Review and secrets of choosing furniture from chipboard

An overview of laminated chipboard furniture is very important. In addition to decoding the abbreviation, it is useful to study the key features of caring for furniture material. And you also need to carefully study the quality of the sheets, assess the potential harm to health and learn the secrets of choice.

From the very beginning, it is worth dealing with the decoding of such a name. Its literal sound is laminated chipboard. Most often, this material is used in the manufacture of cabinet furniture. Although it can also be used when working on tables, sofas, beds and other similar items. The key constituent link turns out to be waste from the wood industry.

The beginning of the production of such material allowed not only to expand the possibilities of furniture production. Woodworking waste is thrown away several times less frequently than before. Furniture boards (sheets) are most often formed from large wood chips. To improve the effect of hot pressing, phenol-formaldehyde resins are used. That is why even those people who do not know how chipboard is deciphered know for sure that this word means something potentially dangerous to consumers.

It should be noted, however, that not everything is so simple. This material has been actively used for about 100 years. So there is no need to fear any extreme threats. And yet, the topic of harm to health needs to be dealt with in more depth. Concerns are associated with the fact that any new furniture exudes odors for some time.

It is absolutely impossible to avoid this. All chipboard products are subject to GOST 10632-2014. This standard governs the quality of all materials in dry conditions. The length and width of individual products, thickness can be regulated by supply (purchase) contracts. The following points are normalized:

• deviations from a strictly rectilinear orientation of the edges;
• deviations from the strict perpendicularity of the plates used;
• humidity;
• warpedness;
• ultimate strength under bending load;
• elastic moduli under bending load;
• the presence of paraffin and resinous spots;
• the presence of large chips inside the board.

Returning to the issue of the safety of laminated boards, it is worth noting that the high harmfulness of a simple chipboard was recognized back in 1985. This type of material is harmful due to the potential emissions of formaldehyde. A special laminating film prevents the release of harmful substances, but only if the protective layer is fully functional. One has only to damage the film, as all insulating properties are completely lost.

Each manufacturer, due to its commercial policy, marks the structure of the material in a specific way. However, there is a generally accepted approach that is typical for most firms. Typical composition designations are as follows:

• SE - there are surface pores;
• SM - completely smooth surface;
• MAT - the surface is not only smooth, but also matte;
• PE - visual effect of "orange peel";
• PR - an abundance of pores.

High quality office furniture is often labeled with the letters BS. In the overwhelming majority of cases, in addition to BS, material of the SE category is also used. The material of the PR category is less in demand. With rare exceptions, they try to use SM only for internal partitions.

Laminated particle board can even be used in bathroom cabinetry. Of course, water can get on the tree and cause it to swell. However, as long as the film remains intact, the probability of such a development of events is zero. Most often, the bathroom is limited to bedside tables and / or hanging cabinets. Some people also equip the room with shelves.

A much more common solution is a children's and adult bed made of laminated chipboard. Many people even try to make it with their own hands. It turns out in such cases, sometimes a very unusual and interesting design. Fortunately, the possibilities of rework are practically unlimited. You can prepare the design yourself or choose from ready-made options in popular sources.

It is possible to make such furniture from chipboard as:

• modular;
• built-in;
• transforming;
• headset;
• cupboard;
• pedestals;
• walls;
• showcases;
• slides;
• buffets;
• sideboards;
• pretty graceful facades.

Loft-style furniture is most often made with strict laconic colors. This finish has little compatibility with bright colors. But if you wish, you can always introduce single saturated accents. Manufacturers can offer laminated material in various colors from both the warm and cold parts of the range. Imitation of natural materials is widespread.

However, more modernist solutions with abstract images are also in demand. Calm tones usually dominate in office spaces and home study rooms. It is not difficult to use such colors, of course, in any room. However, in the Provence style, traditional white or pastel colors are more appropriate. A variety of light colors are more in demand in a minimalist interior. Dark color is relevant for the following areas:

• modern;
• empire style;
• classicism;
• baroque style (especially in the rococo version).

