Melamine vs PU vs Duco polish — which finish should you choose?

Almost every wardrobe, door and kitchen shutter conversation in Mumbai comes down to three options: melamine, PU, or Duco. They are not interchangeable. Picking the wrong one usually shows up two monsoons later.

The short version

• Melamine — you want to see the wood grain, on a normal budget.
• PU (polyurethane) — you want the toughest, most water-resistant finish, clear or coloured.
• Duco — you want a solid opaque colour, sprayed, with no grain visible.

Melamine polish

Melamine is a clear or lightly tinted coat sprayed over veneer or solid wood. The grain stays visible, which is the whole point.

Where it works: wardrobes, bed frames, dining tables, panelling, anywhere with decent veneer you paid for and want to see.

Durability: good against everyday scratches and mild moisture. It will mark if you leave a wet glass on it overnight, and it dulls slowly over five to eight years in a Mumbai flat.

Sheens: matte, semi-gloss and glossy. Matte hides dust and fingerprints far better in a coastal climate — worth knowing before you pick high gloss.

Indicative cost: Rs 45 to Rs 85 per sq ft of surface, depending on sheen and how much sanding the existing surface needs.

Turnaround: low odour, dries fast. A wardrobe can be done and back in use in a day or two.

PU polish

Polyurethane is a two-component system — base and hardener — that cures into a genuinely hard film. It is the most protective of the three.

Where it works: kitchen shutters, bathroom door frames, dining tables, staircase handrails, anything that gets wiped down or splashed. Also the right call for coastal properties where salt air is doing slow damage to everything.

Durability: the best of the three. Properly applied PU handles water, mild chemicals and daily wiping for eight to twelve years. It also holds gloss far longer than melamine.

Clear or coloured: PU comes both ways. Clear PU shows grain like melamine but tougher. Coloured PU gives a solid finish similar to Duco but with better depth and durability.

Indicative cost: Rs 110 to Rs 220 per sq ft. Roughly double melamine, and it is not a marketing premium — the material genuinely costs more.

Turnaround: longer. Multiple coats with sanding between, and a proper cure before heavy use. Budget four to seven days for a kitchen.

Duco polish

Duco is nitrocellulose paint, sprayed in many thin coats and buffed. It gives a flat, even, opaque colour with zero grain.

Where it works: modern kitchens, kids' furniture, shopfronts, TV units, MDF work where there is no grain worth showing anyway. Any RAL colour can be matched.

Durability: decent but the weakest of the three against water and heat. It also yellows slightly over the years, most noticeably on pure whites. Good news: it is the easiest to repair, because a damaged panel can be re-sprayed and blended.

Indicative cost: Rs 90 to Rs 170 per sq ft, depending on gloss level and the number of coats.

Turnaround: three to five days for a kitchen, plus proper masking of the rest of the house — spray gets everywhere.

Three things worth knowing before you decide

1. Spray work needs a controlled setup. PU and Duco are sprayed. In an occupied flat that means sheeting off the work area, masking floors and fittings, and ventilation. A contractor who wants to spray your kitchen with the rest of the house open is going to leave overspray on your sofa.

1. Mumbai humidity affects curing. During peak monsoon, PU and Duco take noticeably longer to harden, and spraying on a very humid day can leave a milky bloom in the film. Good crews plan around it or dehumidify the space. If you have a choice, schedule spray work for November to May.

1. Match to the substrate. Spending PU money on cheap commercial ply is wasted. Spending Duco money to cover good teak veneer is worse. The finish should suit what is underneath it.

Quick decision table

• Bedroom wardrobe with visible veneer — melamine
• Kitchen shutters — PU, clear or coloured
• Bathroom door and frame — PU
• Bright solid colour on MDF — Duco
• Dining table you use every day — PU
• Full flat woodwork on a limited budget — melamine

If you are not sure what your existing furniture is finished with, we can tell from a site visit and match it — most repairs fail because the new coat is a different system from the old one.