Popular and demanded building material. It is actively used in the furniture industry, as well as in construction for wall and floor cladding. Such love of builders to this material is due to its low cost and excellent properties. Particleboard is a board that is made from pressed wood chips, the big disadvantage of which is high moisture absorption. Moisture leads to deformation and further destruction of the chipboard. The solution to this problem is chipboard processing... Let's take a closer look at how to process chipboard from moisture.
Chipboard processing is carried out in three directions:
- chip handling
- processing of the front surface of chipboard
- chipboard processing - end protection
Swarf handling
Such chipboard processing produced at the time of production. For this, shavings for chipboard production impregnated with formaldehyde resins. Such resins tightly glue the chips, while preventing moisture from penetrating into the inside of the board. For the same purposes, urea melamine resins are used; they adhere the fibers more tightly and, accordingly, have higher water-repellent properties.
Liquid paraffin can also be produced from moisture during the production phase. By impregnating the chips with it, you can protect the board from moisture penetration.
How to treat chipboard from moisture? One of the main and priority issues in the production of this material.
How to protect chipboard from moisture:
- lamination. In the process of lamination on the prepared and sanded chipboard surface melamine film is applied under the influence of high temperature (200 degrees) and high pressure (25 MPa). The surface is polymerized. with the help of lamination, it helps to protect the material from moisture, sunlight, temperature extremes and various damage.
- Lamination. The lamination process is similar to kelp, but more gentle. in this case, it occurs at a lower temperature (up to 150 degrees) and lower pressure (up to 7 MPa). The film is applied under pressure to the chipboard surface treated with glue. Lamination is less resistant to moisture than lamination, and also suffers from various mechanical influences. The film can flake off, swell and crack.
- Surface painting. using paint one of the most available methods protect it from moisture. With this method, you can process the chipboard yourself at home. It is enough to follow a number of simple rules:
- Before painting, it is necessary to clean the chipboard from dirt and dust, grind it
2. Then cover with a layer of heated drying oil
4. Now you can proceed to coloring. The paint is applied in several layers, after waiting for each of them to dry completely.
- Pasting of chipboard with polymer film or polymer plastic. This type of chipboard processing involves the application of a protective layer on the surface of the material in the form of a film or polymer. For such purposes, polyvinyl chloride films are most often used. Before sticking it on the surface, you must thoroughly clean it, because even the smallest particle of dust can spoil appearance roughness and roughness of the material. Pasting a chipboard with a film is not a durable method of protection. The film has low protective characteristics, suffers from temperature drops.
- Chipboard veneering. This method consists in facing the chipboard surface with natural veneer. This method not particularly popular, since the veneer is not resistant to mechanical damage. Keeping track of veneered chipboard will be difficult.
Chipboard processing - end protection
Another vulnerability for the penetration of moisture into the chipboard, the ends are. Therefore, their processing should be given Special attention... How to cover the chipboard?
Chipboard processing on the sides is carried out using:
- PVA glue. The ends are thoroughly coated with glue, allowed to dry and then another layer is applied.
Silicone.
- Building sealant
- Furniture varnish
- Liquid paraffin
Used for flooring can be done with heated wood glue mixed with sawdust. This is a simple and inexpensive old-fashioned method.
We hope the information on how to treat chipboard from deformation and moisture will be useful to you.
Irina Zheleznyak, Special correspondent of the Internet edition "AtmWood. Wood-Industrial Bulletin"
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Chipboard is an excellent structural material, but not very attractive in comparison with wood, and is also particularly susceptible to the influence of factors external environment... Particleboard products receive some protection even during the manufacturing process. For this, all kinds of impregnations and additives are used. However, under intensive operating conditions such factory measures are not enough, therefore it is recommended to additionally protect the material. How to protect chipboard, as well as process it finishing materials, will be discussed below.
Surface treatment of slabs
The front and the inside of the slab have the most large areas, therefore, if they are not protected, they have the largest number moisture. Along with the protection, you can decorate the material. Several such techniques are presented below.
Lamination
The lamination process is the finishing of the chipboard with paper-resin films. The cladding is carried out at high temperatures (150-200 degrees) and high pressure (25-30 MPa). The protective and decorative layer is due to the spreading of hot resin over the surface. The resin then polymerizes to form a solid, uniform coating.
If complied with technological process, there is a reliable adhesion between the chipboard and the resin. During lamination, a certain surface texture is created - usually it is gloss or. Laminated surfaces resistant to mechanical stress, moisture, ultraviolet radiation and high temperatures.
