Furniture manufacturers are constantly wondering what kind of furniture to make in order to buy it? On the other hand, the consumer is looking for a manufacturer who will produce custom-made furniture that meets his tastes. Typically, the cost appearance and the attractiveness of cabinet furniture determines its facade. Therefore, both the manufacturer and the buyer, in order to reach a compromise, must answer the main question - which facade better fit for this piece of furniture.
According to marketing research, the following types of furniture facades won the greatest popularity among the domestic consumer (from the indicators of the offer range):
1. chipboard, including postforming and softforming;
2. Facades made of MDF, including in PVC film and painted;
3. Facades made of solid wood and veneer;
4. Frame facades from MDF;
6. Other types of facades.
To determine which facade is better, one should draw an analogy with their cost indicators, or rather, try to identify the relationship between the market price of a furniture facade and its popularity. The rating of price groups of furniture facades is as follows (in descending order of cost):
The greatest dignity of the painted MDF facades is a variety of colors of used paints and varnishes, which can be selected independently by tinting. In addition, coatings manufacturers offer a wide range of special coating effects: metallic, chameleon, pearl, marble, space, mother-of-pearl and much more. On the other hand, the positive characteristics of the MDF board (strength, environmental friendliness, moisture resistance) significantly affect the position in the quality rating. furniture facades, and the increased heat resistance of the paint layer raises it one step higher.
However, virtually all technological stages the manufacture of painted MDF facades is based on manual labor (priming, sanding, staining, patination, polishing), which significantly affects the cost of the final product and practically puts it in the same price range as products made from solid natural wood.
Solid wood facades
Furniture facades made of solid wood are most often approved by respectable people, fans of antiques and natural natural materials. Solid wood furniture, made in a classic style, combines not only aristocratic nobility and elegance, but also sensual warmth, weightlessness and harmony of home comfort.
In addition, solid facades natural wood are the most environmentally friendly, will always remain in fashion and proper care will last a long time. As they age, they are easy to restore. Yes, and the facades of solid wood grow old in their own beautiful way.
For the manufacture of facades, such valuable species of wood as beech, oak, alder, pine, acacia are used ... Often, to reduce the cost of the product and increase the resistance to deformation of the facade structure, veneer and chipboard (or MDF) are used, covered with veneer, including birch, cherry , chestnut, walnut, maple, as well as exotic species: wenge, teak, zebrano, makore, anegri and others.
The technology for manufacturing furniture facades from solid wood includes a long process of drying wood, as well as sawing, milling, grinding and assembly. a large number small parts facade frames and panels, coating paintwork materials. Practically at all stages of production manual labor, therefore the price of a furniture facade from the massif is so high.
Despite its advantages, wood furniture has its drawbacks: increased sensitivity to humidity, temperature, sunlight, special requirements for the care of facades, the ability to absorb odors, moisture and change its color over time.
Frame facades from MDF profile
MDF frame facades are a structure made of a special MDF profile with an insert inside glass (including mirrors), MDF board, laminated chipboard or plastic. The profile can be straight or with decorative milling, usually lined with PVC film (less often melamine paper) with a textured pattern for wood, metal, etc. A special advantage of frame facades is the ability to combine different contrasting colors of the MDF profile and internal filling.
Even a small furniture company is able to purchase inexpensive equipment and master the manufacture of frame facades. In addition, it becomes possible to get away from the standard sizes of furniture facades and work with individual orders.
The disadvantages of MDF frame facades are, first of all, open seam joints, which allow moisture to pass through when washed. film coated PVC profile can't stand high temperatures. The prefabricated structure can loosen and sag over time.
Frame facades made of aluminum profiles
Understanding the questions of what are the facades for furniture and which facade is better, one cannot but touch on the topic of frame facades from aluminum profile, which are an aluminum frame with an insert into it of fillings from a variety of materials: MDF, glass, plastic and others. best use facades is the production of furniture in a modern modern or hi-tech style. Particularly original are the facades filled with various types of glass. decorative films, stained glass, engraved, textured or mirrored. Most often, aluminum profile facades are used in combination with other furniture facades designed in the same style.
Basic information about film facades
Finally, I’ll still talk about what film facades are, what are their advantages and disadvantages.
Foil facades are a popular solution for making furniture, mainly for kitchens and bathrooms.
The scope of furniture made from such material is not accidental, since the MDF board covered with PVC film is resistant to excessive moisture. That is, if there is no extractor hood installed in the kitchen, and there is no effective ventilation system in the bathroom, the furniture you bought will last for many years.
Can the same be said about self-adhesive vinyl-covered furniture? Unfortunately, self-lined facades are not as reliable as factory counterparts.
Self-adhesive, no matter how well it is glued, cannot guarantee the absolute tightness of the coating. Factory facades do not have open areas of gluing, and therefore humid air cannot have any effect on MDF.
