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To achieve satisfaction when decorating or renovating a room one needs to deliberate on the small details. Skirting boards enhance attractive design features while completing and framing a plain room. Striking borders can be used to hide weak plaster areas, untidy joints and other unsightly spaces.
An added benefit of floor molding is the protection it provides to walls and doors against common wear caused by everyday movement expected in a normal household. Different finishes, colors and patterns allow for contrast and accentuated, visual variety and give the feeling of a smooth transition from one room to the next.
WHAT IS MDF?
MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard is a manufactured wood product created by stripping down and processing actual wood remains into wood fibers. The wood undergoes a lengthy procedure to form water resistant, dense, strong panels used in construction projects, indoor and outdoor flooring, decking, wall panels and furniture. Watch this video to see how MDF is made.
PRODUCTION PROCESS
The production of MDF requires an intensive process that ensures a smooth finished product that is safe and easy to use, without splinters or sharp edges.
Wood Chipping
To start the process, a selection of wood chippings from mixed tropical hard and soft wood, are fed into a wood mill to be cut into smaller, more manageable pieces. Once fragmented, the chips are stored in the wood chip yard until it is needed for production.
Chip Washing
During the chip washing phase, the previously fragmented wood pieces from the chip yard are given a thorough wash in a clean water bath in order to remove all dirt and other impurities. As an extra measure, a magnet removes any metal particles that might have been caught up in the mix.
Vibrator
The next step in the process, sees the washed wood portions being preheated and softened in a vibrator in order to allow for tree resins in the fibers to be wrung out. This ensures that no contamination remains to mar the final product.
Defibrator
Once the vibrator eliminates remnants of resin, the softened pulp is fed into a defibrator, a heated mechanical pulping processor that grinds the wood blend between two crushing discs, aided by steam. Synthetic adhesive components are then added, and further blending breaks the mixture up into smaller, uniform strands, ready to be pressed and dried.
Drying
The automated system now initiates drying the mushy mixture to remove excess moisture. Moisture extraction is done in a tube dryer which uses hot gases taken from elsewhere in the process. Once the desired moisture content is achieved, the product is stockpiled until it is needed.
Forming Sheets of MDF
In order to form panels of Medium Density Fiberboard, the dry, stockpiled material is uniformly spread out over a firm mat to ensure the correct, specified density of the final sheet. Before finally compressing the product, pre-compression is done to release any trapped air and to ensure a smooth, level exterior.
Next, a mechanized, hydraulic press takes over and hot presses the mat into fresh boards of the prerequisite thickness and composition. This process also activates the artificial bonding agents in the boards to make the product compact, durable and infinitely versatile.
Finishing Off
Once the raw boards cool down, they are mechanically cut into equal, standardized lengths and treated as per individual customer specifications. Skirting sheets may be ordered primed or unprimed, depending on pre-order requirements. Primed boards are already sanded and ready to be painted according to the customer’s color selection, while unprimed boards are not.
living room decoration
ADVANTAGES OF MDF
Resilience
An MDF product is very resilient to moisture and will not crack when bent, as it is very flexible and pliable.
Cost
MDF is generally found to cost less than alternatives such as plywood or popular hardwoods such as teak, cedar, pine, ash or mahogany.
Texture
The production process renders the completed panel without knots, uneven grain or marks and blemishes. This allows for easy painting and sealing, giving craftsmen more control over the final look and motif on cabinetry or other creative projects.
TYPES OF SKIRTING BOARDS AND ACCESSORIES
Skirting Boards
Base panels come in many stylish patterns, designs and colors and may be customized to suit individual buyer preferences. These moldings may be adapted to provide clever spaces to hide unattractive cables and pipes or crafted to fit over skirting boards already in place.
Suppliers such as Skirting King offer consumers an extensive, compliant variety of floor moldings to install into every room of the house. Shoppers are given the option to buy wainscoting that is square edged, V grooved, or bull nosed, to mention a few. Skirting may be chamfered or cut away to form a neatly proportioned sloping edge. Other fancier style selections include Regency Ogee, Queens, Ovolo Mini and Lambs Tongue amongst others.
Architrave
In traditional architecture, an architrave referred to an auxiliary rafter that rested on the head or top of a large column to support a structure. In modern interior design jargon, an architrave is essentially ornate trim that frames the door jamb casing. An architrave is effectively an eye-catching molding that completes the overall look of walls and doors.
An architrave may be bought as a complement to the wainscoting in pattern and design and is accordingly scalloped, grooved or shaped for trimming.
When shopping for skirting boards and associated MDF accessories such as architraves, window boards and windowsills, shoppers should scout for quality products at fair prices. Consider the details of your order and have it ready, as merchants will ask for the product type, dimensions and quantity you wish to purchase.
Be sure to select a contractor with an excellent customer service record and after service support, in case you need additional products or advice on installation. Some reputable companies also offer an Express Range of products to choose from. So, when the urge to redecorate overcomes you, contact them post haste and get your groove on.
