Solid wood, veneer, MDF, laminate - which is better for interior doors? How to distinguish natural wooden furniture from chipboard.

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Wood - 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

Even 70 years ago, natural solid wood was the only material for the manufacture of interior doors. But lack natural resources made me 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 scarcity of raw materials, the price of solid wood doors has gradually turned them into premium products. In the middle price category veneer and fine-line reigned. 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 from MDF (chipboard) made it possible to fill the low price segment 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.

Disadvantages:

• 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 the 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, solid wood interior doors are 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 tinting or varnish has dried - at the final stage of 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 stacks according to a special program, and 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 accessible doors, authentically imitating 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 high price and a large number of marriage is an irreparable shortcoming of this material.

MDF, chipboard

Chipboard, and subsequently MDF- 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 most low 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.

Disadvantages:

• 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 - it burns out over time, easily deforms from mechanical damage and moisture, and 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 goods they are varnished in several layers (if necessary, after preliminary tinting). Although many manufacturers apply at this stage manual labor, but automating the process will help eliminate a large number of hidden defects, ensuring smoothness, lack of air bubbles and uniform coverage of the door leaf.

Veneer or solid: which is better?

It has long been no secret that veneer furniture has a number of advantages compared to similar furniture not only made of chipboard (which is obvious in its essence), but even made of solid wood. Furniture made of chipboard or MDF and covered with oak veneer will be perceived as massive, oak, both by eye and by touch. Such furniture is environmentally friendly, not subject to natural deformations, has a significant less weight and cost compared to the array, besides, care for it is less scrupulous. And if you remember natural factor(compare how many trees it takes to produce the same furniture from solid wood and veneer?), then the choice becomes completely obvious.

In addition to covering the veneer with protective and aesthetic layers of varnish, it can not only be tinted, but also combine different patterns or even types of veneer in random order (marquetry technique), which is unattainable when working with an array.

However, let's not get ahead of ourselves, let's dwell on this issue in more detail.

Consumers are primarily interested in the main operational parameters of purchased furniture - these are strength and durability, hygiene and environmental safety. These characteristics of furniture directly depend on the materials from which it is made. Speaking of wood materials, consider solid wood and furniture panels chipboard and MDF with various types coatings.

So, natural wood, in other words, solid wood is the highest quality, expensive, but at the same time a very capricious material. Solid wood furniture requires proper care, otherwise it risks losing its external gloss from changes in temperature and humidity. Therefore, when caring for furniture made of natural wood wet cleaning contraindicated, should be used special formulations, most often with wax to remove dust and add shine. The durability of such furniture depends on the type of wood, how it is processed, and how much this type of wood is prone to warping (i.e. swelling), sensitive to light and changes in humidity (usually wood is much more capricious in this respect than other materials). Of course, at the same time, solid wood furniture guarantees high environmental cleanliness in the house, the absence of chemical components and synthetic resins. High-quality solid wood furniture speaks of the taste and social status of the owners, however, without proper care, it loses its appearance and operational properties over time.

Furniture from wood boards in many respects it is more practical than wood: it is cheaper and easier to handle. But it causes negative associations associated with the recent past among our compatriots, when chipboard furniture crumbled around the edges and emitted harmful formaldehydes, which was caused poor quality adhesives and disruption of technological processes.

Modern particle boards are made by pressing and gluing small wood shavings with special adhesives. Adhesives of sufficiently high quality are now used, and manufacturing technologies are regulated by special standards. Russian standards for chipboard are generally considered to be the most stringent in Europe, and strict certification prevents boards of inadequate quality from appearing on the market.

In addition to ease of handling, chipboard furniture is the cheapest in the general price grid, and this affordability makes it the most popular. Mass production provides a wide range of sizes, colors and styles. The only limitation is that furniture shapes can only be straight. If you like rounded corners, embossed facades - you need to choose furniture from MDF - fiberboard.

This multilayer board is manufactured by dry pressing fine wood fibers under conditions high pressure and temperature. The binder is lysine, which is released by wood under the influence of temperature and pressure. Therefore, MDF is as environmentally friendly as wood, as it consists of absolutely natural components.

Both chipboard and MDF, before becoming furniture, need additional processing- facing - coating with films, plastic or veneer. The appearance of furniture and the strength of its surfaces depend on the type and quality of this coating.

