What material is better to choose a kitchen?
Many housewives, choosing furniture for the kitchen, look primarily at its appearance. However, the design should be a minor issue. The most important is the material from which the kitchen is made. In this article we will analyze the performance characteristics of natural, artificial raw materials, answer the question: what material is preferable for the kitchen.
Content
Basic headset requirements
The facade of the cabinets used in the kitchen must have certain qualities. It is the front part of the headset that takes the main “hit”. It is affected by high temperature, moisture, fat. The facade of kitchen furniture should have the following qualities.
- Resistant to moisture. This requirement is relevant for all furniture items located near the stove. Reduce the amount of moisture will help a good hood.
- Strength. Fragile elements in the process of daily use may break, crack.
- Resistance to minor mechanical damage. When cooking, furniture can be inadvertently scratched with metal pots, a frying pan, fork, knives.
- Non-susceptibility to absorption of foreign odors. Smells will always be present during cooking. Poor façade can absorb them.
- Aesthetics. This is also important. An attractive kitchen set will help to create a harmonious space, a stylish interior.
A brief analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of materials
So, what material fully meets the above requirements? It is impossible to give an unequivocal answer to this question. However, we consider in detail the main varieties of raw materials, we denote their strengths, weaknesses.
All materials used for the production of kitchen furniture are divided into two groups.
Material groups | Kinds | Specifications |
Natural | solid wood | Natural raw materials are characterized by a long service life, excellent performance. It does not adversely affect health. The downside is the high price. |
Artificial | MDF, chipboard, chipboard | Their common feature is affordable price, low weight. Some species may contain harmful resins. |
Solid wood
Wooden facade - the best option for the kitchen. Wood differs in tremendous operational qualities: high durability, aesthetics, safety. In the manufacture of objects used different types of wood.
- Birch This tree is relatively inexpensive. However, many experts consider birch too soft.
- Larch.The most common type, has long been used during the manufacture of furniture, facades. Larch has the correct technical, physical characteristics.
- Spruce. It has a pleasant aroma, is moisture resistant. Minus ate - the complexity of processing.
- Pine. Pine is most often used in the manufacture of furniture fronts for the kitchen. Pine is strong, light, does not cause difficulties during processing.
- Oak. The most extraordinary kitchen sets are obtained from this tree. Oak is very durable. It is easy for him to give the desired shape. Oak products can serve for tens of years. But their cost is quite high. Such products will not afford a low-income family.
Frame MDF
If the budget for repairs, the decor of the room is small, you can pay attention to the artificial building materials. Frame MDF is a cheap material. It has several important advantages - it combines various types of raw materials, allows you to make designs of any size. However, the use of frame plywood will require additional room facilities. You need a high quality hood. Frame plywood is afraid of moisture. Another disadvantage is the complexity of cleaning. When washing you will need to make significant physical effort.
Painted MDF
The painted plate is a better option. It is covered with several layers of enamel. Eight is the ideal number of such layers. The facades of such a plan will be able to serve for a long time, have an attractive appearance. A great advantage of the painted plate is the presence of a large number of colors and shapes. Finished products can be easily matched to any stylistic direction of the interior. Another advantage is the resistance to high temperatures. MDF can withstand sudden changes in temperature during cooking.
Despite the extensive list of advantages, the painted plate has a number of drawbacks.
- The complexity of the restoration of the material. It will be hard to mask even minor damage. Partial repair is not always possible, it is not cheap.
- Instability to sunlight. Installing such kitchen furniture, it is important to take care of its protection from the sun's rays. Will help in this thick curtains. Without protection, surfaces will begin to fade.
- The need for constant cleaning in the kitchen. The coating is very susceptible to touch. It will always remain fingerprints, stains, grease stains. Light wet cleaning will be required constantly.
Film MDF
Simple, affordable building materials. In the market film MDF is presented in various color scales. Such a facade is easy to match for any style of kitchen interior. It is a budget, perfect for arranging the cottage. The process of making this type of panels is quite simple. To begin with, the coating is treated with glue. Then PVC film is applied, press is applied. The press, glue reliably fix a film on a surface. However, after several years of operation, the film may begin to peel off. The detachment is striking, spoils the overall interior of the room. Another serious drawback is color fading. Bright colors do not long please the eye with its richness. Considering this, there is no point in buying a kitchen set of similar raw materials for a home interior. It has an old-fashioned design, quickly losing its original qualities.
Chipboard
MDF is often used by manufacturers. However, poor performance adversely affects demand. An improved alternative is LDSP. The advantage of raw materials is the top layer - laminate. It protects the coating, decorates the finished product. Chipboard is better than the previous artificial building material, but the benefits are also not particularly impressive. The main positive quality is low price. Products are available to different segments of the population. Another important advantage is the absence of harmful secretions. The top coating prevents the release of substances into the environment. LDSP is easy to clean. Plates can be washed with a normal damp cloth.
disadvantages
- Simple design. It is impossible to make an extraordinary interior using furniture made of laminated chipboard. They are very simple, more suitable for country design.
- Low resistance to moisture. Despite the protective coating, chipboard weakly resists high humidity.
- The presence of a specific smell. In the first few weeks of operation in the room there will be an unpleasant smell.
Chipboard
This building material is made from waste. Wood waste is pressed, bound by special substances. The main disadvantage of particleboard is precisely the presence of such binding substances. They contain harmful components. Substances can evaporate into the environment, harm health. For this reason, buying products from chipboard is not worth it. The only positive quality of this raw material is reasonable price. Kitchen equipment is cheap. To save money, you can purchase such furniture to the country. There you spend not much time. Harmful substances will not be able to cause significant damage.
Important! Choosing which material will be the basis for creating the atmosphere of your kitchen, you need to take into account your own budget, the special requirements of the room. The best option would be natural wood. More budget - MDF. The remaining options contain a significant list of shortcomings. It is better to buy them for use at their summer cottage.
Other building materials, accessories
In the manufacture of the headset used a wide range of raw materials. So, acrylic plastic is used as a facade covering. This is a high-tech furniture lining. It creates a gloss effect. This visually increases the kitchen space - the ideal solution for a small room. Acrylic plastic can be monolithic. It is used without a woody base. Monolithic plastic is highly durable.
An important point is the selection of building materials used for the manufacture of countertops. In modern versions, natural, artificial stone is usually used.
Stone has several advantages.
- Firmly withstands small mechanical stress. It is difficult to damage the cutlery.
- Resistant to chemicals. Countertops can be cleaned with almost any means.
- Does not absorb pollution. The penetrating ability is minimal. The coating is smooth.
Not less crucial moment is the selection of accessories. Accessories breaks first during long-term operation. The cheapest option for metal is aluminum. However, it is made from a fragile fittings, its service life is small. The ideal solution would be to buy accessories from stainless steel. Such steel has high strength, is resistant to moisture, serves for a long time.
Video: Furniture fronts for the kitchen. Film, plastic or enamel what to choose?