Repair in life puts everything in its place. Can be 500 times
quarrel, disagree for several months, but then
make the perfect room. A similar story happened in 2014 when
I had to make a kitchen not only for myself, but also for my parents. If the Internet has
several million sites where you can
look at kitchen projects, I assure you, they have all been viewed. In the end, everything
naturally quarreled, reconciled and
finally made kitchens that were to everyone's liking. That's why she was born
the idea to write a short material on how to choose a kitchen, not from the outside
seller, but on the part of the customer. After all, it is first of all important for us to get a beautiful
furniture at an affordable price that would last for decades. Since
With these requirements, our analysis of the choice of material for the future kitchen began.
What's the first thing that comes to mind?
Even before going to the specialists, no one thought about the components.
This is a separate conversation, but I will say frankly that all the kitchens were ordered
the most expensive available. You should never skimp on this. But now
when you open drawers or lift doors, you get an indescribable
pleasure. But it is now. The first problem that I had to face -
it certainly was material. The pictures of the kitchen look completely different.
It's not even worth looking at. Only after the first two weeks did it become clear that everything
pictures can be used as ideas, but no more.
The modern construction market offers too wide
choice of materials and colors. Which, on the one hand, is good, but on the other, it is
makes the choice much more difficult.
To deal with all the materials, I had to carefully
sort out the pros and cons.
Painted MDF. (facades covered with enamel)
It seemed that everyone with whom I had to communicate, as if
agreed. As one they offered to buy a kitchen made of painted MDF.
The range of colors is really insane. You can combine colors for a day,
to find perfect solution, but in the end the kitchen will still look
too simple, unless you invest a lot of money in such a kitchen in order to
for example, make even curves, concave and convex boxes. In such
case, the kitchen will indeed be very attractive, purely because of its
unusual shape.
To better understand what painted MDF is, it is enough
look at any car. MDF painting technology, almost nothing
different from painting a normal car. Initially, the facade is primed, and
then several layers of paint are applied to it. The number of layers speaks directly to the quality
material. Everything is like with cars. Most
the last stage is the application of a protective layer - varnish.
See also:
Advantages of painted MDF
- A lot of colors that can be combined between
yourself as you wish. Most often they will offer colors according to the RAL catalog. (color fan)
- Enough
easy to clean
- I have an opportunity
make a unique shape of the facade for the kitchen. Technology allows bending and
round off the façade.
- Resistant to moisture and odors
- Lots of coverage. You can choose matte or glossy
chameleon or mother-of-pearl, or even stop at metallic.
Cons of painted MDF
— Do not fall into the budget segment. They are more expensive than plastic and
than facades covered with PVC film.
— The most a big problem- fingerprints. Kitchen always
will have to wipe and wipe. Otherwise, she will look very unsightly.
- Subject to fading. Over time, all colors lose their
color.
- Another significant disadvantage is that they are prone to damage.
They may not withstand, an accidental blow and crack.
- The back side of such kitchens is usually white. With time
it also loses its presentation, especially if you constantly forget
wash the facade from the back.
Solid wood facades.
This item was offered the least. First on
the production of a facade from an array takes almost twice as much time,
than any other material for the kitchen. But the simplest excuse
I thought it was out of fashion now. Here is plastic and painted MDF - it's fashionable and
stylish. As a result, we did not stop at the array, since the kitchen is only 9 sq.m. And
the array there really would look too cumbersome.
There are two types of solid wood facades - solid wood
(very expensive facades) and with a panel (solid wood frame, and inner part from
MDF). The second option is much cheaper. It's somewhere more expensive than just painted MDF
by 20-30%. Also, facades with a panel have an undeniable advantage - with
over time, such facades do not deform, unlike facades made of solid
wood.
Advantages of solid wood facades
– 100% natural natural eco-friendly material
- Presentable in any case. The personification of good
taste and commitment to the classics.
- Durable material if properly cared for. Will last
not one decade.
– It is possible to decorate the kitchen with various decorative
elements.
Cons of facades from the array
- Faithful in care. If you do not care, then the kitchen is out of
array will not last very long
- The most expensive material in existence. Especially if
order cuisine from rare species of trees.
