Kitchen tops from particleboard: description, advantages and disadvantages

For the facing of horizontal working surfaces of kitchen furniture, table tops are used from chipboard. Due to the decorative properties of the laminated material, they become an important element in the design of the kitchen. A wide choice of design kitchen countertops is able to transform beyond recognition the appearance of the most ordinary cuisine, and their quality and functionality meets the basic consumer needs.

The main varieties of kitchen countertops

Most kitchen countertops are made of particle board) with a decorative coating. Also use other practical materials for cladding the working surfaces of kitchen furniture. But the most common are countertops from laminated chipboard, although decorative layers of other materials of a certain size are successfully used for the same purposes. Kitchen countertops for a variety of decor meet the needs of the most demanding customers. As for the material, they can be:

• acrylic;
• artificial stone;
• natural ornamental stone;
• natural marble or imitation;
• solid wood with oiled surface;
• stainless steel;
• with chipboard lining with mosaic ceramic tiles;
• glass countertops( colored, matt and transparent crystal).

However, the price for the chipboard countertop is more acceptable, and in terms of quality, decorative properties and practicality, they are almost inferior to harder facing materials. The noble appearance of chipboard-tops, offered by manufacturers in a huge range, makes it possible to choose the simulation of any expensive material.

The facing of kitchens with countertops made of stainless steel, glass, stone, ceramics and wood is less popular, but they also have their followers. A much more affordable worktop chipboard, buy or cut them to obtain an unusual shape of the surfaces - is quite affordable. Decorative wood chipboard with lamination remains the main offer for mass consumption.

Consumer requirements for countertops

If earlier for the convenience of bundling in a small room, the kitchen set was made from individual items, today the designers offer built-in furniture under a common surface. A single table top incorporates several floor pedestals, which minimizes the number of joints of the end surfaces, which are less protected from water ingress.

The main purpose of the kitchen countertop is the working surface for cooking, so the material base must meet the basic requirements:

• practical;
• moisture resistance;
• easy cleaning and cleaning;
• surface resistance to chemicals and abrasive detergents;
• strength;
• hygiene;
• no toxic fumes;
• resistance to loads and impacts;
• ability to withstand the temperature of hot containers.

Kitchen worktops made of chipboard are made up of 7 layers, which ensures compliance with all the above mentioned parameters during operation. The decorative layer is protected by plastic from burning out in case of direct sunlight, mechanical influences and damages, stains and scratches. The worktops can withstand short-term contact with hot objects up to 240 ° C - about 20 seconds without destroying the laminated layer.

To countertops of laminated chipboard or MDF, other panels of similar decor are usually offered, which can be used for finishing walls and kitchen furniture. Often, other surfaces make from the same material, which gives the design of the kitchen a special chic. In the combined table-top, holes are cut for a gas stove, a sink, a horizontal refrigerator or a washing machine.

Among the drawbacks of chipboard-worktops, you can specify:

• with the penetration of excess moisture under the laminated layer is the probability of deformation of the plate;
• is mandatory for waterproofing joints and end parts;
• faultless operation about 10-15 years with the subsequent replacement.

Advice: In order to save, you can buy a tabletop with a small thickness, about 28 mm, with a matt layer of laminate. But more durable will be the countertops of moisture-resistant chipboard thicker, about 38 mm. The smooth, shiny surface of the lacquer plastic should not be cleaned with abrasive substances, otherwise it will lose its "lacquer" properties over time.

The choice of table top decor from chipboard

The worktop is not only a work surface for cutting food and cooking, but also an important decorative element of kitchen furniture. Despite the pure functional purpose, the table top made of chipboard influences the aesthetic perception of the entire kitchen interior.

Most of the chipboard tops perfectly imitate natural materials, for example, the texture of elite wood species or semi-precious stones. For today, the most common pattern of countertops:

• crystal;
• melange;
• marble;
• graphite;
• broomstick;
• "Sahara";
• fahrenheit;
• Jurassic stone;
• salmon;
• taverine;
• root of the rose;
• ;
• seashells;
• jeans;
• salt and pepper;
• parquet;
• onyx;
• malachite;
• granite;
• imitation of natural wood( in assortment).

In addition, the colors of the chipboard tops of any listed texture give the widest possible selection of the necessary palette for the design of the kitchen. However, the surface covered with a protective layer of transparent plastic is much more practical. Natural white marble, for example, is unstable to some spots - on its surface can remain circles of tea coffee, traces of food colorings. But it is much easier to keep the laminated surface of the chipboard countertop white in "perfect marble" in perfect purity.

In the catalogs of online stores, you can find any name of the decor. For example, marble or wenge are offered in different varieties of color palette. Unlike a stone, this material does not form cracks and chips from a sharp blow. The material is quite practical, unlike some of its natural analogs, and its joints are filled with silicone - for tightness.

