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Know Your Materials..
Base Materials
We utilize materials such as plywood, MDF board, HDF board, practical board, HD, HMR, block board, rubber wood, PVC foam board, and WPC real wood. These materials are of high-quality and versatile which are used and customized as per the design.
Plywood
Plywood is widely used in the interior industry, these are thin sheets of wood glued together; it comes in many specifications based on the chemical treatment & glue used to bind the sheets. The specifications determine the type of use. Plywood is available from 2 mm to 38 mm thickness.
A Common Plywood: IS 303 specifications, & types :
MR Grade - MR grade stands for Moisture Resistant, is basically regular plywood, it also called as a commercial ply in layman's terms, it can be used everywhere except bathrooms and kitchens.
BWR Grade - BWR grade stands for Boiling Water Resistant plywood (also called as Boiling Water Proof) can withstand up to 8 hrs in boiling water, this is ideal plywood used in Kitchens. The glue used to bind the ply sheets is formaldehyde.
Fire Retardant Plywood: BIS IS 5509:2000 - This plywood BWR grade ply coated with diammonium nitrogen phosphate and does not encourage spreading of flames and has the quality to retain strength for quite some time even under fire. They are used in railway pantries, malls, hotels, and commercial kitchens.
Marine Plywood: BIS IS 710 - This plywood is used for making ships and boats and can withstand up to 78 hrs in boiling water. The ply sheets are bonded with phenol-formaldehyde.
Medium Density Fibre Board
These density fibre boards are made from wood pulp and fibres, bound with wax and resin and compressed under high temperature. They are engineered wood; they are relatively cheaper than plywood and have a very smooth surface.
Here are the types:
LDF – Low Density Fibre Board – Density 400-00 Kg/m3
MDF- Medium Density Fibreboard – Density 600-800 Kg/m3
HDF – High Density Fibreboard – Density 700-1450 Kg/m3
There are no ISI specifications for these fiber boards and there are no standard specifications on density and it differs brand to brand, it is still at the nascent stage in India.
Particle Board
Particle board is a composite material made up of wood chips, sawmill shavings, saw dust and other wasted wood particles which are ground and bound by synthetic resin and compressed to form a sheet. It is the cheapest among plywood and MDF.
HD, HMR
HDHMR boards are High-Density, High-Moisture-Resistant boards that can be used in constructing cabinets, floors, roofs, and any other place where excess moisture is possible. It has the ability to prevent mold and mildew growth even in environments with high humidity and temperatures that are close to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also resistant to rot and decay, so it won’t have to be replaced as frequently as other materials.
Rubber Wood
Rubberwood is a type of wood gaining popularity as consumers look for eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives to traditional wood options Rubberwood is wood from rubber trees, They can grow to 130ft and live for 100 years. You can tap most rubber trees for latex between the ages of six and 30. Once rubber trees no longer produce latex, they’re often chopped down for their timber. The timber is then kiln-dried in raw lumber form before being processed and used in furniture manufacture and other woodworking applications.
Block Board
Block Board is a wood based panel, made up of core of softwood stripes glued together, these stripes are about 28mm width and they are sandwiched between two layers of veneer (normally 4mm thick) under high pressure,
the veneer can be of softwood, hardwood or MDF.
The internal stripes are generally made of lightweight poplar wood or spruce or pine wood. Block board comes in two grades MR (Moisture Resistant) and BWR (Boiling Water Resistant). They comply with Indian standard specifications IS: 1659: 2004.
Block boards are lighter in weight, less expensive and offer very good resistance to bending; they are used as doors/shutters if the height of the shutter is more than 8 ft. Block board is stronger than MDF & Particle board.
PVC Foam Board
PVC Foam board also known as Closed-cell PVC Foam board, it is very light in weight (half of the weight of Solid PVC) and has a very rigid structure, They are used in making of Yachts & Aircrafts, They can be used in place of Plywood for making cabinets. PVC Foam boards are highly resistant to water.
They are available in various sizes and can be cut easily like wood; since PVC foam board has the properties of thermoplastic it cannot be used in kitchen or high temperature areas (above 65 C). PVC foam boards are ideal for water prone areas.
WPC Real Wood (OST)One Side Teak
One side Teak is shortly called as OST, for people who require a natural teak wood finish, OST is the ideal solution, OST is a 3mm thick veneer sheet with teak wood grain finish on one side, the sheet is pasted on plywood similar to laminate. The surface can be treated like teak wood and can be polished to give a glossy/matt look with natural teak wood grains.
Additional Accessories
Additional accessories like hinges, lock set, door panel, stile, and many more are essential in the interiors for the stability and support of the decor elements.These keep the decor components intact and in place.
Hinges
A hinge is a type of bearing which connects two objects, typically allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. Concealed hinges close the shutter automatically within the limits, whereas cut links type hinges require manual push to close and thus require a magnetic catcher to keep it intact.
Aristo Sliding System
Aristo sliding system – is an elite system of sliding and swinging doors from Russia. The manufacturing technology of Aristo aluminum profile and swinging systems is one of the most advanced in the world. Aristo sliding-door wardrobe doors are made with thick-section aluminum Alloy profiles and can be up to 3200 mm (10 '6 " ft) high.
