When it comes to home renovation and upgrading your interiors, you will want to consider your home’s kitchen cabinets, doors, furniture, flooring, etc. Most people prefer to upgrade their interiors with wood materials that can enhance their house’s appearance and aesthetics. However, choosing the best wood type can be a daunting task. But we are here to help you by introducing different kinds of MDF PVC, Letron, and Melamine woods, which are the best wood materials for interior applications. Before buying one, make sure to read this article thoroughly to choose the most suitable wood for your kitchen cabinets, interior doors, or floorings.
What is MDF?
The advancement of industry and the limited nature of natural resources have led us to produce and use artificial and man-made products. One of the things to note about this is the wood products. Wood has long been considered a raw material for the construction and manufacture of all kinds of equipment. But, as mentioned, the limited resources and other political-economic reasons led us to turn to other options. Also, the goal of producing processed products was to produce products that could bring together the features and benefits of previous products as much as possible in a new alternative product. Such composite products are final products that have better properties than their raw materials before blending. These include MDF fiberboard and other wood citrus, as well as artificial coatings.
The word “MDF” stands for Medium Density Fiberboard. This wood product is made of wood fibers and count therefore in the group of fiber boards. In this sense, MDF accompanies the word medium in its definition, which has a medium density or specific gravity. Any fiberboard that weighs more or less than this specific gravity falls into the category of HDFs and LDFs, respectively; Because they contain hard or tough words and low in their definition. MDF is one of the most popular wooden composite materials in terms of its extensive benefits and has been widely used in industry, equipment and construction. These benefits include reasonable and affordable prices, resistance to erosion and insects, high appearance diversity, acceptance of special coatings.
Advantages of MDF Panels
MDF panels offer various advantages for interior applications, and some of these benefits are:
- Medium Density Fiberboards are More-Cost Effective Materials than Solid Woods
- MDF Panels do not Have Splinters or Voids
- Painting MDF is Easy Since It Has a Smooth Surface
- You Can Easily Cut These Boards With a Router and Different Types of Saws Without Any Burnings or Tear-Outs
Learn more about the advantages of MDF Kitchen cabinets.
Disadvantages of MDF Boards
Although MDF boards are valuable materials for your home’s cabinets and doors, they have their disadvantages that you need to know.
- MDF is a Heavy Material
- If Not Sealed Properly, It can Takes In Water and Other Liquids and Will Swell.
- These Engineered Woods Do Not Feature Wood Grains for Aesthetics, and You Will Have to Paint Them
Tips for Using MDF
When installing your MDF panels for your cabinets or floorings, there are some essential precautions you need to have if you want to avoid damaging the boards.
- Do Not Use Hammer: Since MDF is a robust wood material, you cant use nails with a hammer. So, you should pre-drill a hole or use a trim nailer to shout nails into the board. We recommend you use a putty knife to scrape off the bumps.
- Do Not Let MDF Get Wet: MDF panels will swell to twice their thickness when exposed to water. However, some moisture-resistant engineered woods can be used in areas with higher humidity, such as the bathroom or laundry rooms.
- Utilize Solvent-Based Primer: You will want to avoid a sandpaper effect during the MDF painting process by priming the edges.
- Protect Your Face When Cutting MDF: Cutting MDF can produce a sandstorm of fine, powdery dust that can be dangerous for our health. So, it is essential to cover your face with a tight-fitting mask or cut the panels outdoor.
- Have Extra Saw Blade: When cutting MDF, you should expect your saw blades to get dull. Thus, it is better to have an extra saw blade during cutting MDF Panels.
Conculsion for MDF Boards
This visual diversity of MDF is created by coatings of different materials. Even natural wood veneers are used to cover MDF boards, but synthetic materials play a more prominent role in MDF, as there are a variety of veneers to enhance. Low resilience and MDF deficiencies are used. These properties are not found in natural wood, which is why we have basically turned to synthetic products such as MDF. Examples include waterproof, antifreeze, antifungal, fire retardant coatings and many others. In terms of veneers that only cover the appearance of MDF, a wide range of colors and visual diversity is available. MDF coatings are a layer of adhesive-coated coating that adheres to the board or raw MDF board due to heat and pressure from the press machine. As mentioned, each coating gives MDF both positive and different functional properties. In the following, we want to get acquainted with three artificial veneers that are placed on a special purpose as a cover on MDF.
Everything you should know about PVC
PVC is a polymer product that has unlimited application in a variety of fields and is therefore one of the most important polymer products. The original or scientific name of this product is Lee Vinyl Chloride, and PVC represents the same name (Polyvinyl chloride). In the construction of PVC, the logic of replacing another material was natural rubber, which was obtained with great difficulty and time. Chemists from all over the world were researching the material, but the hardness and fragility of PVC at the beginning of its construction made it difficult and perhaps impossible to work with. Finally, research and experiments in the 19th and 20th centuries yielded results, and with the addition of additives, a soft, flexible, workable polymer product was produced. Since then, with the advancement of PVC, this material has been proposed as an alternative to previous industrial and construction materials.
One of the advantages of PVC is that it is chemically stable, flexible, resistant to high temperatures, and easy to disinfect. Also, the resistance of PVC coating against scratches and abrasions is high.
PVC vast application in almost everywhere!
PVC, like MDF, is applied in many cases and is even more widely used than MDF. In addition to home application, it is also used extensively in the construction of land and water vehicles, false ceilings, partitions, tank coverings, protective coatings, furniture making, door and window construction, and the wood industry. At the same time, PVC is one of the coatings used on MDF to make a comprehensive cover on both sides of MDF. PVC coating is used on MDF to reinforce some of its properties and make it a superior product, or to give new properties to the final product as a composite product.
