Types of board facings
There are many finishing materials used in furniture, and the products are constantly being innovated, which often makes people dazzled.
Introduction
The choice of finish for artificial boards not only has a direct impact on the appearance of furniture, but also needs to be applied to different environments according to their individual characteristics. Apart from simple material processing such as spray painting, glass, mirrors, metals, etc., which are generally easy to understand, the wide variety of different products on the market, constant updates and replacements, and often the lack of unified names often make it difficult to choose.
The following lists only some of the common types of panel finishes that need to be discussed. Having a basic understanding of the materials will help you make a decision that is truly suitable for you.
Baked paint
Liquid or Powder Coating Curing
Source: Bedford Falls Communications, Inc.
What is baked paint?
Baking varnish is a coating production technique in furniture manufacturing. It generally uses fiberboard as the base material and is mainly divided into two baking varnish methods : liquid coating (Liquid Coating) and powder coating (Powder Coating) . If classified by the finishing effect, it can be roughly divided into three types: glossy surface (Lacquer Finish), matte surface (Matt Lacquer Finish) and metallic surface (Metallic Lacquer Finish) baked lacquer. Common furniture paints such as PU paint (Polyurethane Coating) and PE paint (Polyester Coating) can be produced in the form of baked paint .
- Liquid coating - also known as the traditional baking method, the process is to grind the board to a certain degree, and then apply at least three coats of primer and four coats of topcoat by spraying; each coat of paint needs to be sent to a dust-free constant temperature baking room to be dried and cured by electric heat or far infrared high temperature, and then grind and polish to finalize.
- Powder coating - is a more advanced technology than traditional liquid coating . The biggest difference between the two is the temperature; the baking temperature of powder coating must be around 100-150°C, while the baking temperature of liquid coating is generally around 50°C. The two are basically the same in terms of preliminary processing, but powder coating needs to be sprayed in large quantities in the air with an electrostatic spray gun in a spray room, allowing the paint to carry static charge and naturally adsorb to the surface of the object. Powder coating has high requirements on production technology and equipment, and is more commonly seen in the treatment of mass-produced furniture and door panels.
Some furniture on the market that is claimed to be " baked paint " has not actually undergone the high-temperature "baking" process in a dust-free oven. Strictly speaking, this is not formal baking paint , and it may be more appropriate to classify it as "spray painting". The pre-production process of this type of painting is similar to that of baking paint . Then, during the spray painting process, a curing agent (hardener) is added to accelerate the curing of the paint, and then the paint is allowed to dry naturally under a high-temperature lamp. Furniture made in this way may have a similar effect to baked lacquer on the surface; however, in terms of quality, appearance and physical properties, it is completely different from real baked lacquer furniture. Paints that have not been baked in a baking oven generally lack hardness and are prone to scratching, cracking, fading, and yellowing over time.
The so-called " piano lacquer " furniture is not actually painted on the surface of a piano, but is treated with high gloss lacquer or spray paint to imitate the mirror effect of the piano surface. Real piano lacquer or high-quality high-gloss baked lacquer uses PE lacquer, which must go through multiple coats of lacquering and baking. The process is complicated and expensive, and is only seen in high-end furniture production.
Source: Leicht Küchen AG - High-gloss baked lacquer.
Advantages of baked paint
- Rich color selection, not easy to fade;
- Good moisture and water resistance, suitable for humid climates;
- Strong anti-fouling ability, easy to clean the surface, not easy to penetrate oil and has certain corrosion resistance;
- High stability, wear resistance, durability, fire resistance and hardness;
- No edge banding is required, and the milling plasticity is high;
- Highly environmentally friendly, some of the harmful chemicals in the paint have been absorbed and eliminated during the painting process.
Disadvantages of baked paint
- The price is relatively high; because the production requires a certain level of technology and processing equipment, the process is complicated and the production cycle is long, the scrap rate is high, so the production cost is also high;
- It is easy to be scratched by collision with hard objects, so it needs careful maintenance; if it is damaged, it is difficult to repair and the whole piece needs to be replaced;
- Long-term exposure to oil smoke and ultraviolet light will cause color difference in this part;
- The quality of baked lacquers claimed on the market varies.