Comparing which film or enamel or plastic is better for MDF, I note that all coatings have certain disadvantages that must be taken into account when choosing furniture. But, film facades have one drawback - this is the impossibility of restoration if the film is damaged. However, the price of these facades is acceptable and, if necessary, they can be completely updated.
Conclusion
This time you learned about how film facades are made in industrial conditions and how to make a semblance of a factory facade at home. Any questions left? Ask them in the comments to read, I will answer everything. By the way, I recommend watching the video in this article.
Greetings dear readers of this blog. As part of the repair course, I will tell you how film MDF facades are made in an industrial environment and how you can do the pasting of facades yourself.
I won’t talk too much about what is better than painted or film MDF, but I’ll immediately say that the future lies behind facades pasted over with film. The fact is that such components are an order of magnitude more accurate, durable and, importantly, cheaper to manufacture than painted MDF or enamel covered MDF.
Choosing painted MDF or film for assembly kitchen set remember that even high-quality enamel will swell or peel off over time, while the film coating can last for decades without the need for repair.
Self adhesive for furniture: what to buy
It is important to understand what to stick on board materials not every film is possible. If a randomly selected self-adhesive from the bazaar sticks to furniture, then the surface is likely to be imperfectly even, and the coating will puff up in the corners and after a while will move away.
There are two solutions to the problem, namely, to buy an industrially manufactured facade that will not peel off and will look great. The second option is to buy a good film that has high adhesion to various surfaces including wood.
Such materials, for example, can be purchased at stores such as Leroy Merlin at prices ranging from 125 to 900 rubles. behind . Standard length quality coverage with a thickness of 0.3-0.5 mm in a roll is 2 meters with a width of 45 cm.
The difference in cost is due to the thickness of the material and the quality of the adhesive layer. That is, the higher the price of the film, the better.
How is the industrial cladding of furniture facades
Industrial MDF manufacturing facades and their subsequent decoration with a film is carried out as follows:
- In accordance with the product specification, plates with a thickness of 6 to 32 mm are cut into individual parts;
- The cut blanks are sent to the milling shop, where the blanks are given the required configuration using special equipment;
- The end face of the workpiece is processed manual router, after which the manufacture of the facade can be considered complete;
- At the next stage, the part enters the glue shop, where a special hot melt adhesive is applied to the surface, which is activated at an elevated temperature;
- The part prepared in this way enters the membrane-vacuum pressing workshop, where, with the help of special equipment, it is tightened with a hot film that comes into contact with hot-melt adhesive;
- After the film has cooled, its excess is cut off and the product is ready for packaging.
Most of the production process is automated, so the output products are of high quality, neat and relatively inexpensive.
So, I told you what is the instruction for the manufacture of furniture facades pasted over with vinyl film.
Unfortunately, for obvious reasons, all stages of the production process cannot be done by hand at home. However, there is a way to restore or update furniture with using PVC films.
Pasting the furniture facade at home
Now I'll tell you how to glue MDF film facade on a flat surface.
To carry out the planned work, you will need the following materials and tools:
- PVC film;
- White Spirit;
- Soft, lint-free cloth;
- New wide plastering trowel;
- Sharp stationery knife;
- sharp scissors;
- household hair dryer.
Important!
The spatula must be really new, as a used tool may have subtle irregularities that will scratch the film when smoothed.
The forthcoming work consists of the following stages.
Despite the fact that the instructions for gluing a film on MDF are simple, the quality of the finished result will depend on how closely you follow it.
- On initial stage carefully wipe the surface to be decorated with a rag soaked in white spirit;
- We measure the perimeter of the surface to be glued and, according to these measurements, cut out the self-adhesive with a margin of 1-2 cm on each side;
- We turn the self-adhesive into a roll inside out to the top;
- We apply the edge of the self-adhesive to the edge of the facade and separate the edge of the substrate;
- Next, gradually unfold the roll, separating the substrate;
- With a spatula wrapped in fabric, smooth the self-adhesive so that bubbles do not appear on it;
- After the film is glued evenly over the entire surface, the excess self-adhesive is cut off around the entire perimeter;
- The perimeter of the facade is heated with a household hair dryer and additionally smoothed with a spatula wrapped in fabric;
- We use a similar method if there are bubbles on the surface of the product.
If all the points of the instructions are followed correctly, the result will be practically indistinguishable from factory-made furniture facades.
Important!
A feature of adhesive-based PVC films is their small thickness.
As a result, every speck of dust or unevenness on the pasted surface will be visible to the naked eye.
Therefore, we carefully wipe the facade with a damp cloth and check for dust under a lamp or a bright lantern.
Pasting the countertop with a film under the tree
You have already familiarized yourself with the pasting of furniture facades, now I will tell you how I finished it myself kitchen worktop. The main stages of the work done are not much different from the previous method, so I’ll just post my photos with explanations.