Film cladding is either a laminating process, when the coating is applied during the pressing of the board, or laminating, when the film is glued onto the already finished board.

Facing plastic is also made from compressed paper layers using special technologies, and, in addition to being highly decorative, has refractory properties. Furniture lined with plastic is most often used in kitchens and bathrooms.

natural veneer refers to the oldest ways of finishing the surface of the plates. On top of the veneer must be applied protective varnish. Furniture lined with veneer is indistinguishable from solid wood furniture in terms of decorative qualities, but it is very dependent on compliance with the veneer sticking technology and the quality of protective varnish coatings. Therefore, the manufacture of such furniture should be trusted only to professionals in their field, working on high-quality equipment.

Based on the described characteristics and the conditions in which the furniture will be used, some recommendations can be made.

If you are short of money, your choice is chipboard. Big choice such furniture is presented in the well-known IKEA store.

If the possibilities allow using more expensive materials, try to diversify the interior. For example, furniture in classic oak veneer will look good in the hallway, in the kitchen you can use plastic or enamel coating (enamel looks especially interesting in combination with the effect of mother-of-pearl or patina), and in the living room you can put solid wood furniture or furniture in veneer with using the marquetry technique, - at the same time, the interior will acquire its own zest and will form a single harmonious ensemble.

In any case, trust your taste and let your imagination run wild! After all, it will depend on how comfortable you will feel.

Before buying new interior doors, everyone is faced with the question: what material to choose? Among the huge variety of products, it is not difficult to get confused, but we will try to clarify the main points regarding the choice of doors. And here you can find an illustrated catalog of doors.

Consider two main options: veneer and solid wood doors.

A metal door attracts with its strength, a glass one with elegance, a plastic one with lightness, but none of them can be compared with a natural wooden door.

Solid wood door always in fashion. It fills the room with a special cozy atmosphere. But its price is much higher than others. Solid wood products can be made with various decorative details: with glass or metal inserts, unusual finishes and fittings. They are always in demand due to their durability and high strength. Another advantage of them is that they are successfully combined with any interior design and subtly emphasize the style of the room. This versatility allows these blades to be installed as in classic rooms, and decorated within the framework of luxurious baroque or even modern high-tech. If necessary, original interior doors can be made to order according to a unique project of the designer or the buyer himself.

Solid wood canvases enchant with their appearance, however, at the same time they cause a lot of trouble, because they require special care and conditions. Too dry or vice versa wet room may adversely affect the condition and appearance of products. In a dry room, their surface dries up and cracks. And excessive humidity leads to swelling and deformation of the canvas. Under such conditions, the door quickly fails. In addition, it cannot be treated with aggressive agents, as they can leave deep damage to the surface. But if you take care of the doors and properly care for them, they can last a very long time.

If you want to save money choose veneer doors. They are made from solid pine, which is covered with MDF sheets with glued veneer sheets - thin plates of natural wood. Veneered doors at a relatively low price have good strength. Unlike products from the array, they are not afraid high humidity, so they can be safely placed even in the bathroom.

The disadvantage of veneer products is their vulnerability to the sun and time, which lead to darkening of the surface. Veneered canvases are varnished, which protects the material from drying out and moisture and adds shine. As a rule, veneer doors last a long time.

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When choosing a furniture material, first of all, attention is paid to durability, environmental friendliness and cost.

In most cases, cabinet furniture is made of wood, veneer or chipboard. All these materials are products of the woodworking industry, but they differ in production technology. Solid wood - natural wood different breeds, from simple to exotic: pine, oak, ash, walnut, larch, mahogany and ebony ... For the manufacture of furniture, wood is painted, coated with impregnations and varnishes, polished. Veneer - a thin slice of natural wood up to 3 mm thick. When used in furniture production veneered sheet material: HDF, MDF, chipboard, plywood. Wooden plates and the base are connected with adhesives. Chipboard - a board made of wood pulp: sawdust, shavings, crumbs - they are pressed together with formaldehyde resins into sheets. These sheets are further lined with a colored or textured film of paper impregnated with melamine resins.

The benefits of these materials

M Solid wood furniture is natural and environmentally friendly. Depending on the species, the wood is soft or hard, but its strength is higher than that of veneer or chipboard. And the natural texture of wood gives the furniture a spectacular appearance - it is difficult to find two identical wood.