In addition, furniture painted with UV paint (Ultraviolet Curing Coating) is not processed in the form of baked paint , but is automatically rolled, poured or sprayed on the board surface by machines and equipment, and then made by using ultraviolet light curing machine to quickly dry the surface with ultraviolet rays. UV lacquers can be solid colour or clear and are used as topcoats or primers respectively. The surface of the board treated with UV paint has the characteristics of high hardness, yellowing resistance, less color difference and not easy to fade; while the board treated with UV paint by rolling or pouring can generally only be flat and cannot be painted on the edges, and needs to be sealed with aluminum frames or plastics. Kitchen cabinet door panels made using this method are also called UV panels (ultra-crystalline panels) .
Wood Veneer
Veneers
Source: Columbia Forest Products — Natural Veneer.
What is Veneer?
Veneer is a thin sheet of wood produced by rotary cutting or sawing. Its thickness is generally between 0.4 and 1 mm, and it is mainly used as a decorative veneer for artificial boards .
Veneer can be divided into two categories: natural veneer and technical veneer :
- Natural veneer ( Hardwood Veneers ) — Made from natural tree species or high-grade wood, commonly found in mid- to high-end furniture and solid wood composite flooring . The texture of natural veneer is clear and natural, unique and irregular.
- Engineered Veneers / Reconstituted Wood Veneers - Imitation natural veneer that has been technologically processed. It is made from ordinary scrap wood or fast-growing wood from artificial forests through processes such as processing, coloring, pest control, gluing, slicing and polishing. The texture of technological veneer is artificially set, and basically has a certain regularity and repeatability.
Source: The Solid Wood Flooring Company - Veneer Cutting Methods.
Source: Ikea - Natural veneer finish furniture.
Advantages of natural veneer
- The texture and color are natural and beautiful, and the touch is delicate and real;
- The surface can be varnished, dyed or painted (color-coated).
Disadvantages of natural veneer
- Higher prices;
- There are natural defects in the wood such as cracks, dead knots and wormholes;
- Discontinuous texture and color difference are prone to occur, which is particularly noticeable on panels with larger areas.
Source: Materia Exhibitions BV - Engineered veneer.
Source: Novi Decor Furniture - Technological veneer furniture.
Advantages of technological veneer
- The texture and color consistency are good and can be applied to a larger area of panels;
- The look, feel and smell are very close to natural wood;
- There are rich color and texture options, and the natural defects on the wood surface have been removed, making it easy to process.
Disadvantages of technological veneer
- The modified and regular texture of the pattern gives it a strong sense of artificiality and is not as natural as the texture of natural veneer .
Wood grain paper
Wood Grain Paper
What is Wood Grain Paper?
Wood grain paper is a kind of decorative paper used for veneer. It is usually made of kraft paper made from wood pulp as the base paper, and then embossed and dyed on the surface. The patterns on wood grain paper are printed to imitate wood grain patterns, and the surface is smooth and glossy.
Another type of self-adhesive wood grain paper is actually PVC film (PVC Boeing Film / Interior Film) , which is made of a double layer of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) film with a printed layer in the middle. The product itself is like a sticker and can be directly pasted on the surface of the board without gluing.
Source: Wilsonart LLC — PVC Wood Grain Film.
Advantages of wood grain paper
- Rich color and texture selection;
- It is inexpensive, easy to construct and widely used. It can be used to decorate the surface or trim of furniture.
- The surface is smooth and easy to clean.
Disadvantages of wood grain paper
- Weak wear resistance, easy to scratch and break, difficult to repair;
- The imitation wood grain pattern has a strong sense of artificiality, the surface is smooth and lacks the texture of wood, and the edges and joints are easily exposed due to the discontinuity of the grain.