Lamination
During lamination, the chipboard is covered with an adhesive layer, on which hard paper-resin unvarnished films are then laid. The difference between laminating and laminating is that when laminating decorative coating glued to the board ready-made. For example, wood grain embossing is done in advance. These films are called "finishing" films.
As in the case of lamination, when processing the material by the laminating method, it is also used high blood pressure and heat... However, the parameters in this case are more gentle: temperature - from 20 to 150 degrees, pressure - from 5 to 7 MPa.
The disadvantage of laminating is the instability of the coating to mechanical stress and moisture. Such a surface is easily scratched and swollen. Lamination is used mainly in the manufacture of inexpensive furniture, as well as for the production of parts that are not subject to aggressive effects environment(eg, rear walls cabinet).
Paint coating
Unlaminated chipboard can be coated in several layers paint material... The sequence of work is presented below:
- remove dust and dirt from the sheet;
- coat the chipboard sheet with heated drying oil;
- again coat the sheet, but this time with cold linseed oil (a thin crust should appear);
- apply the first layer of paint;
- after the first layer has dried, apply the second.
Laminate finishing
Laminated plastic is a polymer that contains niches for filler. Fabric, paper, veneer and other materials are used as filler. At the heart of the manufacture of paper-layered filler is paper. It acts as a reinforcing layer, and also gives the laminated polymer plasticity, strength and visual appeal.
Finishing begins with cutting off chipboard sheets of the required dimension. Via compressed air and brushes, dirt and dust are removed from the sheets. If the dirt is not removed before painting, good adhesion will not work.
Pasting facing material It is carried out by the method of direct pressing of a paper-laminated polymer, on which glue and chipboard are preliminarily applied. Pressing can be done hot (urea or PVA based adhesives are used) or cold (PVA dispersion contact adhesives are used). In practice, cold pressing is not used very often, since the process requires large areas, and the productivity is relatively low.
Finishing is completed with postforming. The task is to give the plastic curves and other irregular shapes... The process is carried out on special equipment at an elevated temperature.
Pasting with polymer films
The process of applying polymer films is similar to decorative cladding plastics. The difference lies in the materials used. In this case it comes about a thermoplastic film applied by pressing onto a chipboard treated with an adhesive.
For finishing the chipboard, polyvinyl chloride films are used. Occasionally, polystyrene and acrylic films are used.
Finishing with polymer films is carried out on the same technological equipment on which finishing materials such as veneer or paper-laminated polymers are applied. The veneering process can be either hot or cold.
The advantage of polymer cladding is the ability to process shaped parts. Nevertheless, the use of polymer films has a limited potential, since the coating does not have high physical and mechanical properties, and is also unstable to temperature effects.
Vacuum pressing
Vacuum (or as it is called otherwise - membrane) pressing is a technological process during which furniture is covered with a decorative film. The main advantage of the method is the ability to cover complex-shaped parts.
For example, membrane pressing can be used to veneer furniture self made with all kinds of grooves, cutouts, miniature details, etc. The part is placed in a vacuum press, where a heated polyvinyl chloride film fits tightly, repeating the surface relief.
Veneering
The correct name for the process is veneering. However, in everyday life, the term "veneering" is often used. Natural veneer you can finish both chipboard and furniture board... Veneered furniture is more high quality, in comparison with laminated. However, it is quite difficult to maintain the safety of veneered furniture, since veneer is not as strong as laminate.
Chipboard or MDF worktop
For finishing chipboard sheet or MDF will need plastic (laminated paper, polycarbonate, polystyrene).
Work progress:
- We cut out the necessary parts from chipboard, connect them with a stapler.
- The joints between the parts of the chipboard base must be the same. If this is not the case, level them with sandpaper.
- We make facing for the ends.
- We cut the facing part using the grinder.
- We glue the finishing material and fix it with light blows with a rubber hammer.
- Place the end plate flush with the bottom edge of the table top.
- At the same time, we glue the base and the apron with glue.
- We use spacers when installing laminate flooring. After installing the sheet, remove the dividers.
- Smooth the surface with a roller.
- Using a router, cut a hole under the sink.
- When the structure is assembled, we grind all the edges.
Protection of joints and edges
Any liquid always searches and finds the lowest place on the surface. The joints are indentations and are therefore vulnerable to water ingress. A considerable number of joints are found in cabinet furniture, where the main structural material is chipboard.
Because of high humidity and frequent contact with liquids, kitchen furniture is especially vulnerable. Sink, countertop, furniture next to kitchen stove Are the most frequently damped pieces of furniture in the house. An example is the part of the countertop that comes into contact with the mixer. Sooner or later, the tap leaks, which means that unprotected chipboard will inevitably get wet and collapse.