- Do not wash with strong household chemicals.
- May fade over time.
- You can not make a rounded facade.
- Can absorb moisture and odors.
- Not a large selection of models and sizes.
MDF facades covered with PVC film.
One of the simplest and inexpensive materials for the kitchen, but
having a number of disadvantages. The first thing that catches your eye when you see this
the kitchen is its slightly old-fashioned look. First of all, naturally too
cheapens a drawing that does not give texture. In general, this material is optimal
either for the most budgetary kitchen option, or for a temporary one.
The production technology of such facades is very simple. MDF laminated
PVC film in a special press. Pre-glue is applied to the MDF, from
which very much in the future depends. How better glue the longer your kitchen will look presentable.
pros MDF facades covered with PVC film.
- Very affordable price.
- You can use aggressive household chemicals
- Large selection of textures and colors
– It is possible to produce non-standard cabinets and drawers, while
the price of the kitchen will not increase much.
- For a long period of time on the facade will not appear
frayed.
Cons of MDF facades covered with PVC film.
- The film may peel off MDF over time, especially
near a sink or oven.
“Wood drawing makes the kitchen too cheap.
- It fades over time.
- Most often white on the back. Over time they may
becomes pale yellow.
Facades covered with plastic
Among the people, this type of facade took root under the name
"plastic facades". Although this is slightly wrong. 100% plastic kitchens does not exist.
They would not withstand those temperature changes that are in the kitchen and very
would quickly become unattractive. Today there are two technologies
creation of facades covered with plastic. The first is when plastic is glued to MDF
(more expensive due to the MDF itself). The second is when plastic is glued onto chipboard
(cheaper option).
There are also several methods for processing ends:
1.
Postforming. With this technology, plastic
folded over at two ends. The remaining two ends are edged with PVC or acrylic
edging (3D Acryl)
2.
Facades can be framed with aluminum
profile.
3.
The ends are simply processed in the color of acrylic
edging (3D Acryl) or
PVC. If desired, the ends can be made in a different color than the panel itself.
Pluses of the facades covered with plastic.
- Do not let in moisture.
- They practically do not fade in the sun.
- They have a fairly large color palette.
- Do not be afraid of aggressive household chemicals.
- Long service life
Cons of facades covered with plastic.
- Fingerprints remain on such facades, which
Outwardly very spoil the look of the kitchen.
- Matte plastic is very difficult to clean. Over time, maybe
lose trade dress.
— May have geometric distortions if they were
made by cold pressing.
- Most often white on the back.
One of the most interesting materials, which allows
make the kitchen more interesting, but at the same time leave it in a fairly budget
categories. Of course, frame facades have a number of their drawbacks, but they
their texture, style and appearance are close to the array.
Framed MDF facades can be easily combined with
glass, mirrors, rattan and other materials. However, all these elements
very nicely framed.
Advantages of frame MDF.
— Budget material for the kitchen.
- You can make almost any size of the facade, without
significant rise in price.
— The façade is much lighter than a similar solid façade, but
at the same time, the style is very close to the facade of the array.
- You can easily insert various elements into the frame of the facade.
— Allow to combine several materials in one facade.
Cons of frame MDF.
- They are afraid of moisture. Over time, the PVC film may flake off
MDF, if the kitchen is constantly humid.
— May not withstand high temperatures near the oven
cabinet and peel off.
- You need to make an effort when washing.
— Depending on the company and on the equipment, you can get
poorly bonded frames.
- seam connection
profile. Good quality using quality materials,
which are difficult to verify.
Laminated chipboard.
The simplest and cheapest facade. Facades made of laminated chipboard
look too simple and is most often used for kitchens in household
premises. Laminated chipboard is used in conventional kitchens to make
cabinet frames. This inner material, which is not exposed to the public
review.
Benefits of laminated chipboard kitchens
- Very, very low price.
— You can make facades of any size.
Cons of laminated chipboard kitchens
- looks very cheap
- Short service life. Best used like
temporary kitchen.
- Absorbs moisture.
- May shatter
— The film may peel off.
- Over time, stains of fat, sauce and
etc.
Aluminum profile at the base of the facade.
