The space above the kitchen worktops should be effectively lined to complement the design of the room. In this article we will talk about a kitchen apron from MDF and learn about the qualities of this material.
Choosing an apron, we study the disadvantages and advantages of certain materials, build on their characteristics and features, evaluate the visual data, in addition, combine them with the style of the room. This list may include plastic panels, ceramic tiles, artificial stone, glass, but now we will focus exclusively on MDF.
Material Description
Before you start a discussion of the features and benefits that a kitchen apron from MDF panels has, it will not be superfluous to understand this material in more detail.
The basis for its production is shredded wood chips. This starting material is subjected to high temperature and high pressure pressing.
Why is MDF called natural material? The use of dry wood dust does not guarantee the naturalness of the resulting plate. This is explained by the fact that for its manufacture it is not glue or synthetic resins that are used, but lingin - a natural substance that is a polymeric natural compound, we can say wood glue.
In general, MDF is a familiar chipboard for all of us, created using modern technologies and acquiring environmental friendliness.
This material has significant advantages. Among them:
- constant geometry (it is difficult to break it due to the high adhesion strength of the fibers);
- excellent resistance to water and moisture (lingin, wood polymer reports its material);
- a variety of formats of finished plates, which allows you to create a kitchen apron from MDF (the thickness of the plates is 4-22 mm, and this makes it possible to use them in the widest construction range).
With its operational durability and strength, the plates are well processed. Therefore, there are great opportunities for fantasizing if you want to make something more difficult from it than a simple rectangular kitchen apron made of MDF. The dimensions of the plate can be adjusted to your individual needs.
MDF Apron Properties
There are no ideal materials, which we are convinced of every time when we are planning a new repair in the room, especially if this happens in the kitchen. In this place you need to pay attention to a huge number of specific requirements, and they will help to set the necessary accents.
Advantages
This is not to say that a kitchen apron from MDF, the price of which starts at 1,500 rubles per meter, is considered the most popular, although it occupies one of the leading places for applicants to finish the working surface of the kitchen. So, the advantages that this material has:
- you need to understand when planning to install a kitchen apron from MDF - installing it from you will not require a professional tool or special skills;
- MDF is an affordable material;
- installation of panels is carried out on any surface, including unprepared initially;
- Under the apron, you can always lay communications, in addition, sew sound insulation and insulation into the wall ;
- a kitchen apron made of MDF can be very quickly corrected, dismantled, replaced with some parts in the presence of defects or damage.
disadvantages
Comparing MDF with other finishing materials intended for the kitchen, unfortunately, you can find some disadvantages:
- a kitchen apron made of MDF can be very quickly damaged by the influence of the environment of the kitchen space. Splashes of grease and water, aromas and wet fumes are very quickly eaten into the material, leaving traces on it;
- the material is toxic during combustion and fire hazard;
- such panels are not strong enough, therefore, can move away from the wall or bend even without the use of physical effort, only from time, humidity and temperature.
MDF kitchen apron: installation
Despite the fact that the shape of such an apron is mostly rectangular, you can also make it difficult to configure it manually or with a simple jigsaw. But after cutting it out, it will be necessary to neatly fix it, only how to do it? The following is a simple instruction:
- Mark and cut a kitchen apron from MDF panels or from a solid sheet. It will be useful to sketch the surface in order to reduce the number of scraps to the maximum minimum (often you can cut it in the workshop or in the store itself).
- Purchase mounting plate and mounting materials for MDF. It should be borne in mind that the slats should be two times the length of the entire working space. In this case, the hardware is either in the kit, or purchased at the rate of a couple of pieces per meter of panel. Again, a sketch helps, where a wooden frame will also be depicted, intended for mounting an MDF sheet. Here we also buy a special kitchen baseboard and slats for decoration.
- Installation begins with preliminary preparation of the wall in case of its problems: sticking out nails or rods, scraps of wallpaper and other things that can become a hotbed of microorganisms and moisture. Antiseptic processing of mounting rails and walls will be important.
- Marking the position of the slats and the indentation of the frame: we retreat 15 cm from the hanging cabinets and the working surface, while the distance between the frame rails is up to 45 centimeters. The horizontal layout is checked by level.
- The slats of the required length are cut and fastened to the wall with dowels in such a way that the dowel passes through the rail, in addition, it enters the wall to the full thickness of the rail, preferably 5 centimeters. Then we fasten the apron itself with screws with special decoration pads (they are selected in a contrasting color or the color of the panel). In addition, it is possible to fasten to the clippers or “liquid nails”.
- Fixing a solid apron will require an assistant, or even two, but if it consists of panels, then mainly the grooves for fixing are cut out in them. Then you can do it yourself, starting from one edge. In this case, the groove is inserted into the groove tile after tile by the locking method, and then fastened in the selected way.
Interesting fact
The choice, the purchase of material, as well as the layout takes a day, while the installation takes only two hours, even if you do not have such experience.
Decorative finish
After the apron is installed, the work will seem unfinished to you. Actually, this is actually so, since the panels are installed on the wall, but their edges and end parts still look unaesthetic. In addition, there were cracks in the joints of panels and furniture, and this is not very pretty. But you can spend a little more time and bring the kitchen apron from MDF with your own hands to a normal form.
To do this, you need to take the slats for MDF, put them on the extreme parts of the material, pre-lubricating them with "liquid nails" or glue. The gaps between the working surfaces, the apron and the cabinets need to be covered with a plinth - it is easily attached to the "liquid nails". So, the work is over, now you can enjoy the result.
It is very easy to choose and install a kitchen apron from MDF yourself, therefore, if you have made such a decision, you can safely proceed to the process.
Design Secrets
Also, the design of the kitchen can be supplemented, focusing directly on the apron or on the other elements:
- Emphasis should be made on something specific, while all other details should support the style of the interior. If the emphasis is on furniture, it is advisable to make the apron neutral, discreet, and vice versa;
- apply bright, saturated colors, only a lot and not poisonous, so as not to make the design “parrot”. It is necessary to emphasize the mood and look, but not to dazzle and not to overload;
- contrasting style perfectly emphasizes the beauty of each element of the kitchen. It is not necessary to pay absolutely all attention to one apron, especially if you are doing the kitchen design in the style of “ethno”, “Provence” or “classic”.
MDF kitchen apron: reviews
Since the apron from MDF has become very popular in recent years to install at home, you can find a huge number of opinions about it. People leave positive reviews about the low cost of this material, its environmental friendliness, hypoallergenicity, the possibility of independent and fairly quick installation. Among the negative characteristics are poor moisture resistance, the ability of MDF to absorb odors, as well as the fire hazard of this material.