First, I sanded the tabletop, changing the grit sandpaper in a grinder from medium to fine. The need for grinding was caused by the presence of scratches and chips both on the front surface and on the ends.
Depressions and large scratches were treated with putty, after which the workpiece was finally sanded and wiped with a cloth soaked in white spirit.
He applied self-adhesive, gradually removing the footrest and dispersing the bumps on the sides. When the main surface was pasted over, I bent the self-adhesive along the ends.
I made cuts in the corners with a sharp clerical knife and folded the bottom piece of film under the top one. I smoothed the film on the end with a rag.
The remaining folds were heated with a hair dryer and evened out with a rag already in a heated state. After complete cooling, the film is stretched and the ends look perfectly even.
For your information!
The described technology can be used not only for gluing furniture facades and countertops, but also for decorating furniture, large household appliances etc.
Basic information about film facades
Finally, I’ll still talk about what film facades are, what are their advantages and disadvantages.
Foil facades are a popular solution for making furniture, mainly for kitchens and bathrooms.
The scope of furniture made from such material is not accidental, since the MDF board covered with PVC film is resistant to excessive moisture. That is, if there is no extractor hood installed in the kitchen, and there is no effective ventilation system in the bathroom, the furniture you bought will last for many years.
Can the same be said about self-adhesive vinyl-covered furniture? Unfortunately, self-lined facades are not as reliable as factory counterparts.
Self-adhesive, no matter how well it is glued, cannot guarantee the absolute tightness of the coating. Factory facades do not have open areas of gluing, and therefore humid air cannot have any effect on MDF.
Comparing what is better film or enamel or plastic for
Allows you to update the interior, make it more fresh, outwardly attractive. Replacing a kitchen set can be quite expensive, so you can only update the facade. will help to change the appearance of the furniture, while the main parts of it will remain old, which will significantly save on replacing cabinets.
Benefits of façade renovation
Used to restore facades. There are times when it begins to move away: if a film has peeled off in the kitchen from MDF, you should not rush to change it to a new one. The film often peels off due to humidity, temperature changes, steam, and the use of low-quality glue.
Do not be surprised if peeling occurs quickly enough, even during loading after manufacture or with a short service life of the product. It peels off for the following reasons:
- Glue is not applied to the entire surface. When the substance is applied manually, often the worker skips sections of the product, and the film does not stick to them. You can solve the problem using colored glue.
- Using cheap, poor quality material. Quite often, a two-component polyurethane composition is used. It is quite difficult to stir it in the correct proportion, so the glue hardens incorrectly and does not hold well, bubbles may appear on the film.
- Use of expired glue. When using such a material, the film will stick, but peel off rather quickly.
- Insufficient temperature during gluing, as a result of which the connection did not go well enough. There can be many reasons: poorly heated film, vacuum was applied too early, adhesive layer was thin, blanks for facades were cold, it could be cold in the working room, the film was not pressed well enough, due to weak vacuum supply, the wrong adhesive was selected, the composition of which is not in contact with a particular film. The facades themselves could also be used incorrectly: for example, they were located next to heating appliances, cooker, sources of moisture. Before buying, it is important to find out how to properly care for furniture, for what conditions it is made.
How to fix the problem?
If the film on the facade is peeled off MDF kitchens, from the edge you need to carefully smear it with glue and press down. There is a chance that the film will take desired shape. You can restore the coating in another way - use an adhesive membrane. To do this, you need to lay out the boards on a dry and flat surface, for example, on a table, cover them with a membrane, use a vacuum. The membrane should tightly fit the facades. If you want more reliability, you need to use high-quality glue, heat the material so that it can be activated. Heating must be carried out evenly. This method is suitable only for unmilled facades: if the surface is uneven, the membrane will not stick and will quickly peel off. Therefore, it is so important to properly restore kitchen facades, observing certain conditions.
Use of heating appliances
If the PVC film peels off from the MDF kitchen facades, you can try replacing it with a new film or sticking the old material in place using improvised electrical appliances. It can be an iron, a powerful home or building hair dryer. The film must be gently heated: it should become soft enough, blurry, but not start to melt. If you have something to try, use these pieces or on an inconspicuous place on the facade. The device is pressed against the edge, which is not glued, for a few seconds. The film should stretch, the glue should warm up at this moment, and the material should protrude towards the back of the facade and stick firmly. If this can be done, then it will be possible to glue the entire facade in this way, in places where the film has receded.
Tip: the film itself cannot be heated with a hair dryer at close range, from this it will curl up and be damaged.
Such a restoration of kitchen facades with your own hands requires some skill, but it is quite simple to perform and does not require the use of expensive tools or materials. If the corners are poorly glued internally, you can use a metal rod comparable in size to the frame. It needs to be warmed up first. For this, you can use, for example, a gas burner.