IN Lately such facades are most often used for
creating simple and stylish kitchens in the style of minimalism and hi-tech. More often
such kitchens are chosen by modern youth. For parents who are young
passed during the Soviet era is not an option at all.
facades from aluminum profile allows designers
combine different materials in the kitchen: glass, MDF, plastic, rattan, etc.
Advantages of aluminum profile facades.
- The maximum service life that can be achieved
using an aluminum frame around the facade.
- Resistant to moisture and high temperature.
– It is possible to combine MDF and glass in one facade or
rattan and glass.
- Resistant to high temperatures
- You can create photo frames
Cons of facades made of aluminum profiles.
-Aluminum will start to darken a little after a few years
- While the cost of such facades is an order of magnitude higher than from
other materials.
- Aluminum scratches easily. Over time, he may
lose their trade dress.
- Do not use harsh household chemicals.
- may be required special fasteners, which is even more
increase the cost of construction. wooden, then over time it needs more and more care. In the end, not
despite a number of disadvantages, it was decided to choose frame MDF not with oblique joints, but
with straight lines. It helped to make a small kitchen with nice textured
transitions without spending too much money.
There are objectively many requirements for the kitchen facade. It must be resistant to temperature extremes and steam, unpretentious in care and, of course, attractive in appearance. Especially if you cook often or in an open-plan space where the kitchen is always in plain sight. To understand the materials and understand what to expect from different facades, from traditional solid wood to modern plastic ones, HomeGuide turned to Elena Plotnikova, head of kitchen studios at Atlas Lux Krasnodar.
If we talk about the basis for the kitchen facade, the most economical option - laminated chipboard. New generation coatings - like TSS for example - make it more durable and expressive enough to be used on modern kitchen. More expensive, but affordable facades made of MDF. They are more environmentally friendly than laminated chipboard and more practical than solid wood - besides, they have incomparably more color and texture combinations. To the array, in addition to being a 100% natural eco-friendly material, there are also a number of questions: over time, it can dry out and deform. Suffice it to say that factories that give more than five years of warranty on their product do not work with an array in its pure form.
Elena Plotnikova, designer, head of kitchen studios "Atlas Lux Krasnodar"
How to choose a facade for the kitchen?
- First, decide on the style: a kitchen made of solid wood or with facades made of natural veneer will fit perfectly into a classic, traditional interior; into a modern minimalistic one - from MDF with a soft touch coating (literally - “soft to the touch”), for example.
- Think practical: frosted kitchen even because of a small stain, you will have to wash the whole thing so that there are no streaks left. A glossy facade from MDF, it is enough to wipe it with the usual glass cleaner. At the same time, it is effective and looks expensive.
- Be sure to pay attention to the production time. In a sense, this is a litmus test that will help you understand whether you are dealing with a bona fide manufacturer or not. There can be no less than 35 or even 45 working days - the time required for proper drying of panels, gluing, painting. If they offer to do everything in a week or two, most likely they assemble the kitchen from what was stale in the warehouse. Or not dried properly.
Facades from chipboard
Artificial material does not have a high density - which means it quickly fails, especially at the attachment points. In its “pure form”, without any coatings, it reacts to temperature changes and humidity. Therefore, large factories use chipboard exclusively as a basis for different finishes. You can make it stronger (even more visually spectacular) by covering it with a film, acrylic or TSS facing layer.
Pros: low cost; a large selection of textures: you can reliably imitate wood, concrete, stone, eco-leather.
Minuses: a facade made of chipboard suggests an edge, which, firstly, simplifies the appearance of the product, and secondly, it can peel off over time. Do not install mortise handles in chipboard ( standard thickness plates - 16 or 18 mm). In its "pure form" in terms of environmental friendliness, wear resistance is inferior to all materials. The facade from a chipboard cannot be radius.
Kitchen Twist with a film facade, "Maria".
- Film facades from chipboard
They can be matte and glossy, with or without a pattern. But outwardly not very impressive. Glossy PVC film is always a bit rough, pebbly - and does not give a perfect shine. But such a facade is the most budgetary. Yes, it will have an edge and only overhead fittings (no curly mortise handles), but if you need to save money, this best option.
