MATERIAL INFO: KITCHEN FRONTS

A kitchen cabinet consists of two side walls, a bottom plate, a back wall and a top plate. This complete cabinet is called corpus. The fronts are fitted as doors, drawers or pull-out cabinets on the body.

MDF boards and chipboard

The most commonly used basic and supporting material for kitchen furniture, apart from solid wood kitchens, of course, is chipboard. A common synonym for chipboard is MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard, pressed board with a medium-hard density). These plates are distinguished by enormous stability and bending strength, are easy to process and are therefore gladly used for reproductions and decorations.

How are MDF boards (composed of wood, glue, other materials and water) made? The wood fibers are heated with steam, put in the refiner and ground.

The fiber mass is then dried and pressed into single-layered plates. Unlike with chipboard, the edges and surface are very fine, because the pore content is small. Immediately after the profiling, the MDF board can, for example, be lacquered or provided with foil.

Please note that the manufacturer only uses high-quality chipboard that meets the E1 standard. This value indicates the permitted formaldehyde emission and can be checked against the quality mark E1.

HPL plates

HPL stands for "High Pressure Laminate" and refers to wear-resistant, moisture-resistant, food-conforming, heat-resistant and anti-static layered pressed plates up to 200 ° C, the layer thickness of which is 0.6 - 0.9 mm. They can be manufactured in different colors and structures.

For this purpose, several cellulose webs are impregnated with hardening (duroplastic) synthetic resin and evenly coated. The decor layer, which is colored or printed, provides the desired design. The decor layer is dipped in melamine resin and the core layers in phenolic resin. Then the layers are pressed together. After curing, the different synthetic resins provide enormous stability and extreme hardness. In addition, the plastic plates have a surface without pores.

Plastic fronts and foil fronts

Thereafter, thermoplastic and duroplastic layers, laminates or other materials are applied to the carrier material. There are different types of plastic fronts: melimine resin fronts, foil fronts, etc.

Foil fronts have the advantage that a wide choice of colors and patterns is available. The fronts covered with plastic film are very popular because of their price.

Usually selected thermoplastic plastic film, laminate or layered plastic is then attached to the carrier material. Because of the price, these plastic fronts are the most produced and most sold. It is important to know, however, that foil fronts have always had problems in the past: although tremendous improvements have been made in this area, they often tend to detach from the support material over time they are also not very resistant to scratches and heat and should therefore be avoided. You would have more fun with a laminate front, which has an extremely high resistance due to a melamine layer.

Plastic fronts with a layer of melamine resin are strong, easy to maintain and therefore very suitable for kitchens that are used a lot. It is advantageous that the plates are durable and resistant to chemicals and do not discolour due to long-term exposure to (day) light.

The strongest fronts have a phenolic resin coating, decor paper and a transparent coating. Coated fronts obtain extreme hardness during the production process. Because the plates are considerably thicker and harder than foil fronts, they are also considerably firmer.

Paint fronts

For the also very popular lacquer fronts, the MDF board is coated with two-component lacquer, which consists of a base lacquer and a hardening lacquer. Depending on whether you want a matt or high-gloss lacquered or a micro-lacquered kitchen, different procedures are carried out for painting and subsequent grinding and polishing work. In addition, all paint treatments have two common properties: a painted front surface is not only particularly expressive and beautiful, but also very sturdy and absolutely sealed (the surface hardness and scratch resistance corresponds to that of car paint), the larger amount of work naturally also provides a little higher purchase price.

For the also very popular lacquer fronts, the MDF board is coated with two-component lacquer, which consists of a base lacquer and a hardening lacquer. Depending on whether you want a matt or high-gloss lacquered or a micro-lacquered kitchen, different procedures are carried out for painting and subsequent grinding and polishing work. In addition, all paint treatments have two common properties: a painted front surface is not only particularly expressive and beautiful, but also very sturdy and absolutely sealed (the surface hardness and scratch resistance corresponds to that of car paint), the larger amount of work naturally also provides a little higher purchase price.

Glass fronts

Glass doors have long been used as accent fronts in the kitchen. This usually concerns translucent glass doors, which are mounted on an aluminum frame and are offered in countless variants: as a liseen or frame door with or without small windows and with different types of glass such as clear, milk, master-carre, Bunsen or possibly sandblasted glass.

Glass has also been used more and more as a complete front version for a relatively short time. Usually, the single-layer safety glass (ESG) used for safety reasons is framelessly mounted on the support material. It can be painted in all colors and has an exceptionally brilliant appearance that is second to none for a high-gloss front, and is also particularly scratch and heat resistant.

Real wood fronts and solid wood fronts

Solid wood is the most natural material for fronts. Pay attention to the correct indication at the manufacturer. Often only solid wood frames are offered and the inside is veneered, that is, glued with 1 mm thickness on high-quality chipboard or MDF boards. These veneered fronts are referred to as real wood fronts and can be stained, stained, plastered, brushed, sandblasted, patinated and adapted to current color trends with clear or colored lacquer. Then the surfaces are sealed several times with a non-visible protective lacquer layer, this is called DD lacquer. Solid wood fronts, on the other hand, are made entirely of solid wood. Both terms indicate, however, that only the fronts, i.e. doors, pull-out cabinets or drawers, are made of wood, but not the body.

Solid wood fronts, on the other hand, are made entirely of solid wood. Sometimes, instead of "solid wood", there is "full wood". In that case, the body of the furniture is also made of solid wood, and not just the fronts.

Stainless steel fronts

As a favorite material for the sink and electrical equipment, stainless steel has long had a permanent place in your kitchen. But what has long been a standard practice in the professional Kitchen Designs can now also be considered: a kitchen with stainless steel fronts.

First of all, these consist of a carrier plate, which is then covered with a stainless steel plate. The processing of the corners and sides, where the carrier plate is connected to the steel plate, usually allows you to immediately recognize the quality of the product.

Stainless steel has many advantages making it a very suitable material for kitchen fronts: it is not only beautiful to look at, but also indestructible and easy to maintain surface properties, making it suitable for everyday use. The downside: of course, fingerprints and scratches are clearly visible on a stainless steel surface.

Acrylic fronts

A good alternative to high-gloss lacquer fronts are the still increasing popularity of acrylic fronts. They are partly made of solid acrylic sheets or coated MDF support materials, which have wood-like properties and are easy to work with.

Numerous designs are now offered, ranging from expressive loose colors to exotic trendy wood decors. They all have a special gloss in common and thanks to their pleasant use properties (smooth, easy to clean, after applying the protective layer scratch-resistant), they are particularly suitable as a material for fronts.