What is furniture made of?

Chipboard, chipboard, MDF, softforming, laminate flooring, laminating - all these terms can be completely confusing and confusing to an unprepared buyer when choosing cabinet furniture. Even the principle “the more expensive the better” is not always true here. From this article you will learn what furniture is made of, in which cases it is better to give preference to a particular material. And also we will reveal the secret of how to purchase inexpensive, but safe furniture.

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Basic materials for the manufacture of furniture

Consider the most popular materials that are suitable for the manufacture of furniture.

Chipboard

Almost everyone came across this material. Particleboard is produced from woodworking waste: sawdust, large chips, etc. They are glued together with phenolic and formaldehyde resins, and then pressed into a plate. It is because of the presence of these resins in the composition of the chipboard is considered not entirely safe material. However, do not be afraid of all the furniture made of this material, you just need to carefully understand.

Kinds

Particleboard produce two classes:

• E1 - is produced using a relatively small amount of formaldehyde resins. Therefore, furniture from such a chipboard can be safely bought for office or residential premises.

Important! Check that all ends are covered with an edge. This way you can prevent the evaporation of formaldehyde resins and protect the furniture from swelling.

• E2 - are considered more dangerous. Try to avoid such furniture.

Important! It is forbidden to make interior items for a children's room and medical institutions from E2 chipboard.

Testing

To find out which class of material they make the furniture you like, ask the seller for a certificate of conformity. Your nose will help you in finding quality furniture: if you open a locker and feel a strong pungent chemical smell, most likely, a large amount of formaldehyde resins were used in the manufacturing process.

Advantages of chipboard furniture:

• Low cost.
• Resistance to high temperatures - chipboard furniture can be safely placed near cooking surfaces or other hot objects.
• Strength.
• Durability.

Disadvantages of chipboard:

• Sensitive to high humidity.
• It is difficult to curly trim.
• It is impossible to make curved furniture elements.

Chipboard

Such a plate consists of three layers, which are located on the principle of a sandwich:

1. The main layer is an ordinary chipboard.
2. The shallow layer goes on top of the first. Its main task is to improve the decorative properties of the plate.
3. Laminated film of thermosetting polymers.

Design

The surface of the chipboard can be very diverse:

• smooth;
• embossed;
• shagreen;
• under wood;
• glossy;
• with patterns.

Kinds

Furniture is made from chipboard both in economy class and in the middle price category. The plate covered with a film is not afraid of water and moisture, with the exception of the ends. Therefore, products from such material can often be found in the kitchen and even in the bathroom.

Important! When buying furniture from chipboard, pay attention to the quality of gluing the edges at the ends. It depends on how much such a product will be sensitive to moisture, how long it will last.

There is also moisture resistant chipboard. Its ends are processed with a special paraffin emulsion. And the structure of the plate itself includes wood fibers treated with impregnation, which prevents swelling of the material due to moisture. Of course, the cost of moisture-resistant chipboard is higher than usual.

Advantages of chipboard:

• Relatively inexpensive material.
• Not afraid of high temperature.
• Has a wide palette of colors and textures.
• Resistance to moisture in places of film coating.
• Simple care for finished products.
• Durable.
• Not subject to drying or twisting.

Disadvantages of chipboard:

• The ends with weak protection can swell.
• It is impossible to make curly or concave elements.
• Do not use abrasive cleaners.

Important! The load on the shelves of chipboard should be no more than 10-15 kg. Otherwise - over time, they simply bend.

MDF

What are cabinets with semicircular doors made of? - Often it is from the MDF. Furniture made of this material is becoming increasingly popular.

Important! MDF is another type of chipboard, however, unlike particleboard, it does not contain harmful resins. MDF boards are made from fine chips, almost wood flour, which is pressed using high temperature. For better bonding, the fibers are pretreated with natural binders that do not subsequently emit harmful substances - lignin and paraffin.

Advantages of MDF material:

• It has a high density, which almost corresponds to the performance of natural wood.
• Environmentally friendly. It is from this material that furniture for a children's room is often made.
• Flexible enough to create bent surfaces.
• It has increased moisture resistance.
• It is possible to create furniture with carved patterns.
• Immune to many fungi.

Disadvantages of MDF:

• Relatively expensive manufacturing technology. Furniture made entirely from MDF is not cheap. Therefore, often only facades are made of this material, and the inner walls are made of chipboard or chipboard.
• It is sensitive to high temperatures, especially above 70 C. The material may lose shape, warp, fall apart, bubble, etc.

