The main task of furniture edges is to clad the end surface of the chipboard, but they also serve as decor elements in the finished cabinet furniture. Today, there are quite a few of their varieties that differ among themselves by the type of material, methods of fastening and cost, and each has its own drawbacks and advantages:
- Melamine edges.
- Edges of ABS.
- PVC edges.
- Acrylic Edges.
Let's take a closer look at all of these types.
The main types and features of furniture edges
In general, the edges can be divided according to the following characteristics:
1. Material used:
- paper;
- plastic;
- metal edges (in most cases, aluminum profile).
2. Different width and thickness.
3. Type of mount:
- hard;
- mortise (edge for chipboard P - shaped, T - shaped);
- waybills.
4. By type of surface:
- smooth;
- glossy;
- embossed;
- with structure;
- color.
5. With or without glue (in this case, a machine is needed to apply it).
The most common (sorting in descending order) and the most frequently used at present are:
- PVC edge for chipboard (thickness - 1 and 2 mm, width depending on the thickness of plates 22 and 34 mm);
- ABS;
- melamine edge for chipboard with paper backing.
Melamine paper edges
At the moment, such an edge for chipboard is the most inexpensive and most affordable. Therefore, they are most often used in furniture production, but, to be honest, the quality of such edges leaves much to be desired.
Benefits of Melamine Paper Edges
The advantages of melamine paper edges include:
- the presence of a large assortment of decors that match the maximum color gamut with particleboard;
- expensive equipment for gluing and processing is not required;
- ease of use, even at home;
- quite low cost.
Disadvantages of melamine paper edges
The disadvantages of melamine paper edges include:
- high degree of subtlety;
- sufficiently low resistance to mechanical stress;
- poor protection against moisture;
- fragility of drawings.
ABS Edge Advantages
The advantages of the ABS edge include the fact that it:
- does not lose color quality and is not subject to deformation;
- has a high-quality, rich, matte or glossy color;
- has a perfectly smooth surface;
- does not emit harmful substances ;
- such an edge for chipboard is less dangerous compared to other materials during heating and processing.
ABS Edge Disadvantages
The disadvantages of the edges of the ABS can be attributed only to the high cost (compared with the same PVC, and especially melamine). In fact, ABS is used in different types of furniture, but it is especially relevant in the manufacture of really high-quality products, which should have enhanced operational properties, and especially when you need to give an increased degree of furniture resistance to moisture.
PVC edge
It features a high degree of durability and wear resistance. Reliably protects the ends from moisture and mechanical damage. Such an edge for chipboard is resistant to alkali, acid, fat and saline, as well as fire.
However, such an edge for fiberboard has disadvantages:
- To carry out the gluing process, a special glue is required - a melt with minimal thresholds for the beginning of melting.
- It is difficult to achieve perfectly smooth surfaces.
As in the case of ABS, for the most durable adhesion of PVC edge glue to the ends of the chipboard, a thin invisible layer of a special substance (primer) must be applied.
PVC profile
This type of furniture edge is usually made of high quality PVC plastic using a special high-strength coating.
Specifications:
- the presence of a large color gamut (wood with structures, metal, glossy, plain);
- can be applied to chipboard, the thickness of which, as a rule, is sixteen by thirty two and a half millimeters;
- the material can be either soft or hard.
There are several types of PVC profiles:
- P - shaped (consignment notes). They can be flexible and rigid.
- T - shaped (mortise) with or without girth.
Due to the presence of special "sides", they have the ability to ideally hide chips or bumps on the end surface, the cut of which was done poorly or with poorly sharpened saws. In some cases, for example, with design ideas, they can also be elements of decor.
How to glue the edge on the chipboard at home? Pretty simple. For this work, it is necessary to use a tape on which an adhesive composition has already been applied. The sticker is carried out using a conventional household iron. This is done as follows. A suitable piece of edge is cut off with a small margin, placed on the end face being processed and smoothed out with an iron.