What material is better for the kitchen (41 photos) - types and their characteristics

When choosing a kitchen set, we first of all pay attention to its appearance, we try to choose it so that it fits into the interior of the room. Be sure to check whether it fits into the kitchen space, see what elements it consists of, that is, whether it is functional.

But what material this furniture is made of, we do not always pay attention, although it should be.

Types of materials for the manufacture of kitchens

So, in this article we will analyze the question of what material is better to buy a kitchen from. The question is serious and requires a serious answer.

Therefore, we immediately determine that all modern kitchen sets are currently made from three main materials:

1. Chipboard;
2. MDF;
3. Solid wood.

Chipboard

There is a strong belief that particle boards (chipboard) are harmful to health, they are short-lived, but cheap. Therefore, the price of furniture from them is low, affordable, which made it popular (see also article

Kitchen classics: MDF or chipboard).

But at the expense of harm to health, one could argue, because not a single body responsible for quality control goods, would not give permission to release products that would harm a person (so this is most likely stereotype).

What is chipboard made of? First, let's note that this is a composite material. It is made from dried wood shavings with the addition of formaldehyde resin (6-18%).

Production is not simple, here the material goes through several technological stages: mixing, molding, pressing and drying.

The advantages of this material include:

• Ease of processing;
• Increased strength and uniformity;
• The ability to finish with various materials (paint, wallpaper, PVC film, lamination, etc.);
• Absence of knots, internal cracks and voids, which are often found in solid wood.

But there are also disadvantages, which, unfortunately, manufacturers still have not been able to get rid of, although some attempts have led to an improvement in the technical characteristics of this panel material.

• Afraid of water and high humidity. Note that manufacturers today offer moisture resistant chipboard (sheet thickness 24 mm) that can withstand moisture.
• At high loads, the fracture loses its integrity, but fortunately there are no such loads in kitchen sets.

I would like to note that at present, chipboard is used for the manufacture of internal elements, such as partitions, shelves, edges and the back wall. Particleboard facades still gave way to MDF (this is to the question of which material is better to make the kitchen).

MDF

This is also a composite material made from finely chopped shavings (almost into dust), but a natural polymer material (lignin) acts as a binder.

During the production process, there is a hot pressing step that creates a high-strength material (see also article MDF kitchens - material advantage). By the way, the strength of MDF in comparison with chipboard is twice as high.

Advantages:

• It is an environmentally friendly material;
• High strength and uniformity;
• Lack of defects and flaws;
• High moisture resistance;
• Under the influence of hot steam, MDF does not jar, does not swell and does not change its dimensional indicators;
• High level of hygiene (no colonies of microorganisms are formed on the surface).
• It lends itself well to processing, that is, it is easy to paint, laminate, laminate, thin veneer sticks well, and so on.
• Compared with wood, with such excellent characteristics, MDF is several times cheaper.

Attention! MDF is very technologically advanced, so products made from it can be given almost any shape.

Wood

We continue to answer the question, which material is the best kitchen, and move on to wood, which has been used for the manufacture of furniture for a long time (both by hand and by machine).

It should be noted that each type of tree has qualities, color and pattern peculiar only to it.

Note! The stronger the wood species, the more durable it is, but at the same time it is more difficult to process it, which increases costs and, accordingly, costs.

• The most widespread and frequently used type of wood for kitchen furniture is Pine. Pine that is good for processing has a large number of flaws in the form of knots and resin shells, which creates a large amount of waste, and carpentry work with it is difficult.
• In this plan spruce higher quality material (moisture resistant, not subject to warping), but it also has its drawbacks. For example, it does not lend itself well to finishing.

And when the question arises which material is better, spruce or pine, it is necessary to correctly approach the processing process. The simpler it is, the better for the producer and the consumer. The first one cuts costs, the second gets budget furniture.

• Larch - this type of wood has been used for the production of kitchens for a long time, because it has excellent operational and physical and technical characteristics. And if we talk about the category "the best material for the kitchen", then it is larch that will be included in it in the first place.

Advantages:

1. High strength and density (three times higher than that of pine);
2. High resistance to mechanical stress;
3. Moisture resistance;
4. Well resists decay processes;
5. Minimum knot content;
6. It has a beautiful appearance (reddish-brownish tint).

• Birch tree - she has always been a furniture tree. And although the craftsmen consider it soft, because it lends itself well to processing, this type of wood has a high density and strength. Disadvantage - prone to decay.

• Oak the most durable type of wood used today. Let's add here high hardness, resistance to decay processes, the ability to bend. In addition, the structure of oak is so beautiful that the kitchen set from it is a masterpiece of furniture art. But with all this, it lends itself well to processing.

As you can see, the number of types of wood used for the production of kitchen furniture is huge. And here were given only widely used materials that are used by domestic manufacturers. And how much more wood is there in the world that is used to make kitchens (see also article Wooden furniture for the kitchen - a piece of nature in your home).

Multiplex

I would like to draw your attention to the material that is made by gluing several layers of wood. If we compare it with wood, then at a price it is lower than solid wood, but has some properties that are superior to the latter.

For example, there is practically no deformation, a high rate of moisture resistance. Therefore, the question of which is better, a tree or a multiplex, you need to think very well.

Conclusion on the topic

So, answering the question of what material is better to make the kitchen, you need to pay attention to all the above advantages and disadvantages of the products. But, as is often the case, our consumers are divided into categories based on material interest.

Someone wants a beautiful and functional kitchen at a low price, he chooses kitchens from chipboard. Those who want not only beauty, but also durability, then choose more expensive counterparts.

Especially for you on this page of the site there is a video and a photo that will help you understand all the twists and turns of choosing a kitchen set. Let all this be a help for you, as an instruction for making the right decision.

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