Fireproof board
Decorative High Pressure Laminate/HPL
Source: European-kitchen-design.com
What is fireproof board?
Fireproof board (fireproof plastic board/high-pressure fireproof plastic board/fire-resistant board/melamine board/spany board) , whose full name is "thermosetting resin impregnated paper high-pressure laminate", is a decorative veneer material mainly composed of three layers: transparent surface paper (Transparent Overlay Sheet), colored paper (Decorative Sheet), and base paper (multi-layer kraft paper). It is soaked in melamine and phenolic resin and dried, and then processed under high temperature and high pressure to form. Fireproof boards are generally pasted on the surface of particleboard or fiberboard substrates, and have certain special physical properties such as fire resistance and wear resistance, so they are widely used in interior decoration, furniture and kitchen cabinets.
Commonly seen boards in Hong Kong include German boards , Formica boards or Deli boards , etc., all belong to this category. "Fireproof board" is just a common name. It does not mean that it is actually completely fire-resistant. It simply means that it has a certain degree of fire resistance and flame retardancy.
Source: Wilsonart LLC
Source: Holz - Fireproof laminate facing furniture.
Advantages of fireproof board
- There are abundant choices in finish colors, textures and even edge banding forms;
- Wear-resistant, high temperature resistant, flame retardant, impact resistant and not easy to fade, with good durability;
- It has excellent impermeability and moisture resistance, and is easy to clean.
Disadvantages of fireproof board
- It is generally impossible to create isolated corners and openwork carving effects;
- Strong cleaning agents such as bleach may damage the surface;
- Long-term direct exposure to ultraviolet rays (including sunlight) may cause the surface to fade;
- Since the side sections of the boards are mostly black or dark brown, if they are not properly edge-sealed or modified, the dark edges (commonly known as black gas/blackware) will be clearly exposed; this is particularly noticeable on light-colored panels.
Source: MF Chan@DoItYourself.com — Black Qi/Black Weapon.
Ecological board
Melamine-Faced Board / MFB
Source: Kronoplus Limited
What is an eco-board?
Ecological board (anti-flowering board/double-sided board/double veneer board/paint-free board/melamine board/melamine core board) is a board with added decorative surface.
The manufacturing process is to soak the paper printed with different colors and textures in the resin adhesive, and then wait for it to dry to a certain degree of solidification, bond it to the surface of the substrate, and then heat press it into shape.
The base material is generally particleboard or medium-density fiberboard , and the one using particleboard as the base material is also called MFC board (Melamine-Faced Chipboards ).
Source: Wilsonart LLC
Source: Egger — MFC Board Furniture
Advantages of Eco-Board
- The surface is flat and the structure is uniform, because the expansion coefficient of both sides of the board is the same, it is not easy to deform;
- The surface is very resistant to wear, scratch and stain, and has a certain degree of resistance to general acids, alkalis, greases and alcohol. It is easy to clean and has high durability.
- The base and edge banding are made of the same material, giving a consistent look and feel and a textured surface.
Ecological Disadvantages
- It is more likely to have edge collapse;
- It cannot carve patterns or shape corners and curved surfaces, and can only be used for vertical edge banding;
- Although it is highly durable, the surface may still be damaged and peel off, making it difficult to repair.
Blister board
Thermofoil Panel / Rigid Thermo Foil Panel / RTF Panel / PVC Membrane Laminated Board
Source:Knauersstamps
What is a blister board?
The surface of the blister board (vacuum blister board/molded board/PVC molded board/blister board/high-pressure formed board) is PVC (polyvinyl chloride) thermoplastic plastic, and the base material is generally medium-density fiberboard . After the board is engraved and milled, the colored PVC film is adsorbed on the surface through vacuum, high temperature and high pressure. In terms of finishing effect, it can be mainly divided into two categories: glossy and matte. Its high plasticity makes it particularly suitable for making kitchen cabinets and furniture door panels with European or rural styles .
Source: Lowe's
Source: Zillow — Blisterboard bathroom cabinet.