Important! Do not place MDF furniture close to a stove, oven or other heating equipment.

• Subject to scratches and mechanical damage.

Fiberboard

The second name of this material is hardboard, and the people nicknamed it “pressed cardboard”.

Important! The main component of fiberboard, as in previous versions, is wood chips, flour and wood chips. A fiberboard can be produced in two ways:

• Resin hot pressing.
• Wet pressing without adding other components.

Advantages of fiberboard:

• Low price.
• Durability.
• Moisture resistant.
• Lightweight material.
• Environmental friendliness.

Disadvantages of fiberboard:

• As a rule, fiberboard is not thicker than 5 mm.
• The difficulty of mounting.

Important! What are the rear walls of cabinet furniture made of? - It is from fiberboard. Only individual elements are made from this material. Furniture made entirely of fiberboard does not exist.

• Form rigidity.
• Withstands only small loads.

Array

What is environmentally friendly furniture made of? - Of course, made of wood. More natural material for cabinet furniture simply can not be found. Most cabinets are made of hardwood - oak, beech, walnut, ash, mahogany, cherry. Longevity is directly affected by what material the furniture is made of.

Important! Interior items made of pine are relatively inexpensive. But pine furniture requires special care, constant maintenance of humidity and is not particularly durable, so it is advisable to buy it only for the bedroom.

Quite often now only facades or a furniture frame are made of solid wood, and MDF coated with veneer or laminate for the corresponding breed is used for the panel. Unfortunately, now all the furniture, in which natural wood is even partially present, automatically belongs to the elite and it costs a lot. However, you should not think that such furniture is absolutely perfect, it also has disadvantages.

Advantages of wood furniture:

• Environmental friendliness.
• Durability.
• Aesthetics.
• Unique natural pattern.
• Possible presence of thin carved elements.
• To be restored.

Disadvantages of wood furniture:

• High price.
• Large weight furniture made entirely of wood.
• Lack of mobility.
• Possible spoilage by various insects.
• May swell or swell over time.
• Highly flammable.
• Sensitive to mechanical damage.

Important! The reliability and safety of solid wood furniture largely depends on the firm's compliance with production technology, as well as the quality of the paints used. Since the buyer is difficult to verify these points, you should give preference to furniture from well-known and trusted manufacturers.

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Wood Board Coatings

The characteristics of products are affected not only by what material the furniture is made of, but also by the type of decorative coating.

Caching

This technology is used for budget furniture. Plain textured paper is applied to the surface of a chipboard or MDF, quite often then it is varnished or embossed.

Advantages:

• Low price.
• Simple production technology.

Disadvantages:

• Very afraid of moisture.
• Scratches quickly.
• Fragility.
• Does not withstand frequent use.

Important! Furniture with this coating is not suitable for kitchen or bath. Subject to careful use, you can purchase such sets for the bedroom or living room.

Melamine

Particleboard or MDF at 180 C is covered with several layers of paper, which is impregnated with melamine-formaldehyde resins. The result is moisture-resistant, wear-resistant laminated panels.

Important! This coating is also called artificial veneer. Melamine-coated panels are used as countertops, facades and furniture drawers.

Advantages of melamine coating:

• Low price.
• Moisture resistant.
• You can put hot dishes.
• Resistant to mechanical damage.
• A wide range of colors and textures.

  

Disadvantages of melamine coating:

• Easy to scratch with a knife or other sharp object.
• When applying a melamine coating, it is impossible to achieve complete tightness, so all joints of bathroom furniture must be treated with sealant.
• Strong impacts may damage the coating.

Important! Quite often, confusion arises between melamine and laminate, since the first and second coatings are made on the basis of melamine resins. The difference is precisely in the percentage of melamine: the melamine coating is made from melamine-formaldehyde resins with a content of 60% melamine, and the laminate is only 20%.

Laminate

High-impact film based on melamine resins is coated with chipboard and fiberboard. Laminate has a layered structure, due to which its special characteristics are provided.

Important! Do not confuse laminated chipboard and laminate. They have different characteristics, although they are made on the basis of melamine resins.

Depending on the production technology, the laminate receives different qualities and is distinguished by its class:

• CPL class - the surface of such a material is super-smooth.
• HPL grade - laminate is produced under high pressure. Due to the presence of pressing pads, it is possible to obtain a relief surface with imitation of stone or wood structure. Such a laminate is characterized by increased wear resistance.