To protect the joints, we first clean these places and dry them with a hairdryer. Then we apply PVA glue to the joints, and when it dries up, we treat the protected surface with silicone or, as an option, with construction sealant.
If there is no pallet in the cupboard, then sooner or later the liquid flowing down from the damp dishes will destroy the chipboard. Therefore, the material must be degreased and then treated with a sealant.
We seal the seams with sanitary silicone of the corresponding color for the furniture. This will help prevent mold from growing on the furniture.
In those places of the edge of the table top, where there is no lamination, we install end or connecting strips. These items can be made of metal or plastic. The planks are not ideal protection, so the edges still need to be pre-treated with sealant. Another common method of protecting chipboard is to apply PVA glue to the edges or furniture varnish.
Floor joint protection
The main difficulty in protecting joints on the floor is that such slabs are subject to increased mechanical stress and are constantly slightly displaced under load. Because of this, the putty does not adhere well to the chipboard.
To ensure the protection of the joints on the floor, the seams are processed epoxy resin mixed with sawdust... Moreover, the sawdust must be very small - they must be sieved in advance.
Note! The epoxy-sawdust composition sets extremely quickly. Therefore, do not knead too much putty at once.
A mixture of epoxy and sawdust will reliably protect the joints, but the cost of such a solution is quite high. You can replace the epoxy with wood glue. You need to add sawdust to the hot glue, and then process the seams with the resulting composition. If done correctly, the effect will be even better than with epoxy, as the glue penetrates deeper.
After processing the seams, the chipboard joints will become more resistant to moisture and, no less important, they will stop “playing” with each other. If you finish the chipboard with linoleum, you can no longer worry about the safety of the plates.
After processing the seams, it will take several days for the putty to dry. At this time, it is impossible to walk on the slabs so as not to break the joints.
Coating chipboard with protective and finishing materials in many cases requires certain experience and qualifications, and sometimes the presence of special equipment. If there is no confidence in own forces, it is better to entrust the work to specialists.
Low cost chipboard, high performance characteristics, the versatility of their application has made them a very popular material. The most common areas of application - furniture manufacturing and construction. The main enemy of these plates is water - the chips increase in volume, the plate swells, warps and crumbles.
Even at the very beginning of manufacturing, sawdust and shavings, after drying, are impregnated with formaldehyde resins. After pressing, the surface of the boards is laminated, sometimes even varnished.
But the protection of the surface does not save the ends from the penetration of moisture through which it enters. Accumulating inside, water gradually begins to penetrate into the wood fibers, which leads to the destruction of the board. Therefore, it is necessary to save the ends from liquid penetration during the operation period first of all. If they are tightly sealed, the service life of the plates will increase significantly.
Why exactly the ends are the launching pad for destruction? Yes, because the production of slabs is necessary standard sizes, as well as the preparation of pieces of material of different sizes, requires sawing. In this case, the integrity of the wood fibers is violated.
Thus, chipboard protection from moisture is carried out in three directions:
- resin impregnation of wood fibers;
- special surface treatment;
- sealing of ends.
The first step towards moisture resistance
Already at the beginning of chipboard production, a process is carried out to protect them from water penetration - the so-called shavings resinification. This operation achieves two goals - saturating the fibers with resins and gluing them together. For most of the manufactured boards, formaldehyde resins are used, which, by definition, are a hydrophobic component of the product.
In cases where even greater moisture resistance is required from the boards, a different binder is used, that is, the formaldehyde resin is replaced with urea melamine. It glues the chips together much more firmly, thereby being a stronger barrier to moisture. With the additional introduction of molten paraffin or its emulsion into the chip carpet, the moisture resistance of the chipboard increases even more.
Surface treatment of slabs
The front and back surfaces of the plate, as the largest contact areas, without any protection, can pass through and absorb, respectively, the largest amount of liquid. It will not be superfluous to cover these planes with something waterproof. Some of the methods of such coverage are possible only in the factory, some at home.
One of the main protection methods is lamination. With it on the sanded chipboard with high pressure and at high temperatures, melamine foil is laid. The essence of this process is not in pressing, but in the fact that under these conditions the film polymerizes the surface of the board, becoming one with it.
There is another method, performed in the factory, is lamination. Here pressure and heat are also applied, but more gentle. The already hardened film is pressed against the board covered with adhesive. If lamination is a chemical process, then lamination is mechanical.
