2019-04-28
Author: Belfan
Issues discussed in the material:
- What are the main materials used for furniture production?
- What materials are used to make furniture countertops?
- What materials are upholstered furniture made from?
Furniture production is developing rapidly, and specialists in this field are closely monitoring and quickly responding to new trends in the market. Every year, Russian and foreign companies offer many new models of furniture for various purposes, trying to attract as many customers as possible. To make the right choice, the consumer needs to know what materials are used for furniture production today. We'll talk about this in our article.
Main materials used
The most commonly used material for furniture is wood. But there are furniture sets made of metal and glass, plastic or combinations thereof. The basis for the manufacture of furniture structures is wood or its materials obtained as a result of processing. Among them are:
Furniture material
- chipboard;
- laminated chipboard;
- MDF;
- melamine;
- postforming;
- veneer;
- array.
All of them are used in the production of furniture. These are fibreboards or particle boards. These furniture materials are similar in their basic qualities, but they also have many differences. The places and methods of their application differ. For example, natural wood has become widespread when creating furnishings in children's rooms, schools and preschool institutions.
Office furniture is assembled from chipboard or MDF, which are more suitable for the manufacture of sets intended for use under heavy load conditions. Modern artificial furniture materials are resistant to mechanical damage and exposure to negative environments. Such qualities are ensured by the fact that new technologies are used in the manufacture of furniture from lumber, allowing them to withstand high humidity or shock.
Chipboard used in furniture production is covered with a special film. This decorative coating can be laminated or melamine. The difference between films that increase the strength of wood boards lies in the percentage of melamine resin. In one case it is 20%, and in the other - 60%. It is this component that affects the heat resistance, impact resistance and moisture resistance of the material used for the manufacture of furniture structures.
Accessories
Furniture fittings can be external (handles, plugs, legs, supports) and internal (hinges, door stops and stops, closers, hooks for hanging shelves, fastening strips, staples). Products of the first group are made from materials with high decorative properties. Internal elements are made mainly of metal: steel, aluminum, various iron alloys.
How to make your own furniture polish using improvised materials
Furniture manufacturing experts divide fittings into several groups according to their technical function:
- for attaching parts to each other - guides, handles, fasteners, legs;
- rotating mechanisms - hinges, swing devices, bearings;
- transformation mechanisms - recliners, roll-out devices, seat and tabletop lifts.
High-quality modern fittings cost a lot. Its total price can be up to 15% of the cost of the furniture itself. These expenses are justified, since low-budget products quickly become unusable. As a result, the furniture itself has to be repaired, which is not always possible, since screws and self-tapping screws leave mechanical damage in the wood panels.
Guides
Pens
Fasteners
Legs
Loops
Rocking devices
Bearings
Advertisers
Lifts
Types of wood boards
The cost of furniture depends on the quality of the wood taken for its manufacture. Natural wood is highly resistant to negative influences, mechanical damage, humidity and temperature changes. Solid furniture structures are made from natural wood. As for cabinet furniture, the most suitable materials for its manufacture are wood panels obtained after processing wood.
MDF
Fiberboard is a material for furniture, the creation process of which requires dried wood fibers treated with special substances that act as binders. The layer-by-layer laying of fibers resembles the weaving of a carpet in its structure.
This material in the manufacture of cabinet and modular furniture is used only after the hot pressing process and application of the finishing (decorative) melamine coating or veneer. The cost of MDF is several times higher than the price of chipboard, but in terms of its qualities (strength and wear resistance) this material is better than others.
Chipboard
Chipboard, the positive quality of which (unlike natural wood) is the absence of knots and other defects. There are no internal voids or cracks in the chipboard. In order to make this material for furniture, sawdust and shavings are mixed with glue. After this, they are pressed and, after waiting for complete drying, they are sanded. The strength of the boards is given by melamine paper or veneer.
Chipboard is widely used in the manufacture of furniture for offices, educational institutions, and public reception areas. Finished structures have high strength, moisture resistance, resistance to aggressive environments and temperature changes.
laminated chipboard
Laminated chipboard. This stove is present in every home. Furniture structures and flooring are assembled from it; it can be seen as decoration on walls and ceilings. The surface of laminated chipboard is highly durable and resistant to mechanical damage.
The coating is created by applying a laminated film, which is a type of paper-resin film created on the basis of thermosetting polymers. This coating provides the material with reliable protection and guarantees a long service life in areas with high traffic or high humidity levels. Resistance to moisture can only be ensured if the laminated surface is free of chips and scratches.
Fiberboard
This furniture material is better known as hardboard. Lightweight, durable and easy to process. Holds self-tapping screws and screws quite firmly. Used for the manufacture of back walls of cabinet furniture as cladding for wood frames. It was used in this way because of its fragility and fragility.
Acrylic
This is a newer technology for processing MDF facades. To produce sets, MDF plates are used as a base, acrylic plastic is applied to the outside of the facades, and the inside of the products is treated with a white laminate. The ends are protected either with an aluminum profile or with an acrylic edge, which exactly matches the main color of the headset. The result is facades that highlight the futuristic design of the room.
Advantages of acrylic facades:
[+] Glossy effect that cannot be achieved with paint, film, or even plastic;
[+] Environmental safety;
[+] Resistance to damage.