- Acrylic facades made of chipboard
Acrylic is a transparent coating that is applied to a film or already painted facade. Its cost, of course, is higher than just with PVC film, but it is also noticeably stronger. Although vulnerable to severe damage - the impact will leave a chip on top layer. Not restored.
Kitchen with acrylic facade, "Maria".
- Facades made of chipboard with TSS coating
TSS (thermo-textured surface) is essentially compressed craft paper that is high pressure soldered into the chipboard base. Reliably conveys the texture of different bases: natural wood, leather, concrete.
Kitchen Loft Industry, "Atlas Lux".
The TSS coating makes the facade even from chipboard durable, resistant to damage and unpretentious in maintenance. In addition, such a finish will not be expensive. The only negative is the edge at the end.
Kitchen Loft Vintage, "Atlas Lux".
Facades from MDF
MDF - medium density board, pressed from small dry chips. For kitchen facades, the best option: with high-quality assembly and proper care boldly serve 10-15 years. Unlike chipboard, MDF has no edges and can be used to make radius (curved) facades.
Kitchen "Ikon" with a radius facade, "Atlas Lux".
MDF facades are painted, veneered, laminated with PVC film. You can create a glossy, matte or pearlescent surface in the color, shade you want, imitate wood, concrete or metal. And use not only the consignment note, but also the mortise fittings.
Kitchen "Factory", "Atlas-Lux". Facade made of MDF with a metal finish.
Pros: surface without joints up to 2.7 meters, thickness from 3 to 60 mm. Strong and durable material, can be restored.
Cons: artificial material.
Kitchen "Empire" with a glossy MDF facade, "Atlas Lux".
- Film facades from MDF
PVC film - the most a budget option MDF finishes: costs on average 20% cheaper than painted facades. This is a huge selection of textures and colors, ease of care. However, the film may peel off, deform from high (from 70 ℃) temperature - it will not be possible to restore it.
Kitchen Life with a film facade, "Maria".
- Acrylic facades from MDF
More reliable than base Chipboard option- and more expensive. Such a facade can be complex in shape, with all sorts of roundings. Acrylic is unpretentious in leaving. Durable, but not strong enough to withstand swipe. Damage is not repaired.
Kitchen with a radius acrylic facade, "Lorena".
- Painted facades from MDF
If you are considering a color coating without an edge, then the enamel facade is the ideal solution. You can paint it on both sides, make it matte or glossy, at your discretion. With this finish, you are not limited in choosing the shade you need: 188 colors according to the RAL palette and 304 colors according to the NCS palette. Painted facades can be polished and restored.
Kitchen "Chester" with a painted facade, "Atlas Lux".
- MDF facades with fine line coating
Fine line, or otherwise eco-veneer, is a cut of natural wood of inexpensive softwoods: poplar, for example. Fine-line is flexible, inexpensive to manufacture, absolutely environmentally friendly and allows you to transfer the pattern of any wood. And it is significantly cheaper than natural veneer.
- Facades made of MDF with natural veneer
A thin slice of natural wood is laid by hand, which allows you to not interrupt the pattern throughout the entire facade. Finish coat can be made matte and glossy. Facades veneered with rosewood, satin walnut (red gum), olive, anegri are always unique: two completely identical products simply do not exist. This is a plus and a minus at the same time: you can’t 100% predict what the facade of your kitchen will turn out to be. Therefore, when choosing exotic breeds, ask for a sample at the factory.
Kitchen "Walensa Wood", "Atlas Lux". The MDF facade can be veneered with seven types of precious wood veneer under a glossy or matte varnish.
- MDF facades with stone veneer
Make out natural stone(slate cut 1-3 mm thick) - or polyester resins, which are almost indistinguishable from the outside natural material. Such a facade is resistant to temperature extremes and high humidity, attractive from a decorative point of view. It's almost impossible to damage it. The only drawback of this finish is a small selection of colors.
- MDF facades with Soft Touch coating
Matte enamel is designed specifically for surfaces that we often touch - and kitchen facades one of them. Soft-touch is made on the basis of rubber varnish. On such a coating there are no fingerprints, stains, scratches; it does not glare, creates a feeling of a velvety, soft to the touch surface. Practical in care: stains, traces of fat on such facades are almost invisible.
