Furniture edges are tape material that protects our lungs from toxic fumes during the operation of interior items made of particleboard, MDF and chipboard. Modern technologies that are implemented in the manufacture of furniture make it possible to minimize the use of harmful components. However, it is still better to close the ends with a special edge.
Currently, a wide variety of furniture edges are available to the consumer audience. The individual varieties differ according to the material of manufacture, installation method and cost. Among other things, each facing agent has its obvious pros and cons. Let's take a closer look at the types of furniture edges.
Appointment
In addition to giving the furniture aesthetic qualities, furniture edges can protect the ends of products from particleboard, MDF, other common materials from the harmful effects of moisture. It is through the ends that insects, microorganisms, fungal spores penetrate into the inner layers of wood, which accelerate the process of decomposition of materials. Furniture edges make it possible to eliminate the above manifestations.
Fields of application
Furniture edges are successfully used for processing the following interior items:
- countertops, kitchen and office tables;
- top covers of mobile and side tables;
- sidewalls and bottom of cabinets;
- ends of hinged shelves, drawers, cabinets.
Melamine edge
This self-adhesive furniture edge is a paper-based lining material. Products of this category are treated with impregnations in the form of melamine resins. It is the latter that endow the edges with protective qualities.
Based on the amount of paper layers used in the production, multilayer and single-layer melamine end tapes are isolated.
If we talk about the merits of the edges of this category, first of all it is worth noting the widest range of options available. Thanks to this, the consumer gets the opportunity to choose exactly the end ribbon, the shade and parameters of which most closely match the existing needs.
During the pasting of furniture with melamine edges there is no need for the use of expensive equipment. For installation, it is enough to use an ordinary household iron. Any housewife can cope with such a task.
The disadvantage of melamine tapes is the insignificant thickness (from 4 to 6 mm). This implies the inability of the material to withstand significant mechanical stress. Due to the paper structure, such edges do not protect furniture ends from moisture penetration.
Furniture edge PVC
This variety of end tapes is much more durable and resistant to all kinds of external influences compared to the previous solution. The material is available in two versions - 2 and 4 mm thick. Thin ribbons are usually used for decorative processing of the ends that remain in sight. 4 mm edges are applied to hidden surfaces where there is an increased risk of damage.
For the installation of edges made of polyvinyl chloride, the use of special machines is required. Therefore, the processing of furniture using such tapes is carried out only in the conditions of production shops.
Advantages of PVC Edges:
- durability and wear resistance;
- effective protection of furniture ends from mechanical influences and moisture;
- counteraction to acids, alkalis, fats and saline solutions;
- absolute incombustibility.
As for the shortcomings of PVC edges, here we can highlight the lack of the ability to independently process furniture ends in domestic conditions, as well as some difficulties with obtaining perfectly smooth, glossy surfaces.
ABS edge
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) is an extremely strong, highly reliable facing material that does not contain chlorine. Therefore, the edges made from this base are widely used in the furniture industry due to their safety.
ABS has a more pliable, soft structure than PVC. The material is easy to process, does not accumulate a static charge of electricity, and its cutting process is not complicated by the sticking of small chips.
Advantages of ABS edges:
- preservation of the original, saturated shade throughout the entire life cycle;
- the presence of a perfectly smooth surface;
- the absence of toxic fumes during processing and heating.
The only drawback of the ABS edges is the rather impressive cost compared to the same melamine products and polyvinylchloride facing tapes.
Acrylic edge
What does such a furniture edge look like? A photo of such products indicates their multilayer structure. The lower part contains a decorative finish or pattern. The top layer is presented in the form of a
transparent plastic. Thanks to this structure, the effect of a three-dimensional image is created. It is for this reason that acrylic products are also called 3D edges.
Among the advantages of such products can be identified a high level of rigidity and resistance to mechanical stress. Acrylic edges successfully protect the ends of the furniture from scratches, bumps and chips. The main disadvantage here is the high price.
Softforming and Postforming Edge
Considering the furniture edges, what are the materials for this purpose, it is impossible not to mention the options with surface treatment by softforming and postforming. These solutions allow you to give the ends of furniture, countertops and facades absolute tightness.
Materials in this category have different thicknesses and are released per meter. The edges that lend themselves to cutting during the sale are sealed with PVC or aluminum joining strips.
In general, there is no particular difference in the characteristics of these materials. The only difference is the possibility of lamination of embossed surfaces that have passed softforming processing edges.
How to glue a furniture edge?
The use of melamine edges allows you to independently process furniture ends at home. The material shrinks onto the glue, after which it is fixed by treatment with a hot iron. This solution is quite acceptable if you need to perform quick, relatively cheap repair of old furniture.
The work is carried out in several stages:
- For starters, any old Soviet iron warms up . In addition to it, a knife, fine sandpaper , a rag are required.
- The edge is trimmed with a margin of several centimeters. The segment is applied to the furniture end, pre-treated with glue, and then heated with an iron.
- After melting the glue, the edge tape is pressed tightly with a rag.
- Once the material is firmly fixed to the surface, all excess is cut off. At first, the end parts are removed, and only after that are the longitudinal ones.
- At the end, the surface is finished with sandpaper.
When trimming excess edges, it is recommended that the knife be held at an angle. The movement of the blade must be directed to the material, and not outward, which helps to avoid its lag from the surfaces.
To ensure the convenience of work, it is advisable to find a knife with a sharp blade that will not leave any burrs. During the cutting process, care must be taken not to remove excess.
Using the same iron, it is convenient to clean the surface of the remnants of the old edging tape. To do this, it is enough to warm up the plane of the device, walk along the end and pry off the unnecessary tape with a spatula or knife.
Eventually
If the main task in the manufacture of furniture is obtaining the highest quality result, it is better to resort to factory edge trimming. When only redecorating old interior items is on the agenda, you can limit yourself to self-pasting surfaces with colored ribbons. Fortunately, today there is a wide variety of edges on sale that imitate natural materials and differ in a whole mass of original shades.