M Veneer furniture looks like natural wood furniture thanks to the cladding. Veneer is more resistant to changes in temperature and humidity than wood; furniture from it rarely cracks and cracks. At the same time, prices for veneer furniture are much lower than for similar models made of wood.

M Chipboard furniture is popular because it is an inexpensive and easy-to-produce material. The appearance of laminated chipboard is the most diverse: the laminating film is not limited to the textures and colors of wood, so furniture made of laminated chipboard can be bright and unusual. And the ease of processing allows you to diversify the design of furniture. Another important point- democratic prices.

Weaknesses of each material

P When buying furniture made of solid wood, it is worth remembering that, although wood is considered environmentally pure material, impregnations, varnishes and other means of its processing may contain harmful impurities. It is also important to understand the types of wood so as not to make a mistake with the quality. Due to the cost of the raw material, the price of such furniture is quite high. In addition, wooden furniture needs special care.

P When buying furniture made of veneer, you need to pay attention to the bonding strength of the layers of this material so that the furniture lasts a long time. The veneer must be protected from impacts and water ingress so that the facing wood does not crack and does not begin to lag behind the base.

P When buying furniture made of chipboard, you need to check the certificates of conformity: chipboard must belong to class E1 in order to be considered environmentally friendly and furniture from it could be put in a nursery. You should also consider the laminating film, edge, board thickness and be especially careful during the selection.

findings

1 Solid wood is a beautiful but expensive material. Furniture from it is suitable for a spectacular living room.

2 Veneer is an attractive and medium-priced material. Veneer furniture due to its resistance to temperature and humidity - best option for kitchen.

3 Chipboard - unpretentious and budget material. It is often used to produce functional furniture - wardrobes.

Popular wardrobes

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There were no houses without doors, no, and never will be. This is an integral part that sets the style for the entire interior. Therefore, it is worth approaching their choice with great responsibility. Which material will last the longest? What features of wood should be given Special attention?

Wood is unique and universal material, so wooden doors have always been valued higher. Wood is used both in production and construction, and in decoration. In addition to environmental friendliness, wood has a number of other remarkable characteristics: strength, durability, sophisticated look, besides, the tree is easy to process.

Now there are many types of wood, ranging from those that grow in our area, and ending with exotic ones, and each species is endowed with its own unique characteristics.

The main ways of making doors:

Solid wood doors

Doors made from solid wood are the most expensive. Apart from luxury look, their service life is surprisingly long. Over the years, these doors acquire antique value. In addition, they do not let the cold and noise through. But, oddly enough, they are not deprived of shortcomings. A solid door, being under the constant influence of sudden changes in humidity and temperature, can be deformed or cracked. Another significant disadvantage is that sometimes it is not easy for small children to open a heavy door. In such cases, special attention should be paid to sliding systems: with the help of such a mechanism, even a large oak door can be easily moved.

Oak or beech - these are the types of wood on the basis of which solid wood doors are made. Oak is a very flexible, dense, durable and beautiful wood with a variety of shades (from yellow to black) and a noble texture. The pattern will appear in all its glory only when the door is made of wood, which is over 50 years old. Beech strongly resembles oak in strength and density. It is easier to process it, but it is also more susceptible to external influences. Solid wood doors are also made from alder, walnut, maple and ash.

Veneered doors

The process of veneering, a less expensive option for manufacturing doors, is as follows: an array of inexpensive wood species (larch, cedar, spruce and pine) is lined with sheets of wood of more valuable species. Of course, outwardly such doors are not much different from solid wood doors, the same applies to strength. But veneer doors will react much less to external influences. But, again, it will be more difficult to restore them from mechanical damage.

Tamburat

Modern material, the main component of veneered doors. This is a special lightweight wood-pulp material, which is also very durable. It is needed in order for the canvas to “breathe” freely. Due to its environmental friendliness and practicality, this technology is becoming more and more popular every day.

What to choose?

Why buy an array if the appearance of the veneer is not much different, while it costs less? Do not forget that the array is a classic, it is valued higher and lasts much longer. And there are no fakes among the array, which cannot be said about veneer, where the materials for its manufacture may not be the best. But, be that as it may, it is best to choose a reliable manufacturer. It will be the determining factor, no matter what you choose.

In this case, preference can be given to interior doors from Italian masters. Italian manufacturers always appreciated high quality, as well as modern design its products.