Important! For kitchen worktops, choose an HPL laminate with a thickness of at least 0.6 mm.

Postforming

What do furniture with rounded edges or countertops make? - It is from this material. It is also sometimes called duroplast. Postforming is a plastic made from paper with the addition of plasticizers. When heated, this material is able to bend, and then, when cooled, retains a curved shape. It is for this ability that post-forming is so fond of furniture makers. It avoids the occurrence of a gap and a seam between the upper working surface and the end.

Important! Most often, postforming is used in the manufacture of countertops, window sills and cabinet facades.

Postforming coating benefits:

• Low cost technology.
• A variety of color schemes.
• Resistant to moisture and mechanical damage.
• It does not fade in the sun.
• Relatively heat resistant.
• Easy to care.

Disadvantages of postforming coating:

• If the technology is not followed, peeling of the plastic in the first months of use is possible.
• It is not possible to make a single corner countertop.
• You can laminate a surface with a radius of curvature of at least 3 mm.

Softforming

This technology is an alternative to postforming. Its essence is that only the ends of the plates, the surface of which already has a protective coating, are closed with a protective film.

Advantages:

• You can laminate any embossed surface, even a groove under the glass.
• Low price.
• Smooth rounding of the ends.

Disadvantages:

• You can see the joint between the films at the end, which is not very aesthetically pleasing.
• The film has low strength compared to the main coating of the plate.

PVC film

PVC film is widely used today. It has good stickiness and elasticity.

Advantages of PVC film:

• Durable and tough enough.
• Elastic.
• Environmentally friendly.

Important! Furniture with PVC film can be used for children's rooms and medical facilities.

• Wide range of colors.
• The ability to simulate almost any texture.
• It is steady against sunshine.
• You can deal with sticking yourself at home.

Disadvantages:

• He does not like high temperatures.

Important! When exposed to high temperatures above 65 C, the PVC film may delaminate and peel off. Do not put such furniture near cooking surfaces.

• It does not convey the texture very well - with a close inspection it is clear that this is an imitation.
• After 10 years of use, it may begin to release organochlorine substances.

Veneer

What material is modern natural furniture made of? - Of course, this is veneer. Translated from German der Spon means “sliver” or “lining”. Veneer, which is used in furniture production, is a thin sheet of natural wood. It is glued to a chipboard or less valuable wood.

Kinds

There are three types of veneer:

1. Planed has a thickness of 0.2-5 mm. It is made from valuable species of wood, such as mahogany, beech, oak, Karelian birch, yew.
2. Sawn - thickness 1-10 mm. Obtained from conifers - fir, spruce, cedar.
3. Shelled - thickness 0.1-10 mm. They are made from different types of wood - oak, alder, pine, birch. Such a veneer is obtained by cutting a thin layer of wood from a rotating log. Its quality is slightly lower than sawn.

Important! Veneering not only gives various materials a natural appearance, but also allows you to level all the imperfections of solid wood furniture.

Advantages of furniture with veneer:

• Noble appearance.
• Naturalness.
• It does not dry out and does not deform.
• Durable
• Easy enough to care for.
• The cost is lower than solid wood furniture.
• You can polish scratches and chips.
• Mobility.

Disadvantages of furniture with veneer:

• He does not like sudden changes in temperature and humidity.
• Subject to mechanical damage.
• It may darken over time.
• If the technology is not followed, the veneer may peel off the base.

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What to choose: a brief summary

Now you know what cabinet furniture is made of. To summarize before heading to the store:

1. The most budget furniture - from chipboard and chipboard. When choosing it, pay attention to the class of DPS and the quality of gluing the edges.
2. MDF is safe, moisture resistant, but does not like heat. Great for bathroom and nursery.
3. Cabinet furniture with straight facades can be safely purchased from chipboard, so you also save.
4. But the rounded facades are made only of MDF, and they cost more.
5. Furniture coated lamination will last less. A laminated stove is suitable for the kitchen.
6. The countertop glued using postforming technology will last longer and has a beautiful appearance.
7. Veneering gives the furniture a noble appearance, while maintenance is much simpler than for solid products.

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Stock footage

We hope that our tips will help you choose high-quality furniture that will delight you and your loved ones for a long time.