Interior wood work – Things to know before you approach an interior designer/wood work expert

Wood work is one of the most obvious things that we plan of as part of fit outs before moving to our homes post possession.
Before you approach an interior designer or wood work expert for getting the modular kitchen and wardrobe work done, there are few basic things that you should know.

Which wood to use?

Plywood versus Particle board:
Both have a different composition.
While Particle board is prepared by glueing together small chips of wood, Plywood is prepared by glueing together layers of veneers (cut sheets of wood).
Plywood is more resistant to moisture and humidity (depending upon its grade) in comparison to Particle board.
Particle board is less durable and not apt for storing heavy objects. The life of Particle board is somewhere between 5 to 10 years depending upon usage while that of Plywood is generally more than 15 years.
Builders will generally provide you Particle board for modular kitchen unless specified otherwise.
Hence, Plywood shall be preferred in any case.

Which plywood to use?

Commercial plywood versus MR plywood versus Marine plywood:
18 mm plywood is generally used for wood work for home use. However, there are different grades within.
Commercial plywood is same as MR grade plywood. The two are water resistant (80% water resistance) but not water proof and follow ISO 303.
Marine plywood on the other hand is much stronger and considered water proof with a better life span.
For this reason, Marine plywood is also costlier than the Commercial plywood.
Prefer Marine plywood if there is a greater risk of seepage at your home.

Lamination over wood?

Sunmica versus Laminate:
Sunmica is just a type of laminate. Hence, there is practically no difference.
Glossy finish laminate looks pleasing but have high probability of visible scratches.
Prefer laminates from Merino or Croma for more durability.

Other essentials?

Edge bending:
For a better finish and more importantly, to prevent laminate to come off and to keep off termite and water at edges, the edges shall be Edge banded.
Edge banding is generally dont at factories. Veneer edge bending is more common these days.

Channel, Handles, Hinges and Baskets for modular kitchen:
Hettich or Peacock are found to be more durable and shall be preferred.
Peacock for baskets and Hettich for the rest will make a good couple.

We hope the above would help you arrive to a conclusion as to what is best for your needs.
We are soon coming up with a list of interior designers for your quick reference. So, hope to see you back 🙂

Comments/Feedback invited.

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Last Updated on May 14, 2015 by Go4Reviews