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What material do I choose
and what is the difference?
Timber and veneer:
Every piece of timber has its own character.
Even amongst the same species there can be variations in the grain and colour, sometimes with the occasional knotting.
The beauty of timber is all the variations of colour, texture and patterns of graining, this is the reason for choosing real wood and it is important to accept that there will be variations in the doors and possibly some knotting.
For the lover of real wood/veneer furniture this is the very reason for choosing a natural finish rather than a man made alternative.
Where this natural variation is likely to cause a problem, we can provide a range of man made materials that will be more suitable such as vinyl & foil.
On a chipboard or MDF base a natural timber veneer can be applied to both sides, that is sealed with a clear coating for durability, or with a stain or lacquer. The colour range is limited to the availability of the timber species. Edges are square and in the same material or a matching strip so a tiny join could be showing. Veneer is usually only applied to flat panel doors with square or bevelled edges.
As wood is a natural product, it should not be exposed to air that is too humid or too dry.
For a kitchen with wooden doors air humidity of 40 to 85 is ideal, dry air with little to no humidity is undesirable.
Foil and Vinyl:
What are Foils and Vinyls?
These are increasingly popular wood substitutes that give a very realistic woodgrain finish to MDF and chipboard. The particular benefits are economy, an extensive range of imitation, exotic wood effects, durability, and consistency of colour and grain that make them ideal for fitted furniture, without the open graining and blemishes of real wood.
Foils: are photographic reproductions of timber, used in place of real wood veneers on MDF panels and available in a variety kitchen or bedroom cabinet doors, plinths, pilasters and cornices.
Foil doors are normally constructed as "five piece" doors to look like traditional timber doors.
Vinyls: are economically priced, woodgrained, flexible plastic surfaces, that mould themselves to and bond to, "one piece" pre-shaped MDF doors, in aprox 30 designs and 35 colours.
Vinyl wrapped doors are made up of MDF panels which are cut, routed, profiled, sanded, then glued and covered with a vinyl film that is pressed to the door under vacuum.
The back of the door is usually pre-laminated.
The vinyl thickness is between 0.4mm and 0.7mm. There is a large range of colours, both plain and in wood grain, sometimes they are embossed to feel like wood grain or textured for effect.
Some vinyls are available with a shiny gloss finish.
The edging is better than for laminates as it is more rounded without sharp corners and no joins.
There are many example doors of both foil and vinyl in our showroom to inspect.
MDF and MFC:
Medium density fiberboard, or MDF, is a composite wood product. It's made out of wood waste fibers glued together with resin, heat, and pressure. MDF is appropriate for many applications, from cabinetry doors to cornice mouldings, because it is smooth, uniform, won't warp, is dense, flat, stiff, has no knots and is easily machined.
MDF is stronger and denser than chipboard. Because it is made up of fine particles it does not have an easily recognisable surface grain. MDF can be painted to produce an extremely smooth quality surface.
Because MDF has no grain it can be cut, drilled, machined and sanded without damaging the surface.
MDF has many advantages, it's very smooth because the wood fibers used in its manufacture are uniform and fine. This makes it have low "tear out," which means that when sawed, the end has a smooth cut instead of a jagged edge.
MDF also has a mild reaction to moisture, meaning it won't warp or swell in high-humidity applications like a kitchen or bathroom cabinet.
Veneers and laminates are also used to finish MDF.
Chipboard is a common product that is made from resin coated particles of softwood. Though it is more dense than conventional wood, it is the lightest and weakest type of fiberboard, except for insulation board.
The particles are evenly spread over a flat plate and heat bonded together under high pressure.
There are other types of chipboard available including flooring grade, melamine veneered (such as Formica worktops), plastic veneered, white melamine coated as well as other colours (as used in kitchen cupboards) and wood veneered (used on cabinet doors).
Our kitchen cabinets are manufactured with the highest grade 19 mm thick board available (inc's cupboard backs) as * EGGER EURODEKOR® * it is colour co-ordinated to the door fascia colour, in one of aprox 110 colours, to ensure your kitchen door and cabinet colours, match as near as possible.
Composite materials:
Corian is a solid non-porous material, not coated or laminated, its beauty, colour & pattern runs through its entire thickness.
As Corian is a solid material, any accidental surface scratches or cuts can be easily removed with fine sandpaper - without marring the finish, but please check your guarantee first.
Specialist Corian sinks, made from the same material as the worktop are becoming more in demand.
The popular composite sink materials such as BLANCO Silgranit come in a large range of colours including speckled granite effects. As with all sinks they need regular cleaning with a suitable proprietary cleaner.
In the past ten years sink composite materials have improved considerably and now offer excellent impact and stain resistance.
Granite:
One of the oldest and hardest rock types, many granites were formed 1 billion years before the first dinosaur walked the earth.
Granite is an igneous rock. It is formed as a result of the slow crystallisation of molten magma at depth in the earth's crust. The crystal size of granite varies, the size depending on the time the granite took to cool. The larger the crystals the longer it took to cool. Uplift and erosion has over millions of years resulted in this material outcropping at the surface. The minerals which make up granite are composed primarily of three different types. These minerals are easy to see due to their different colours. The white mineral grains found in granite are feldspar. It is the most abundant mineral found in granite. The light grey, glass-like grains are quartz, and the black, flake-like grains are biotite or black mica. It is the size, distribution and precise chemistry of these minerals which give the granite it's colour.