The profile doors are slim and light in weight and occupy less space than conventional wooden sliding shutters.
Edge Bands
Edge bands are used to cover the exposed sides of the plywood, MDF, Particle boards etc, it is also used to seal the edges which protects the wood from moisture and strengthens the bonding.
PVC Lipping
Pvc lipping is mainly done for sealing the cross-section of the board, so as to protect the board from the environmental damage, especially for the damage of the water in the air.
The 0.5 , 1.2 , 2mm thickness strips are most commonly used.
Wooden Edge Banding
Edge banding is sometimes a thin strip of veneer, with adhesive on one side, that covers raw and exposed sides of particleboard and plywood. In other cases, edge banding is solid wood (usually from scraps) that is applied with glue or by making a groove in the piece of wood it needs to fit.
Aluminium Edge Profiling
Aluminum profiles are products born from aluminum alloys that are transformed into shaped objects through the extrusion process
Putty & Painting
water-based acrylic-latex paints are generally the easiest to work with. Epoxy paints also offer great durability & great aesthetics so they are widely preferred for aesthetic edges
Finishing
The finishing include the laminates, veneers, acrylic sheets, lacquered glasses, membrane shutters, wood surface finishing, and paint-based finishing. These additional accessories offer an amazing finishing touch to the design and helps in bringing out our customers personality in desired texture, color, and shape to give that completeness to the decor.
Laminates
Laminates are called “Mica” in layman’s terms, also commonly called decorative laminates; they are manufactured under high pressure not less than 1000 lb per sq inch.
There are two categories of Laminates:
- Inner Laminate
- Outer Laminate
Inner laminate are pasted in the inner parts of the cabinets and normally 0.4 to 0.6 mm in thickness, Predominantly half white is used, as white color will act as natural pest repellent.
Outer Laminate comes in 0.8 to 1 mm thickness, in various shades and designs.
Laminates protects the plywood and also gives fantastic shades and also act as stain resistant making it easier to clean the surface.
Veneers
A veneer is technically a thin layer of hardwood which is stuck to the core material's surface using strong adhesives. In fact, it can be used to hide the lower quality or less appealing look of a core material to make the item look flawless and expensive
OST veneer
One Side Teaks, naturally, have a teak finish to it, and only on one side. The rear of OST is plain and ordinary with random grain patterns. Made from quality Burma Teak, it comes with a rich legacy and its exquisite natural colors are compatible with any kind of polish. OSTs are 4mm in thickness.
They are available in 8ft x 4 ft. dimensions.
Acrylic Sheets
Cast acrylic sheets can be created using two different manufacturing techniques, batch cell and continuous production. Batch cell is the most used process. This is a simple and easy way to create acrylic sheets ranging from .06-inches to 6-inches thick, and sheets ranging from three feet to several hundred feet! With this technique,
- OP2 acrylic sheets
- Op3 acrylic sheets
- P95 acrylic sheets
- P99 acrylic sheets
Lacquered Glass
Lacquered glass is a type of decorative glass that possesses a layer of color coating on one of its surfaces. Hence, it is also known as back-painted glass. Made from a highly durable and opaque lacquer, this lacquered glass coating is baked and cured in the oven. Lacquered glass is 100% recyclable and non-toxic.
Paint Based
Paint finish materials are generally either water-based or solvent-based. Water-based paint finishes typically don’t have an odour and are quick to dry, but they don’t have any shine. In contrast, solvent-based paints are glossy, but they take a long time to dry entirely and contain certain substances harmful to the environment.
- Matte
- Eggshell
- Satin
- Semi-gloss
- Gloss
Wood Surface Finishing
Wooden finish gives the natural elegant touch, in order to maintain it, the finishing plays a vital role.
They are basically three types of wooden surface finish
- French Polish
- Melamine Polish
- Polyurethane (PU) finish
French Polish:
French Polish is a not a material, it is a wood finishing technique by applying thin coats “Shellac” (resin secreted by the female lac bug) dissolved in ethyl alcohol, Although French polish is considered beautiful, it is prone to scratches and stains easily, also not resistant to water.
Melamine Polish:
The German word melamin was coined by combining the names of 2 other chemical products: Melam (a distillation derivative of ammonium thiocyanate) and Amine. Melamine is an organic compound that is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer which is fire resistant and heat tolerant. Melamine resin is a very versatile material with a highly stable structure. Melamine can be easily molded while warm, but will set into a fixed form. Melamine is water resistant, so the life is better than French polish
Polyurethane (PU) finish:
Polyurethane is a synthetic varnish used for finishing and sealing the wood, PU is harder and more resistant to abrasion than its natural counterparts. PU is available in two types
- Water Based
- Oil Based
Usage of water based or oil based depends on the finish, time and grain pattern required. Have a look at the picture, the left side (Lighter) water based PU is used and right side (Darker) Oil based PU is used. The middle portion is not varnished.
Membrane Shutters
A membrane shutter is made of a thin synthetic Thermo foil that is heat-sealed to mold it over an MDF base. These membranes are machine pressed on the core material, and can be molded to give seamless grooves and edges — a distinct advantage in kitchens as the surfaces can be easily cleaned!