PVC itself is produced in white and comes out of the factory in the same color. But since it is applied for various purposes, its color and design are very important and should be changed from the original design and shape. Of course, PVC painting is a long and expensive process, and this prevents a large variety of colors and designs of PVC. For this reason, PVC sheet is coated, which is available in various designs and colors, and most of them use the same coatings. These sheets are available in a variety of designs, such as wood designs or a variety of matte, glossy, and high-glass designs. Various thicknesses are also considered for these PVC coatings.
These sheets, which are used as sheets, have the ability to cover any type of surface with any angle and ending and curvature. Especially on boards that have been machined or used, this coating can create a uniform surface as a cover and help clean the final product. For instance, when covering doors that have been machined and differ in surface and depth due to the original design, a continuous coating is required to cover all the ups and downs and dimensions. These doors are covered with PVC sheeting to form a uniform final appearance, as if they were immersed in a concentrated liquid.
Especially PVC coating in the form of thin strips as thick as MDF board is used to cover the cut part of the board. This strip makes the inner texture of the MDF indistinguishable, and the sharp cut corners become softer and the product looks more beautiful. In this PVC application, the coordination of the color of the strip with the color of the MDF board is very important.
Do you know what “Melamine coating” is?
Melamine is a polymeric material that is popular in the plastics industry due to its unique production processes. Low Pressure Melamine is just one type of coating that is placed on a wood product such as MDF to cover it. These coatings are used to protect MDF against moisture, scratches and heat, and many others. These thin sheets of adhesive are glued to wooden boards, especially MDF, by heat and pressure from the press machine. These veneers are one of the most popular veneers for MDF. Due to the complexity and difficulty of the melamine coating process, many MDF manufacturers also consider a separate melamine MDF production line.
Melamine is a type of laminate that is produced under low pressure. Artificial laminate flooring itself is classified into several categories: high-pressure or HPL laminates, low-pressure or LPM laminates, and compressed or CPL laminates.
The two groups of HPL and CPL laminates are used in different locations based on the level of safety and quality of construction. For instance, high pressure laminate is suitable for hospital and laboratory environments because it is highly resistant to external factors and cleaning them frequently does not harm it. Of course, the downside of high-pressure laminates is their high durability, low flexibility, hardness and fragility. Compressed laminates are also produced with more layers than the previous model and therefore have a longer life and durability than it.
In the meantime, working with low-pressure laminate flooring, or melamine, is easier than working with HPL and CPL. Melamine coating is used both for indoor and outdoor application. Furniture such as sofa, desks and bedside tables, toilets, kiosk cabinets, wall coverings and cupboards and shelves are just some examples. In fact, melamine can be considered as a coating with the widest range of consumption for wood products. This type of decorative paper has a high variety of appearance and does not limit the manufacturer in this regard, but it is not possible to have a glossy appearance with this veneer material.
Like PVC, melamine coating tape is used to cover the edges and diameters of MDF boards to soften both the sharp edge and the rough texture of the board.
Melamine decorative paper is resistant to heat, scratches, moisture and abrasion, but is not highly resistant to acidic and alkaline materials.
Advantages of Melamine Boards
Now that you know what melamine boards are, it is good to know their clear advantages for kitchen cabinets, floorings, or other furniture you want to upgrade.
Melamine Boards are Durable: These materials are highly durable, water-proof, stain resistance, scratch-resistant, and you can clean them easily.
Melamine Comes with Perfect Finishes: You will have limitless choices with melamine boards since they are available in a wide array of wood grain options textures while being cost-effective. Additionally, you can apply and add whatever color or textures you want to these durable wood panels.
Budget-Friendly Wood Panels: Melamine panels are budget-friendly options for cabinets that do not sacrifice durability and quality. Since they do not need to be finished or sanded like solid wood, they can save you time and money during the renovation application.
Disadvantages if Melamine Boards
Like every material in all industries, melamine boards also have disadvantages. For example, melamine itself is a waterproof material, but it can create warps on the melamine coating if the water finds its way to the surface beneath. Another potential disadvantage of these boards can be expected after an improper installation. Although melamine panels are durable and sturdy, the particleboard material can get damaged and cause chipping in the melamine coating if you install them incorrectly. Additionally, since these boards are not edge-finished, they will require edgebanding to cover up their edges.
Applications and Uses of Melamine
Although you can use melamine boards for interior or exterior doors, their primary usage is in the bathroom and kitchen cabinetry due to their durability. Additionally, you can use them for shelvings and counters, whiteboards, flooring, and office furniture.
Stylish Letron Decorative Paper
Letron paper cover is also known as Paper Foil or Finish Foil. Letron is also one of the coatings that adheres to the surface and edges of woodworking tools such as MDF. Due to its low structure and price, this coating is not very resistant to moisture, heat and scratches. But it is still one of the most popular coatings for MDF in safe and non-hazardous cases.
It is made and glued to the board in such a way that it is first produced in a certain weight and dimensions, impregnated with glue and sold in rolls. The roll of paper is then opened and placed on the desired surface and, as in previous methods, is pressed to the raw MDF board under pressure. In such methods, it is important that the surface of the MDF board is homogeneous as well as smooth and polished so that the coating sits well on the surface.
In some cases, this coating is used to make the final effect of the work, so its design, matte and gloss are important. But most of the time, this coating is used as a simple coating to cover the raw texture of MDF board, only as a substructure, and finally it is painted so that the board is painted. In these cases, the final appearance is determined not by the Letron coating but by the same coloring.