Facade with Soft touch coating.
Solid wood facades
They can be made of a solid cut of wood or with a solid wood frame, with an insert of veneered MDF. If you are considering a kitchen in seasoned classical style- both options for you. But be warned: just an array is expensive. And not quite practical: over time, the tree can dry out and deform, especially in the south, where there is always high humidity. Although quality, after proper drying, the array serves 20-25 years.
A reasonable alternative to a 100% solid wood is a frame facade, in which the solid wood frames the MDF. An MDF insert does not change its size during service, therefore such a facade as a whole is more durable and resistant to influence environment. You can't distinguish it visually: the veneer covering the MDF insert completely repeats the texture of the solid wood frame.
The texture of the array can be emphasized with patination or completely covered with enamel: it depends on the style of the kitchen. Modern classic suggests a smooth facade without wood texture, traditional classics, on the contrary, have a pronounced pattern.
Pros: natural, 100% eco-friendly material; long lasting when dried properly.
Minuses: subject to temperature changes and humidity; expensive stuff.
Before choosing furniture for the kitchen, you need to think about the loads that occur in it. During cooking, drops of water, fat and other liquids constantly fall on the surface of the headset. That is why furniture should be not only beautiful, but also practical in cleaning. To date, for the manufacture of modern kitchen set such manufacturing materials can be used: solid wood, MDF, chipboard panels (chipboards). For home improvement, it is best to choose the first two options, since chipboard is characterized by low resistance to moisture and mechanical stress. If you wish to pick quality furniture for the kitchen, then you should contact professional manufacturers or stores. You can pick cuisine in Minsk prices you will be pleased. It is important to choose the right raw materials for manufacturing, the shape of the kitchen set (angular, straight, U-shaped model), the dimensions of each component, as well as all drawers and other storage systems. Consider which kitchen is better: based on MDF or natural wood, technical characteristics different options, advantages and disadvantages.
The main characteristics of solid wood furniture
Recently, furniture based on an array has been increasingly used. Modern products are made on the basis of high-quality, pre-processed types of wood, which increases the operational parameters of the selected kitchen. In our country, products based on pine or larch are most often used. These types of wood do not have a high cost, so you can even equip large kitchen inexpensive. The advantages of using natural wood include: environmental friendliness, high quality, presentable appearance, reliability and durability. Some experts argue that the array is too susceptible to increased moisture, so in the kitchen, the facades of the headset can quickly deteriorate. Another drawback is the specific appearance. It is very difficult to find furniture that is suitable for high-tech or minimalist style.
In this article:
Wood is the undisputed leader among the materials that serve as the basis for interior doors. For its decorative and protective cladding, paints and varnishes, laminate (and its varieties), veneer, fine-line are used.
There are, of course, orders for doors made of polymers, metal (for example, from an aluminum frame with glass inserts). The decoration uses stone (both artificial and natural), various fabrics, skin. But the share of these materials in mass production is low - such doors are made, as a rule, to order for small-scale or piece production.
Consumers evaluate doors according to standard criteria:
- price,
- quality,
- outward attraction,
- operational characteristics.
But for manufacturers, the features of materials are more important, which can simplify technological process, reduce the cost or, on the contrary, create additional problems during storage, transportation and processing. Consider the pros and cons various materials used in the production of interior doors.
On the saving of raw materials and the cost of doors
Another 70 years ago natural array was the only material for the manufacture of interior doors. But the lack of natural resources forced to look for other solutions. The reason is simple: about 2.5-3 units of doors are produced from 1 m3 of high-quality solid wood, and no more than 2 units from the same amount of industrially suitable wood.
Due to the shortage of raw materials, the price of solid wood doors hard rock gradually turned them into premium products. Veneer and fine-line reigned in the middle price category. Therefore, the array of conifers lined with natural veneer.
From 1 m 3 of wood, you can get about 400 m 2 of veneer, which is enough to make 10-15 doors. And if the tree is grown and processed according to technology fine-line, 1m 3 will be enough to produce 20-25 doors (less waste).