Granite is primarily made of Feldspar (65-90%), Quartz (10-60%), Biotite Mica (10-15%, and a small amount of Potassium. Contains very little calcite, if any. Provides a heavy crystalline and granular appearance with mineral grains. It is very hard material and easier to maintain than marble. Yet, it is still porous and will stain. There are different types of granite depending on the percentage mix of quartz, mica and feldspar. Black granite is known as an Anorthosite. It contains very little quartz and feldspar and has a different composition than true granite.
In the course of the many of millions of years it takes to form natural stone materials, considerable variations occur in the colour, texture, density and veining of the natural granite, marble and stone and for this reason close uniformity of appearance is not natural and should not be expected.
Colour variations, black spots, spar & shrinkage lines & veining should be expected.
Granite worktops are one of the hardest and most hardwearing of all the worktop materials. Granite is highly heat resistant and pots and pans can be placed directly on the surface, although only for short periods, it still gives a very durable work surface.
Granite is relatively resistant to scratching, diamond rings will scratch the surface (If you are lucky enough to own one), also some acidic juices and gin can stain granite - so some care is still needed. If staining does occur home care kits are available.
Stainless steel:
Premium quality 18/10 stainless steel is extremely hygienic and co-ordinates with the latest trend in appliances
Stainless steel is one of the hardest materials around, but it does scratch. Eventually all the scratches run together and the surface develops a softer finish. Surface scratches in stainless steel rarely have any depth and the sink will obtain a patina with time and the scratching will become less noticeable than when it is new
Stainless steel requires minimum care. Whether you decide on a polished or a linen finish, your sink will have a very high resistance to heat and to staining, and its smooth, non-porous surface makes it totally practical and hygienic.
Browsing through our extensive range, you will find that quality stainless steel looks equally good in a traditional, modern or very high-tech setting, since it is a completely versatile material which lends itself to innovative design.
The 18/10 quoted above refers to the proportion of chromium to nickel in the stainless steel alloy.
For the technically minded: to be classified as stainless steel, an iron base alloy must contain at least 10.5 % of chromium. The presence of chromium enables the steel to form an invisible layer of oxide that protects it against corrosion. If this layer is damaged, a new one forms immediately due to the oxygen content of the air. Increasing the chromium content to 18% has further increased this protection. The addition of nickel to the alloy increased its corrosion resistance while adding a bright polished appearance, hardness, and exceptional resistance to all temperatures. As the nickel level is increased, the quality of the stainless steel is increased. The "top of the line" boast 10% nickel content, is the highest quality available in stainless steel.
Laminate:
Formica laminates easily meet the requirements of BS EN438 1991 Test Method 15, which specifies resistance to staining by 49 substances likely to be encountered in everyday use.
Most Formica laminate products have been awarded the Certificate of Hygienic Merit by the Royal Institute of Public Health.
Laminates are resistant to normal everyday exposure to steam and boiling water.
High Pressure Laminates, are a resin impregnated decorative paper (which is the pattern and colour of the finished worktop) covered with a final layer of plastic, scratch resistant (which is the surface and also gives texture to the worktop) decorative paper on top. These are glued to the chipboard. There is a wide range of plain colours and patterns, wood grains, stones, hand drawn graphics etc. in either gloss, matt or textured finish.
This type of surface is harder wearing, easy to maintain. and on worktops comes with post forming (bending the Laminate around the edge). Worktop ends are often made of the same material, but this may result in a thin black or cream join showing, particularly on lighter colour surfaces.
Quartz:
Quartz engineered stone is made from an amazing 93% quartz with the remaining 7% polymer binder. The quartz content is pure quartz. The purer the quartz the stronger it is!
It will retain its diamond-polished looks for years without needing polishing. Due to its stain resisting polymers as well as the quartz, it results in a very durable, non-porous chemical resistant worksurface, ideal for kitchens.
Quartz is one of the most varied minerals, occurring in different types, colours and forms, each with its own unique appearance. It is found in the ground, in sand, in rocks - in nearly every geological environment around the world. It is a crystal with many facets in its original form, giving it a radiance similar to that of diamonds.
It provides rich aesthetics coupled with extraordinary strength and durability.
Glass:
Opticlear glass used in our glass worktops is 'low iron' and the most optically clear glass available. This means that any colour can be achieved. Regular 'clear' glass has a higher content of iron, which gives the glass a green tint, therefore only certain colours can be achieved using cheaper clear glass.
The Decoglaze colour coating is guaranteed to adhere to the glass and is unaffected by steam and most caustic agents. All glass in this situation is toughened for safety to meet British Standards.
Our glass worktops are optically clear, which means that when the back of the glass is colour coated, you will see true colour definition. The glass is toughened where needed for maximum durability and safety. The coating used on the back is so durable that you could leave the product in the worst conditions outside and it would not suffer any damage. With an extensive background in the kitchen industry we understand the needs and high standards required of the market and can offer the best service to satisfy you.
You can clean the glass with any form of glass cleaner.
Please contact us to discuss your requirements...