Of course, in any case, it is necessary to carefully assemble the entire kit and check the compatibility of its parts with each other. Only a careful approach guarantees harmony and a pleasant appearance. With regard to ensuring safety, it is of great importance to have a certificate of conformity with the emission category E1. All certificates must be verified in advance, even when familiarizing with a specific instance. If the company does not provide such documents at all, or something is wrong with them, this is a serious reason to contact another supplier.

It is even better if the emission category corresponds to the E0.5 level. You cannot purchase furniture of level E2 or worse for residential buildings and apartments. In addition to accompanying documents, you should also pay attention to the visual properties of the material. Any irregularities, roughness and other deviations from a perfectly smooth surface are strictly unacceptable. It is also impossible to allow the presence of dents and even small scratches.

The manufacturer can ensure the absence of such defects only by using expensive high-quality components and precision equipment. Chips indicate a violation of technology or that the consumable parts of the tool wear out and are not replaced in a timely manner. You should carefully study not only the front surface, but also the edges. Any leaks of its fit, flaking are unacceptable. Problems are also indicated by the appearance of the edges that does not correspond to the main color and texture.

Another critical point is the fittings. All sashes, boxes and more will work normally only when using solid fittings. Difficulties can arise if the gaps are uneven, if drawers and doors move with difficulty, with a creak. Better to spend a few extra minutes inspecting all parts and details than to suffer from problems later.High-quality hinges from leading companies are covered with several layers of protective coating and are made according to a reinforced scheme.

Attention should be paid even to packaging. Responsible suppliers will not skimp on it. You only need to go shopping in specialized or branded stores. It is necessary to carefully study the reviews of both specific models and manufacturers and retail outlets. Finally, it is undesirable to both strive to save as much as possible and buy the most expensive thing that is possible - in both cases, only extra costs await.

The most important thing is to carefully study the specific operating instructions or rules from a particular company. Such information will definitely be more valuable than “universal” recommendations found in abundance on websites and forums. Dust removal is a very neat business. For this purpose, only flannel or suede are suitable. It is absolutely impossible to use fluffy sponges, especially scrapers, knives. Attention: systematic dry cleaning provokes the accumulation of static electricity.

At least once every 2-3 weeks, it is required to use a wipe with special antistatic agents. Dirt is usually wiped off with wet wipes. With a very strong blockage, wash the furniture with soapy water. After that, be sure to immediately wipe everything dry. The widespread opinion that chipboard itself and varnish are not afraid of wet cleaning is not too correct. You should not get carried away with such a procedure.

Both built-in and laminated board furniture should be stored and used only in a dry and warm atmosphere. Optimum temperatures are from 10 to 30 degrees above zero. At the same time, the relative humidity varies from 45 to 60%. Stains containing grease, traces of coffee, jam, pencil can be removed with ethyl alcohol and ammonia. Do not allow contact with objects heated above +85 degrees.

Wetting the ends of parts is unacceptable. And you should also find out to what angle the doors can open. It is better not even to open the doors to the maximum, they should be opened carefully. Of course, other pull-out elements will have to be handled with care. The general movement of furniture should also be neat.

To make great efforts to handles and drawers, children should not be allowed to ride on them. Do not store more than 5 kg of cargo in the box on roller rails. You will have to make sure that the hardware mechanisms are not dirty or clogged with foreign objects. It is worth protecting furniture from constant intense light from both the sun and lamps. When assembling, it is required to use only fasteners recommended by the manufacturer or their exact counterparts.

Furniture made of laminated chipboard does not necessarily look like something "simple". On the contrary, excellent creative solutions can be made from it. The photo shows an original stand for a small decorative object, with non-standard geometry.

You can take a closer look at this type of bookshelves. The extraordinary curved configuration is very well received and will surely bring fresh air to the design.

But this is a great children's corner. Its uniqueness is due to its special geometric shape. And yes, this is the case when bright saturated colors are fully justified. The stepped design ("ladder") is perceived as quite appropriate. The bright armchair goes well with the look of the headset.

The next video tells you what is better to choose - chipboard or MDF.