Choosing a ready-made set of kitchen furniture or performing a professional kitchen design, the first, what we pay attention to, are kitchen fronts and countertops. We rarely change kitchen furniture, therefore it is worth thinking about the aesthetic and style, think about the materials from which the furniture should be made. Which kitchen facades to choose?
Which facades for the kitchen are better?
The kitchen is bought for years, so it's worth knowing, what the facades of the kitchen are made of and what you need to pay special attention to when buying it. First of all, it should be remembered, what kitchen furniture, like no other in the house, very intensively exploited. Kitchen cabinets must be able to withstand repeated opening and closing, high temperatures, moisture in the air or flooding. If you choose a durable material, facades will serve us for a long time. An important criterion for choosing a material for kitchen facades is also the price.. The cheapest material is furniture board., and the most expensive tree, veneer and glass.
Wood imitation boards - an economical alternative to wood
The most popular on the market today are kitchen mdf. Facades made of materials “under the tree” - Particleboard and MDF, popular mainly due to their low price, as well as an abundance of models and finishing colors.
- DSP itself is a material with low moisture resistance, but thanks to the finishing, this figure increases significantly. For the production of kitchen doors, boards are usually used with a thickness 1,8 cm. Chipboards are fragile, therefore, facades made of it have simple shapes.
- MDF – it is durable and moisture resistant material. Made from ground wood by pressing. This material has a high hardness, comparable to soft natural wood. MDF facades have a thickness of 1,6 to 1,9 cm.
Slabs, imitating wood can be improved in several ways: veneer, artificial materials or varnish:
- Veneered facades look very natural, preserve the texture of the tree, its characteristic spots and knots. Veneer – it's thin (thickness from 0,1 to 8,0 mm) pieces of natural wood, can successfully replace solid wood facades. The veneer can be finished in a variety of ways - from deep matte to glossy, depending on the means used for finishing (wax, varnish).
- Laminated facades (furniture) and lined with PVC film, – this decision, giving many options for arranging the kitchen, thanks to a large palette of colors and patterns. Laminate cannot be formed under the influence of temperature, therefore, the facades clad with it always have a flat surface. This material is easy to clean, durable enough, resistant to sunlight. Film cover the door as a whole - as at the front, so on its edges. Thanks to this, the material becomes more resistant to moisture.. The PVC film is applied in “hot way” and adapts to the shape in the case of the surface, therefore can be used on milled doors. Facades covered with foil are easy to keep clean.
- Lacquered facades – this is one of the most fashionable ways of finishing kitchen cabinet doors at present. Available in a wide range of colors. Resistant to damage (depends on the number of layers of paintwork - the more there are, all the better). Finish can be matt, semi-matte, with shine. It should be remembered, that dark colors and highly glossy surfaces will be difficult to keep clean - fingerprints and any smudges are very visible on them.
Wooden kitchen fronts - natural, noble material is always fashionable
Most commonly used pine wood, ate, alder and more expensive species, eg, Birch, beech, oak, cherry or ash. Wooden facades are durable, especially those, what is made from the wood of deciduous trees. For their production are used, usually, slabs thick 2 cm. Their surfaces are protected with varnish or wax. Transparent varnishes are used for wood, they accentuate color and texture. If the wooden doors have a natural color, it is easy to find equipment and accessories for the kitchen.
It happens, what a cheap tree, for example pine, imitate more expensive types. Another option is to cover the cheaper wood with veneer of another noble material.. facades, made of wood can be repeatedly renewed, peel off old paint layers and repaint at will.
Wood is a demanding material, therefore, carpenters are reluctant to make kitchen furniture with solid wood facades. Under the influence of large fluctuations in humidity, the doors can crack and deform.. This process can be slowed down, protecting the wood surface, but unfortunately, it is impossible to completely eliminate. Besides, heavy wood facades, which causes rapid wear of the hinges.
Glass facades
Glass facades are available in many colors and designs, also in the form of a stained glass window. Glass, usually, in an aluminum or wooden frame. Safety glasses are recommended for use in doors, which have a protective film that prevents fragments from scattering.
Choosing facades for the kitchen, we are guided by, usually, aesthetic preferences, however, it is worth consulting with the seller or designer in kitchen furniture showrooms. Even the most beautiful kitchen furniture, will not like, if functionality and high quality materials are not hidden behind aesthetics.
