, finish and care instructions. A brushed appearance alone does not verify a Fadior product’s performance.

Approve appearance with physical samples

Place the proposed finishes beside the countertop, flooring and other large surfaces. View them in daylight and under the planned lighting, from the angles at which people will use the room. Record the approved sample code, colour, gloss and surface direction where applicable.

If the design combines a metallic accent with a coloured cabinet run, review the two together. Decide which surfaces repeat the accent and which carry the main colour. Treat photographs and room visualisations as design references; use the agreed physical sample to approve the supplied finish. Ask how any permitted variation between samples and production will be documented.

Compare documented performance for the intended location

List the conditions relevant to each component: contact and abrasion, water or cleaning products, heat near appliances, and sunlight or exterior exposure where applicable. Ask for evidence that identifies the actual substrate, finish system, test method, conditions and result. Compare like conditions before drawing a conclusion.

Do not turn a general process description, a design award or an isolated production temperature into a service-life prediction. A number quoted for a different coating or test specimen does not establish the performance of the proposed cabinet. If suitable evidence is unavailable, leave that performance question unresolved and request clarification before specifying the application.

Agree on care and repair before ordering

Request the approved cleaning instructions for each selected finish, including products or tools to avoid. Keep those instructions with the handover information. Choose a routine the household or facilities team can follow rather than assuming all PVD or powder-coated surfaces have the same care requirements.

Ask what happens if an exposed edge or panel is damaged: which repair method is approved, whether work can be done on site, and when a component must return to the factory or be replaced. Confirm how colour and gloss matching will be handled. Neither finish name guarantees an invisible local repair. Keep cabinet-body warranty terms separate from finish coverage and refer to the applicable contract.

What belongs in the finish brief?

For every location, record the component, substrate, finish system, approved sample, colour and gloss, exposure conditions, supporting test documents, cleaning instructions, repair route and applicable warranty terms. Identify unresolved items and who must confirm them before production.

Bring that brief to Fadior with the room drawings and sample requirements. The materials page provides shared material context; project-specific selection still depends on the components and documents included in the proposal.

Fadior materials

Discuss a project