At home, unlaminated chipboard is often coated with several coats of paint for protection. Before painting, pre-treat the surface:
- dust is carefully swept and erased from the surface;
- for the first time, the plate is coated with hot linseed oil;
- then this is done with cold linseed oil until the outer crust is formed;
- painting is done on top. With any painting method, it must be remembered that each subsequent layer of paint is applied to the already dried previous one.
There are several more ways to protect yourself from getting wet. For example, a surface that will not be exposed to mechanical stress can be protected as follows: rub with stearin, then heat with a hairdryer. Allow to cool, and repeat a couple more times. Or: one part of bituminous varnish is mixed with five parts of drying oil. Coating is done twice.
Processing seams and edges
The water is always looking for the lowest place, the depression. And what, if not a deepening, are the joints on horizontal planes? There are especially many such joints in cabinet furniture, which is made just from chipboard. Kitchen furniture in general is like on the front line: there is plenty of water and enough fumes. The most susceptible to moisture is a sink, a cabinet with a dryer, a countertop, and furniture near and above the stove.
The taps all start to leak sometime. So in the sink is the most promising dangerous place where the mixer hits the countertop. This is the point of contact between metal and wood. It is possible not only leakage of the tap, but also condensation of water at the point of contact. Therefore, this place is cleaned, dried with a hairdryer. Next, a layer of PVA glue is applied, after which it dries - silicone. You can use a construction sealant, this is also a silicone mass, even with it from leaking window frames sealed.
In the cupboard, you should check the presence or absence of the pallet: if it is not there, then the liquid, flowing down to the bottom of the cupboard, will ruin it. For all kitchen furniture where it is possible to get wet, you need to take it as a rule: degrease this place and then do not spare the sealant.
For sealing joints, it is better to use sanitary silicone of a suitable shade: dark mold spots will not appear on the surface.
The non-laminated edges of the worktop are covered with connecting or end strips... They come in metal or plastic. The protection is not so hot, so the end of the countertop should be pre-treated with silicone. Another method of protection is to apply furniture varnish or PVA glue to the cut site. Offered by the construction market self-adhesive films or scotch tape cannot be called reliable protection.
Sealing chipboard joints on the floor
The difficulty lies in the fact that the slabs on the floor are constantly exposed to significant physical activity, they "play" relative to each other. For this reason, the putty does not want to hold on. There are several folk ways sealing such seams.
The seams are covered with epoxy mixed with sawdust. The sawdust is finely sieved beforehand. The composition sets very quickly, so it is not worth preparing a large volume of such putty right away. Such protection serves for a long time and reliably. But the price of epoxy is high and the seams are expensive.
You can replace the epoxy with hot wood glue. It is necessary to mix sawdust in it and walk at the seams.
The effect is even greater than with epoxy, since the hot glue penetrates deeply inside. This method saves you from moisture, and the joint ceases to "play". True, it is advisable not to walk on such a floor for several days, since the carpentry glue dries for a long time.
This method is much cheaper. And if the floor is still covered with linoleum on top, then about damage chipboard boards in general you can forget.
The adhesive tape prevents the surface layer of the board from splitting when sawing. Hand saw must be attached with a maximum slope.
The scalloped edge is a sad sight. It is especially striking on the white painted slabs.
Chips and synthetic resin create a strong bond when pressed, but with certain processing of the board, the chips can split. For example, along the edge of the cut, in the place of drilling, when planing and rasping. The fibers natural wood longer and tighter connected to each other. This is why chipboard needs to be handled more carefully.
How to saw particle boards
Almost any saw will work for these purposes. Only you need to lead it under very acute angle to the surface of the board, that is, holding the saw almost flat against the surface. Disk and bow saw lead with a slight feed, only slightly pressing. This will also reduce the risk of a brittle cut line. It is advisable, of course, to use the saw with the most fine teeth. Additional protection may also become duct tape, which is pulled along the cutting line. This is generally recommended for coated particle boards.
Another tip: saw slowly. Excessive haste can lead to such a result that the uneven, chipped edge of one part forms an ugly joint with another. By the way, the coating can be protected from splitting if you cut it sharp knife- the deeper the better.
Drilling, rasping and planing
Blunt or limited speed drills tend to split the edges of the hole being drilled. Only by picking up good drill, and by guiding the tool correctly, damage can be avoided.
With an even, clean cut additional processing not required. But Circular Saw may leave bumps that need to be removed with a rasp or plane.
The rasp (or plane) is guided along the edge carefully, as when working with wood, and from outside to the inside, so that the chips do not break out, and the edge after stripping does not seem even more sloppy.