The use of honeycomb technology in the production of interior doors made of MDF (chipboard) made it possible to fill the low price segment with a wide range of products.
Of course, the quality of such products corresponds to the cost, but it allows you to get 50-65 doors of the following design from 1m 3 of wood:
- frame - MDF / chipboard, from 5 cm thick (sometimes replaced with inexpensive wood);
- internal voids - "honeycombs" from chipboard / MDF (wood-based panels with special internal round channels);
- external cladding - MDF sheets, which are additionally decorated (painted, laminated, veneer).
Natural array in the production of interior doors
A door made entirely of furniture panels is a beautiful and durable thing. Its cost depends primarily on the type of wood. Expensive wood used in mass production - beech, oak, maple, mahogany. The price for such doors "starts" from $500. Therefore, a higher demand is noted for products made from “soft” wood (for example, pine, spruce), their cost is quite budgetary - from $200.
array- material, whimsical in storage and processing. In production, only carefully dried boards and shields can be used to avoid deformation and warping of wood. At the same time, an array of poor quality (for example, with knots or curved beams) is guaranteed to lead to marriage. Therefore, with independent harvesting, it is sometimes necessary to reject up to 60% of lumber.
Array advantages:
- the strength of the door structure, reliable fastenings, good adhesion of the canvas to the finishing materials;
- the opportunity to launch a full production cycle workshop, which will allow you to independently produce raw materials for doors;
- material that "speaks for itself" - massive doors do not need special advertising, they are known as high quality goods and appropriate prices.
Flaws:
- unique individuality of the structure of each door;
- poor tolerance of humidity and temperature changes;
- solid wood door has a significant weight, so the fittings (especially, door hinges and locks) must be of high quality, designed for high loads;
- high probability of formation of cracks in the places where the lamellas are glued when using low-quality glue or insufficient drying of the starting material.
Therefore, in serial and mass production, interior doors from the massif covered with a decorative and protective layer of natural veneer.
Fineline and veneer
To reduce the consumption of materials in production door panels veneer sheets began to be used - thin slices of wood (0.6-1 mm), which are glued together to achieve a high density.
But natural veneer has a special nuance - the uniqueness of the wood structure. Therefore, in mass production, where it is necessary to achieve the same performance (including in the figure, and in color scheme), a high percentage of waste occurs. But most often such a marriage is found after the tint or varnish has dried - on final stage production.
A new product of the wood industry helped to solve the "eternal question" - veneer made using “Fine-line” technology. It is produced from industrial wood of fast-growing poplars and abachas, grown in a special way, so that the structure is uniform, and the blanks do not have knots and other defects.
Peeled veneer is obtained from this wood, glued in piles according to a special program, painted to give the most identical appearance. Therefore, a fine line from the same batch will be guaranteed to have the same parameters and characteristics.
Advantages: naturalness of the material, and when using fine-line technology - the stability of color and structure. The use of veneer is a chance to reduce wood waste in production and diversify the product range. This material makes it possible to make available doors that reliably imitate expensive breeds. For example, natural mahogany or wenge veneer costs 5 times more than its fine-line "version", not to mention the array.
Minuses: fine-line has low strength (the material is based on soft poplar, so you should not expect special wear resistance from doors made using this technology). Even multi-layer varnish does not save. In contrast, a hardened lacquer applied to a soft base increases the likelihood of cracks or a distinctive "white halo" from even a minor impact.
But natural veneer is made from hardwood, and is designed to protect soft wood from accidental damage. But the high cost and a large number of marriage is an irreparable shortcoming of this material.
MDF, chipboard
Chipboard, and subsequently MDF- the most economical material in terms of conservation of natural resources and production costs. For the production of plates, wane, thin gauge, branches are used - in a word, wood waste. Doors made of these materials have the lowest cost (especially when facing with a laminate - a synthetic film with a pattern).
To reduce the cost, many manufacturers make only a frame from solid wood (for example, from pine lamellas), and the surface of the canvas is covered with embossed or smooth MDF boards (chipboard).