Table tops in the interior design

When choosing the material of the countertop, its texture and shade, it is important to consider the conformity of the main color scheme and the style of the kitchen:

• stainless steel surface - for hi-tech, avant-garde, techno styles;
• an array of expensive wood - country, provence, retro, grunge, English classics and ekostyle;
• artificial stone - fusion, art deco, modern, neutral modern design;
• imitation of bamboo in laminated chipboard - Japanese and Chinese style;
• jeans or imitation tight-fitting with another cloth - kitsch, vintage, pronounced youth design;
• imitation shells - sea or Mediterranean style;
• natural marble or imitation - empire, classic, gothic, antiquity, palace style, baroque and rococo;
• sugar( imitation sand) - African, Moroccan and Egyptian style;
• monophonic matte surface - minimalism, postmodern, functionalism, Scandinavian style;
• fantasy decor - constructivism, expressionism.

In catalogs, you can choose for your interior exactly what best fits the idea of ​​the designer or the wishes of the customer - table tops from chipboard.

From the general material you can make not only the working surfaces of kitchen furniture, but also to unite the common plane of the table and the kitchen sill. Of the same material with the same decor, if the dimensions of the chipboard table are allowed, also make:

• bar counter;
• shelves;
• apron;
• washer;
• sidewalls of a soft corner for the kitchen and other surfaces.

The main characteristics of

chipboard countertops Kitchen countertops are most often made of chipboard or MDF, and their decorative cladding is covered with several protective layers. They are mounted on the working surfaces of the kitchen set for later mounting on the countertop of the sink. It is a convenient and practical plane for slicing food, cooking, placing basic kitchen accessories at hand. That is why they are more appreciated by consumers for convenience and practicality, and their excellent decorative properties are receding into the background. Covered with plastic countertops have long gained popularity among domestic consumers.

The worktops are mounted on the end parts of the kitchen cabinets, they are attached to the connecting rails by self-tapping screws. Decorative laminated chipboard is considered to be the most affordable material used in the manufacture of countertops. Their edge happens:

• with a blockage;
• with bevel;
• with a bend.

On the domestic market with a large assortment of foreign and Russian manufacturers of facing and building materials. Their products are almost not of the same quality, but the cost depends on:

• plate thickness;
• protective properties of laminated plastic;
• features decor;
• indicators of moisture resistance.

Tip: On the main indicators of the material it is not worth saving, since this part of the kitchen set is difficult to change. However, if you need to replace the countertop and other finishing surfaces, we do not recommend buying the first one that came in.

Pay attention to the thickness of the chipboard, the moisture resistance and the decor. The most expensive are Italian countertops. When using a solid countertop in the kitchen, it is important to carefully work the rear end of the laminated chipboard - it will serve the same as moisture resistant.

The profile shape of the worktops varies, so it is possible to choose the most suitable:

• straight profile without rounding;
• 1 inclined( office) bevel;
• 2 inclined bevels on opposite sides;
• with 1 block( cut);
• with 2 blockages from different sides;
• with 1 bend( rounding);
• with 2 folds( from opposite sides).

The rounded laminated edge is more convenient for the work surface, and straight, without rounding is suitable for trimming. The worktops are machined as follows:

• edge design for the same plastics as the work surface;
• PVC edgebanding;
• by the postforming method.

For the design and protection of the end surface of kitchen furniture, the edge is used in the tone of the countertops, its dimensions are 32 mm and 42 mm. Also used special corner joints in the form of a T-bar:

Worktops from chipboard for kitchens are available in different thicknesses:

• 28 mm;
• 38 mm;
• 50 mm.

Length:

• 3050 mm;
• 4100 mm;
• 4200 mm.

The standard width of kitchen countertops is 600 mm, but layers of laminated chipboard of a larger size can also be found, they are much more expensive than usual. Moisture-resistant worktops - the most expensive, practical and durable, on the cut have a greenish tint, thanks to a special wax-like impregnation of wood shavings.

An important addition to the countertops is a small edge or groove on the edge of the lower front part of the table top, called a "drip tray".The device collects water droplets, preventing it from draining under the inner surface and the kitchen cabinet. But in the countertop with a rounded bend, the lamination leaves on the back of the working surface, which excludes swelling. This kind of countertops is the most practical.

Advice: It is most practical to install a solid tabletop on all thumbstands, and if one of them is slightly lower, additional legs can be made for the feet or end parts. On such a tabletop without joints and to work more conveniently, and it looks more aesthetically pleasing, and leaks are reduced to a minimum. The main thing is to thoroughly process the end parts, and if their tightness is in doubt, it can be treated with a sealant or silicone.

Cutting worktops

At home, it is impossible to cut a high-quality worktop, and high-quality cutting is ordered in carpentry and furniture shops using special equipment. Stone and porcelain stoneware are cut by hydroabrasive method by specialized companies, metal ones by milling or universal CNC machines.

Specialists will not only make the countertops of any size, which allows a sheet of laminated chipboard, but also cut openings of any configuration. Careful cutting and facing of the table top from any material is a guarantee of aesthetic appearance not only of the working surface, but of the whole kitchen.