Advantages of blister board
- High plasticity, rich choices of engraving and color patterns;
- The surface has excellent impact resistance, moisture resistance, oil resistance, acid resistance and flame retardancy, and high dimensional stability;
- High flatness and smooth surface, easy to clean and maintain;
- The material is tough and can be bent to a certain extent without edge banding.
Disadvantages of blister board
- Poor heat resistance, may soften and warp when exposed to high temperature;
- Poor resistance to solvents and strong alkalis;
- Long-term accumulation of water on the surface may cause expansion and cracking;
- The wear resistance and UV resistance are poor, the surface is easily scratched and difficult to repair.
Crystal Plate
Acrylic Faced Panel
Source: Premiumfasad
What is a crystal plate?
The crystal board is made of a transparent acrylic (Acrylic / PMMA) plastic sheet with a painted or PVC colored paper on the back, which is pressed on the front and four sides of the substrate, while the back of the substrate is mounted with a white fireproof board . Crystal boards are generally made of medium-density fiberboard or plywood as the base material. They have a smooth surface and a transparent glossy effect and are commonly used in the production of kitchen cabinet door panels.
Advantages of crystal board
- High heat and cold resistance, strong acid and alkali resistance, anti-static, impact resistance and tensile resistance, not easy to deform, long service life;
- It is light, soft and elastic, and has flame retardant, insulating, moisture-proof and sound-proof properties;
- The surface is smooth and transparent, the color selection is rich and the price is low, and it is easy to clean and maintain.
Disadvantages of crystal board
- The wear resistance, scratch resistance and UV resistance are poor, and it is easy to be scratched, faded, fogged and lose gloss over time;
- Due to the dry climate, cracking and degumming may occur;
- The surface can only be flat, and curved edges cannot be created;
- The edge seams are more obvious.
Another type of acrylic board with solid color opaque surface is called colored crystal board (crystal steel baking board) , which can be treated with the same color on six or five sides. The edge seams are barely noticeable and the overall color is rich with a high gloss effect.
Source: Xiegong Enterprise Co., Ltd. - Color Crystal Panel.
Source: Kitchen Warehouse Ltd. — Crystal Panel Kitchen Cabinets.
Crystal Steel Door Panel
What is Crystal Steel Plate?
Crystal steel plates are mainly used in the production of kitchen cabinet door panels. They use 4 mm reinforced glass (tempered glass) that has been subjected to two high-temperature treatments with quartz sand as the panel. The back is painted or coated with colored PVC, and then inlaid in a frame substrate composed of aluminum alloy and ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic.
Advantages of Crystal Steel Plate
- High surface strength, excellent light transmittance, waterproof, wear resistance, impact resistance, high temperature resistance and scratch resistance;
- High durability, no problem of deformation due to moisture;
Disadvantages of Crystal Steel Plate
- The shapes are limited; the surface can only be flat, and no curved edges can be produced;
- Some pull-outs may be sharp and may cut your hands easily;
- Grease and dirt tend to accumulate on the edge of the door frame;
- The quality of door panels on the market varies.
A type of door panel derived from crystal steel plate is called carbon plate (nano-carbon plate/titanium crystal plate/nano-titanium crystal plate/carbonized glass door panel) . It uses carbonized glass as the panel and the back is colored using screen printing technology, and can produce patterns with a more textured feel. In addition, the number of plastic coating layers on the back is more than that of crystal steel plate , and the surface strength and impact resistance are better. However, the main base material used is medium-density fiberboard or plywood with an aluminum alloy frame, which is different from crystal steel plate .
Another similar door panel is called a vitrified panel (carbon light vitrified panel/titanium crystal vitrified panel/carbon crystal vitrified panel) . The only difference from the carbon light panel is that the back is colored with PVC film and only uses an aluminum alloy frame as the base material.
Source: Beijing Zhongdi Hengxin Technology Co., Ltd. - Carbon board.
Original link: https://www.homeplan.hk/home-decor-information/furniture-design#structure-particleboard