Advantages:
- low price;
- the possibility of decorating (painting, pasting) for any material, not limited to wood;
- low weight (11-20 kg) allows the use of almost any fittings - according to the choice and capabilities of the client;
- structures do not dry out, and are much less sensitive to moisture and temperature changes than solid wood doors.
Flaws:
- the appearance resembles plastic to many (especially the “Finnish” white smooth doors);
- not resistant to damage - upon impact, dents are formed that cannot be restored;
- contain formaldehydes harmful to health;
- have weak ends of the door leaf;
- color - low strength.
Materials used for external decor of interior doors
1. Laminate- paper impregnated with acrylic or melamine resins. With the help of full-color printing, a very believable imitation of an expensive finish is achieved, but paper remains paper - over time it burns out, easily deforms from mechanical damage and under the influence of moisture, has poor adhesion to the base material (especially on curved elements).
2. Dual chrome laminate- a polymer film with corundum additive, which is specially processed for resistance to ultraviolet radiation, scratches and abrasion. It holds well both on planes and on elements with a large radius of curvature. Reliably imitates natural veneer.
3. Veneer- a thin cut of wood, thanks to which even a door made of MDF or glued pine beams looks no less impressive than a solid wood door. Resistant to accidental damage, allows you to significantly expand the range - from the usual oak to wenge, mahogany and other exotic species.
4. Paint and varnish products– to protect and impart an effective glossy or noble matt sheen finished products they are varnished in several layers (if necessary, after preliminary tinting). Although many manufacturers apply at this stage manual labor, but automation of the process will help eliminate a large number of hidden defects, ensuring smoothness, the absence of air bubbles and a uniform coating of the door leaf.
Question:
How to distinguish natural wooden furniture from chipboard?
Today a rarity. In stores, products are usually presented from composite materials, such as chipboard and MDF. At best, manufacturers use veneer - thin sheets natural wood, which is pasted over parts made of chipboard and MDF.
Since solid wood furniture is much more expensive than the one made according to " modern technologies”, unscrupulous dealers can mislead the buyer, giving out cheaper raw materials for natural wood.
Chipboard is a common composite material for furniture production, which is compressed wood particles mixed with non-mineral binders, sometimes with the inclusion of special additives. Chipboard boards are widely used for the manufacture of cabinet furniture. This material is not "bad", it's just much cheaper than natural wood and has both advantages and disadvantages. For example, chipboard is resistant to moisture. The strength characteristics of the material are quite high, but inferior to the corresponding properties of natural wood. Oddly enough, the flammability of chipboard is lower than that of an array. In addition, the material is not susceptible to pests. The advantage of chipboard is the stability of structures. Products retain their shape for a long time and do not change their size (if the furniture is installed indoors). chipboard quality depends on the production technology, type of raw material, density and number of layers (plate thickness).
The optimal solution is the manufacture of combined furniture. The facades are made of solid hardwood (for example, sweet cherry), and the internal elements are made of high-quality MFC (thickness not less than 18 mm). Countertops, for example, are impractical to be made from solid wood, so they are made either from wood chipboard or from veneered chipboard with lining. It is also possible to make a countertop from MDF with natural veneer and lining.
Distinguishing furniture from chipboard is quite simple.
Firstly, plates give out ends. They, of course, are skillfully disguised, however, they still remain rectangular in shape. Therefore, if all the ends are with “sharp” corners, it is worth doubting the “naturalness” of such products.
Secondly, it is necessary to carefully examine the quality of the ends. If adhesive streaks are visible or the top decorative layer is moving away in places, the furniture is clearly not made of solid wood, and besides, it is of low quality.
Third difference- same pattern. Real wood cannot have periodically repeating "ideal" patterns. A careful examination of furniture sometimes leads to interesting discoveries. Some manufacturers save on materials so much that they don’t even bother to close all the ends of the chipboard. Of course, this not only reduces the life of the furniture, but also negatively affects the ecological situation in the house. In no case should such furniture be installed in residential premises.
A conscientious manufacturer and seller always informs the buyer about the materials from which the products are made, and can provide certificates confirming the authenticity and quality of the raw materials and the furniture itself. Approach the choice of interior items carefully, and then they will delight you for many years.