Coating restoration by friction
Restoration of MDF kitchen facades in this way will not require any tools at all. In order to glue the detached section of the film, you need to cover it with a rag and start rubbing it with your fingers, pressing down on the film. If there is glue under it, the temperature from friction in a small area is enough to activate chemical reaction and force the film to stick.
Tip: use this method carefully, as there is a high risk of damaging the film, exposing its edge or removing upper layer, due to which the appearance of the coating will be spoiled.
Application of glue
Restoration of a glossy kitchen can cause some difficulties, since the gloss does not tolerate strong physical impact, which is why it should not be rubbed roughly with your fingers or heated closely with any appliances. You can try a safer method - gluing the detached film with the help of "Moment". Most often, such a film peels off in the kitchen, since it is not affected by hot steam. It is necessary to restore the coating as soon as possible, otherwise it will be damaged. Glue must be applied to the untreated area of \u200b\u200bthe facade and to the film itself along the edge so that it can isolate the seam from the negative impact. All this must be done carefully, as the glue easily sticks and gets dirty.
Conclusion: an inexpensive do-it-yourself kitchen restoration is quite affordable, it is advisable to see a photo of the finished results in advance. With a careful and competent approach, you can easily restore the appearance of the kitchen without resorting to replacing parts and without spending cash and produce .
And the PVC film is stretched, the most crucial and, perhaps, the most intriguing moment of all technological process production of facades from MDF. However, before turning on the press, several important indicators should be studied.
Characteristics of PVC film for crimping MDF facades.
· PVC film thickness . Varies from 0.2 to 0.55 mm. The maximum possible and minimum required heating temperature of the film surface depends on it. If overheated, the PVC base will melt, which will lead to the formation of melted holes and a violation of the vacuum tightness. On some types of films, due to this “frying”, glossy spots form, which negatively affects the appearance finished product from MDF. At a low heating temperature, the film will not achieve its elasticity properties necessary for successful tightening of the bends of the parts and the reaction of the adhesive. Reheating the film to the required temperature reduces its quality.
· PVC film color. It also affects the temperature indicators in the process of manufacturing facades from MDF. Dark shrink films acquire their own technological properties at temperatures from 45 to 60° C. Light and especially glossy films can be heated up to 120-135° C.
· Adhesive for PVC film . Here, one should take into account the fact that some adhesive compositions are activated only after reaching a certain temperature.
· The temperature in the room and the temperature of the membrane-vacuum press itself. In the hot season, as a rule, the heating process is faster, so you should beware of overheating the film.
Having studied all the above factors and made the appropriate conclusions, you can proceed directly to the process of wrapping MDF facades with PVC film.
After turning on the heating, the PVC film in the machine begins to “move”. At this point, you should be wary of the formation of large folds, which may later remain on the MDF facades. However, if you see a crease at the beginning of the heating stage, you should not panic. The fact is that the first sign of the "readiness" of the film is its stretching. At a certain temperature, all its folds are aligned, and it is pulled "into a string" above the surface of the press table. At this point, you need to run Vacuum pump.
The second sign that you can turn on the vacuum is the appearance of a slight haze over the surface of the film. This means that the maximum possible temperature has been reached and it is time to start the wrapping process. At this time, it is necessary to slightly open the vacuum valve and turn off the heating for 2-3 seconds, and then turn it on again. The PVC film will begin to settle on the horizontal surfaces of the MDF facades. In places where the film comes into contact with the surface of the parts, it begins to cool, so there is almost no danger of overheating here.
After the PVC film lies tightly on the surface of the MDF facade parts and begins to bend around their sides, the vacuum taps should be opened a little more.
The formation of a vacuum also has the property of absorbing heat. Therefore, heating should continue until the PVC facing film covers all the curves of the pattern on the surface of the MDF facade and its side parts, slightly tucking under the bottom edge. Then you can turn off the heat, but the vacuum pump should work a little more, in case the press is leaking air somewhere.
It is worth remembering that PVC films have a maximum allowable temperatures heating, the excess of which leads to melting and burnout. It is worth being afraid to bring the process to such temperatures. In cases where Maximum temperature heating has been reached, and the facades are not completely covered, or folds have appeared somewhere, it is possible to repeat the cladding process again.
To do this, let the machine cool down by opening the taps, turn off the vacuum, and re-heat the MDF facades. Non-adhered areas of the film will stretch from heating, after which it will be possible to turn on the vacuum again and continue the pressing process.
Also, do not forget that PVC film adhesive tends to react only at a certain temperature. Therefore, if the shrinkage of the film was successful, it is not a fact that adhesive composition activated, and it is necessary, without turning off the vacuum, to heat the MDF facades in PVC film to the required temperature for 2-3 minutes.