For slabs covered with foil, a plane is more suitable. Anyone who finds it too difficult to work with a plane can use a file.
Surface treatment
There are two ways decorative processing surfaces of wood products and chipboards - varnishing or cladding. Varnish is usually coated wooden surfaces, chipboards for aesthetic reasons are extremely rare, only when it is necessary to "refine" the not very impressive appearance of the board or the finished product.
The surface should be putty before varnishing.
Even a factory sanded chipboard surface needs to be putty and sanded before being varnished. Tiny, barely noticeable damage can clearly show under the varnish film, and this will only worsen the appearance of the product.
The putty is applied evenly with a spatula, and after drying, the surface is treated sandpaper... The result of this preparatory work must become absolutely Smooth surface, and then one layer of varnish is enough to form a flawless film.
If, after applying the varnish, any errors are found, then before recoating the surface should be lightly sanded with sandpaper.
Glue the cover.
Selection of coatings for particle boards very big. If you have special requests regarding color, it is better to use film.
Films are available in a wide colors and with a variety of decor, moreover, they are usually treated with an adhesive composition, which simplifies the work on finishing the slabs. Since the film coating is very thin, the supporting surface must be carefully sanded before stretching the film.
Laminate sheet, thicker and more abrasion resistant. It is glued with a special glue, which is applied to the supporting surface of the slab and to the coating.
The laminated coating makes the chipboard attractive and at the same time protects it from various influences.
Surface protection
If you have bought or made furniture from chipboard, the composition of which is not known to you, then it is better to take additional measures to protect your health.
Protection with varnish.
Formaldehyde fumes can be stopped by re-coating the furniture. This layer should be thick enough. So, varnish coating, at least two layers prevents further evaporation of formaldehyde.
Films and laminates also protect the surface. Here you need to pay attention to the joints: they should be as tight as possible.
Plywood can also become a protective material, but not any. Some types of plywood are made using adhesive composition, in which all the same formaldehyde is present. Therefore, it is advisable to process the plywood and varnish it.
Matter and wallpaper.
Cloth and wallpaper are absolutely unsuitable materials for protecting against formaldehyde emissions. They are porous and therefore cannot serve as reliable protection.
Carpets, as well as the glue used to install them, can also emit formaldehyde. If the relevant services during the inspection detected an increased concentration of vapors hazardous to health, it is necessary to find out what kind of material is the source, before blaming the chipboard for everything and starting a new treatment of their surface.
Edges
A narrow strip of plastic is applied to the edge. The iron promotes adhesion.
The cut from particle boards does not look very nice, and more importantly, it exposes the loose, most vulnerable inner layer. Also, impact and strong pressure can damage the cut edges. Therefore, the edge must be protected.
The simplest, but in most cases enough reliable protection- stick with a not very heated iron plastic tape With adhesive coating or a veneer plate.
Wooden planks.
The most stressed edges of the slab need to be better protection... Thin wood strips will help to provide it. In color, they should be in harmony with the coating of the slab. After gluing the strips, separately or together with the board, they must be varnished or some other protective compound.
Even the 5mm strip is an effective edge protection. A wider plank will also prevent the slab from bending.
Particleboard is one of the most affordable building materials, so many are interested in the question of what to impregnate this material from moisture? And, if in the summertime moisture gets on the floor is unlikely, then in winter it is formed in any case. In this article, we will give good advice about how and with what to soak the chipboard from moisture?
Oil varnish or drying oil
V Soviet times the best way was, and now - special impregnating substances. Naturally, this does not mean that it is impossible to still use drying oil as protective means from moisture. It is allowed to use it, but to achieve high level protection is almost impossible. Yes, and a large amount of mixture is needed, while the working procedure will have to be done several times.
Polyurethane mixture
One of the most popular means for processing chipboard is a polyurethane mixture, which is similar in composition to a primer. The impregnation is based on organic solvents and polymers, which, during processing, penetrate deep into the pores of the material. At the same time, the level of strength building material increases significantly.
Nitrocellulose varnish
There is another way to protect chipboard from moisture - nitrocellulose varnish. Its protective effect is similar polyurethane varnish: it forms a certain protective covering on the surface of the product, preventing the penetration of moisture, while the resistance to damage is equivalent to the maximum indicator. A significant advantage of nitrocellulose varnish over its predecessor is the application of the substance without preliminary preparation workplace, but for best results we strongly recommend priming the chipboard.
To significantly protect chipboard products, you need to use a combined protection method. It is best if it not only consists of an impregnation step with deep penetration substances, but will also include the application of additional paints and varnishes.