Flaws:
[-] Marking;
[-] Inability to decorate facades with glass.
Each of the materials considered has its admirers. Some people value high functionality more, others value aesthetics more, others want to save money. Be that as it may, the materials presented have their advantages, and thanks to modern production technologies they can last quite a long time if properly cared for. Therefore, when ordering facades, a person should rely primarily on his own feelings and select a product that will ideally “fit” into the interior in style and color. Fortunately, the variety of design solutions and a wide palette of facades allows you to make the right choice.
Recommended wood for furniture
To create the chipboard and fiber material used in furniture production, certain types of wood are required. Wooden furniture helps create comfort in a room, guarantees the safety of owners, and can withstand a variety of loads and negative influences. Before choosing such furniture, you need to clarify what kind of wood it is made of.
Important qualities of wood used to make furniture are strength, environmental friendliness and durability. Wood is selected according to several criteria:
Wood hardness chart
- texture and pattern;
- coloristics;
- hardness;
- strength;
- moisture resistance.
For example, soft woods include birch, alder and pine. They are easy to process, but can hardly withstand minor mechanical damage. Oak, walnut, cherry or beech are medium-hard woods. Maple and most exotic woods are considered hard.
If we talk about color, then light textures include birch, pine, maple, and ash. Darker are oak, larch and cedar; the darkest are walnut, wenge, and rosewood. To make furniture from solid natural wood, you should not choose species with a pronounced pattern.
Types of wood
Most often, furniture is made from wood with a medium-expressed pattern:
- oak;
- cherry;
- ash;
- maple.
Particular attention should be paid to such characteristics as moisture resistance. Wood of high hardness and strength may not withstand high humidity. Furniture made from it quickly loses its attractiveness and breaks down.
Using coating for furniture material
Various types of coatings have been developed and created to protect wood. Before pressing, all types of chipboard chips are treated with chemicals that act as binders. For the manufacture of furniture, they choose materials made without the use of formaldehyde resins, since during operation such slabs emit harmful fumes.
The quality and features of the decorative coating affect not only the cost of the chipboard used to make furniture, but also its visual appeal, durability, and strength.
Laminating
This is the fixation of special paper on the chipboard surface, which is later embossed or varnished. Furniture with such a coating can be installed in the living room or bedroom, but will quickly lose its attractiveness and become unusable if placed in places with high traffic or humidity.
Chipboard lamination
Melamine coating or artificial veneer
It has a fairly high level of strength and wear resistance. Resistant to aggressive environments, high and low temperatures, and humidity. Treatment of wood chips with melamine and formaldehyde resins increases the wear resistance of the coating several times, making it possible to make kitchen and bathroom cabinet facades and countertops from such boards.
Melamine coating
Lamination
One of the highest quality, durable and reliable coatings. Due to the application of a film created on the basis of melamine resins, the chipboard becomes several times stronger. Such materials are widely used in the assembly of kitchen furniture, sets for hallways, offices, and children's rooms. The main distinguishing feature of a laminated surface is its structure, the features of which depend on the class of the laminate. CPL class material is absolutely smooth, and HPL class products, made using high pressure, have a surface that imitates stone or wood.
Postforming
Designed for making furniture with rounded corners. Its base is plastic, made of paper and plasticizer. This material perfectly retains the shape that the master gives it using heat.
Veneering
Furniture veneering is the process of gluing a sheet of natural wood onto a chipboard surface. This coating guarantees a high level of strength, visual appeal, and resistance to minor mechanical damage.
The processing method and the chosen coating for wood panels used in the production of furniture play an important role in giving the finished product the most desired qualities.
Film MDF
This type of material is made by gluing a PVC film onto the surface of a finished MDF board. Due to the film coating, MDF facades are not subject to deformation, but this is far from the only advantage of the material made using this technology.
The advantages of the material also include:
[+] A variety of colors;
[+] Affordable price;
[+] Unpretentiousness.
Minuses:
[-] If it comes into contact with hot water, the film may be damaged and it will be impossible to restore the façade to its previous appearance.
Rules for choosing finished furniture products
When choosing furniture, you should consider what material it is made of.
When choosing furniture, it is important to clarify not only the features of the coating, but also the source material from which the chipboard is made. This choice is based on the characteristics of the upcoming operation and the installation location of the furniture structure. A living room set may not be highly resistant to temperature changes or wear-resistant, but furniture for a kitchen or hallway must be truly durable.
Beautiful, strong, durable furniture made from solid natural wood is very attractive, but such a set is expensive, and not every consumer is able to purchase it. Veneered products would be an excellent alternative. Externally, they are not much different from natural wood and in terms of performance they are not inferior to the most durable wood.
A budget option is chipboard or laminated chipboard, but these materials can guarantee the owner long-term use of the furniture with careful handling and proper use. When choosing furniture, it is important to know what kind of wood was used in the manufacture of chipboards, the degree of their moisture resistance, the level of permissible load and the warranty period.
Disadvantages of acryline
The disadvantages of acryline include the following:
- sensitive to mechanical stress. Facades made of this material must be handled very carefully to avoid scratches.
- facades are demanding to maintain; fingerprints and settled dust are noticeable on them.
- high price
I hope this article will help in choosing materials for the manufacture of furniture facades that suit your financial capabilities and aesthetic preferences.
