The main place of any kitchen is of course a stove, it is there that exquisite culinary masterpieces come to light. But cooking involves contamination not only of the plate itself, but also the space around it. Smoke, steam, grease and oil spray leave a very noticeable trace. To make the process of care for the cooker as comfortable as possible, use an apron for the kitchen.
Contents of
- Advantages of MDF
- Selection of MDF board
- Preparatory work of
- How to make an apron of MDF
- Tips for using MDF apron
Advantages of MDF
This material has been known for a long time. It is obtained by pressing the sawdust under high pressure and temperature. To note its following positive properties:
- is not susceptibility to temperature changes,
- practicality,
- durability,
- naturalness,
- moisture resistance with proper processing.
Earlier, MDF boards were monotonous and used more in construction than in furniture production, but now the technology has moved far ahead. First, it was possible to make the thickness of the plates smaller, now it varies from two to five sentiments, and secondly, the outer side is laminated, which gives it an aesthetic appearance and makes it possible to use it for outdoor work.
Standard tile aprons are no longer in fashion. The use of PVC is extremely undesirable, since the material is subject to mechanical damage, in addition, it quickly appears spots that can not be withdrawn. The same is true of the tree. Consequently, there are only two options left:
- artificial stone,
- MDF.
According to technical characteristics, they are approximately identical, but the apron for kitchen from MDF is much cheaper.
Selection of MDF board
Despite the fact that there are many different MDF panel variants in the construction market, only two are suitable for decorative work:
- laminated MDF,
- veneered MDF.
As an option, the apron from MDF is decorated on its own, but this procedure has nothing to do with the savings, as the total cost price will be much higher than the price of finished plates.
Laminated MDF on the facade is covered with a special melamine film, which makes the surface not only beautiful but also practical. In order to damage it, you really need to make efforts, a variant of accidental violation of the integrity of the cover is excluded.
Such boards are a pressed block, covered with cardboard or pressed paper on the back side, and with a decorative vinyl covered on the front. On sale there are a variety of options, from simple monotonous drawings, to real works of art. Make a visual representation of how the apron looks from the MDF, the photo will help.
Veneered MDF is much less common. Since its front side is covered with natural veneer, it is most often used for furniture production. Using it in the kitchen is a contentious issue. If cooking takes place 1-2 times a week, the material will withstand loads, but with the daily use of the slab veneers will very quickly lose their appearance and begin to crack and peel off. This has nothing to do with the quality of the product, and is explained by the purely physical properties of the material.
Preparatory work for
Before installing the apron from MDF, it is necessary to perform some initial work:
- draw drawing,
- make the calculation of the necessary materials,
- prepare the tool,
- align the wall surface.
Drawing does not imply an abstract drawing of the future apron, with dimensional indications, but full-scale graphic visualization of the renovated kitchen. This is necessary in order to understand how much the chosen option fits into the interior. Quite often the goods in the storefront look much more effective than in life.
In addition to the MDF itself, the boards may require:
- plaster,
- primer,
- confirmations,
- liquid nails.
It is advisable to buy everything you need at a time, especially if you order delivery.
Tools:
- spatula,
- tableware for dry puttying,
- level,
- hexagon set,
- drill,
- gun for liquid nails.
Although the MDF apron does not need a perfectly flat wall surface, some work in this direction will still have to be carried out. More often, too, the exposed elements are simply knocked down, but if there are too many, it's easier to plaster the wall.
Kitchen apron from DFM is a solid panel and theoretically allows you to play any irregularities with the help of pads. Thus, the distance to the wall is increased by 7-15 cm and the upper edge is used as a shelf for storing spices and other small containers. This option is acceptable only in the kitchen of a square or a shape close to it. In elongated rooms, where the working area is located, as a rule, on one of the longer walls, this method will steal too much space and turn the room into a subway car.
How to make an apron from MDF
In fact, this work will only take a few hours and minimum effort. Plates are extremely convenient in installation, but considering their overall size, two people are required, one of which will help to support the panel, and the second one to be fastened.
The installation of the kitchen apron from MDF is carried out in three versions:
- confirms to the wall,
- confirms to the wooden frame,
- with liquid nails.
Even if you buy a sheet of minimum thickness, it will still take two centimeters of the square. Therefore, fixing with a confirmation to the wall is an ideal solution for small kitchens. The work is done as follows:
- at a distance of 60 cm in length and 15 in height are marked and holes are drilled for confirmations( at the base they must be slightly wider so that the bolt flush),
- then the panel is applied to the wall and marks are made through the holes( notdespite the fact that this method has been for many years, it still remains the most reliable and allows you to exclude the possibility of error),
- inserts dowels into the holes in the wall, into which the confirmations are screwed.
The disadvantages of this method are as follows:
- requires a perfectly flat surface, the
- can not perform sound insulation.
Nevertheless - this is the easiest and fastest way, in addition, this apron is very easy to dismantle. From a visual point of view, the only problem - the bolt caps, it is solved with decorative lining.
The installation of an apron on a wooden frame is carried out in the same way. For the support beams, bars with a section of 5x5 cm are used. At the output, this allows you to remove the front of the apron from the wall by at least seven centimeters and use the upper part as a shelf.
Actually this is for large and medium kitchens, with an area of 10 square meters.m. The technology avoids the need to level the walls. In addition, the space between the apron and the stone is filled with construction foam, which makes it possible to achieve perfect sound insulation and creates the effect of additional insulation.
The fixing of the apron from MDF is allowed and with the help of liquid nails. This is the only way that allows you to do without visible disturbances of the monolithic surface. By and large all technology is described on the glue label, where it is said how to work with it.
As a general rule,
- is to apply liquid nails to the back of the MDF sheet,
- is checked by level,
- is removed for 5-10 minutes,
- is applied back,
- is fixed with supports and left in this state for 12-18 hours.
As an option, some masters advise to separate a solid sheet into 3-4 separate blocks, in which special grooves are sawed. This allows you to hide confirmats, but instead of decorative overlays appear seams. Therefore, the choice is purely aesthetic.
Another option is a cantilever-type fastening, when a special fastener is fastened to the wall, on which a kitchen apron is worn. In the theory of total weight MDF is enough to make the construction reliable, but in practice, different situations are possible. In addition, this option is suitable only for walls with a thickness of 15-20 cm, because in a narrower masonry, the console just rips out of the brick, while thoroughly destroying the wall.
Tips for using the MDF apron
The MDF panel for the apron kitchen is the fastest, inexpensive and fashionable way to decorate a room. Performing not only practical, but also aesthetic functions, it should look as beautiful as possible. Therefore, a few words should be said about their decorating and the process of leaving.
The only additional element you may need is a patch on the top edge. Most often put aluminum corners. There are many varieties on sale for every taste. If the apron is decorated in the form of a shelf, then the registration will need a regular wooden board or an even casing for the door. To fix the base, it must be screwed to the wall by a corner for every 30 cm of the shelf. The board is fixed to the plate with screws, and at the corners it simply lies.
To look after MDF it is quite simple, suitable for any detergent, except abrasive. It is best to wash the problem areas of the dishwashing detergent. As a preventive cleaning is excellent for windows, as they create an anti-static film on the surface of melamine, repelling dust and dirt.
