Everything You Need To Know To Find The Best Cupboard PVC Edge Banding

When selecting furniture for your residence hall, you'll encounter a variety of material specifications to consider.

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Your choices might include solid wood, plywood substrates topped with laminate, or entirely laminate surfaces.

Regardless of your selection, edge banding will likely be involved in your furniture. But why is that?

Edge banding plays a crucial role in construction, enhancing the longevity of your furniture depending on its application within the cabinet.

This brief guide is part of our Nuts & Bolts Series targeted at operational and facilities leaders, and it covers the basics of edge banding.

Understanding Edge Banding

First, let's define edge banding.

Simply put, it involves applying a decorative band to the edges of plywood, particle board, and other engineered wood materials that have raw, unfinished, and often unsightly edges.

To address these unsightly edges, innovators developed technologies allowing the application of a glossy finished material to match the tops and sides.

These strips are referred to as edging tape, coming in thicknesses ranging from 0.018 inches to 5mm and typically available in 250 ft rolls.

Thicker edging materials are preferable in high-traffic commercial settings due to their superior durability and impact resistance. For instance, the military mandates the use of thicker solid wood edge banding for maximum protection against impacts.

Edge banders are industrial-grade machines that apply these tapes to the raw edges of wood panels, utilizing hot-melt adhesives or glue.

The Functions of Edge Banding

Edge banding fulfills both functional and aesthetic roles.

From a functional perspective, edge bands offer essential benefits like moisture protection and increased durability. They serve as seals on the core material edges, facilitating resilience against impact. Using solid wood edging can further bolster the overall strength of the furniture.

Aesthetically, edge banding conceals rough edges and provides a shiny finish that harmonizes with the furniture's tops and sides. Additionally, it can create softened rounded edges, enhancing design appeal.

Typical Applications of Edge Banding

Where will you typically find edge banding on your furniture? This largely depends on the materials used in construction.

Solid wood products typically do not require edge banding, save for situations where solid wood isn't applicable. For example, wardrobe doors are often made from veneer core plywood or MDF.

Even when solid wood is employed for sides and fronts, customers may opt for high-pressure laminate tops, necessitating edge banding.

Plywood or laminate materials also require edge banding. DCI employs edge banding in unexpected areas like plywood bed decks to prevent bed bug infestations. Additional insights on bed bug mitigation can be found here.

Areas Without Edge Banding

DCI refrains from using edge banding on cabinet backs or drawer bottoms as these components are typically sealed within dado grooves. Similarly, we avoid edge banding internal plywood drawer sections where it offers negligible advantages.

It's noteworthy that some manufacturers neglect to apply edge banding in appropriate locations, such as the bottom and back edges of plywood cabinets, which can lead to moisture damage to untreated furniture.

Materials Used for Edge Banding

Various materials are utilized for edging tapes. Here, we will briefly touch on a few key types.

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

1. PVC stands as the most widely used material for edge banding on furniture tops. Pros: PVC is cost-effective, durable, and has a long lifespan. It requires no additional finishing, and repair is relatively straightforward, albeit somewhat tedious. Cons: PVC is not recyclable and does not biodegrade, and once it becomes scratched, refinishing isn't possible. (Note: ABS, or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, is a more eco-friendly alternative that is recyclable and safe for incineration.)

We typically recommend 3mm PVC edging, as it provides cleaner, quicker applications and superior adhesion. Additionally, this thickness allows for appealing rounded edges. Generally, we advise against using 0.5mm edging due to potentially sharp corners.

Solid Wood

2. Solid Wood remains a favored option in many woodworking circles. Benefits: It's sturdy, recyclable, easily fixed, and cost-effective while being more resistant to chipping compared to veneer edge tape. Solid wood glues also show greater reliability with less peeling than veneer and PVC, adding dimensional support to plywood and MDF. However, it’s more challenging to work with when creating curves.

We offer solid wood edge banding in various thicknesses, applicable internally or externally. For case good tops, we recommend 9.5mm thickness. At DCI, we assert that the optimal method for applying wood edge banding is “internally” with a high-pressure laminate (HPL) top due to its durability and efficiency.

Wood Veneer

3. Wood Veneer is a common choice for edge banding in plywood cabinet sides, drawer fronts, and MDF wardrobe doors. Manufactured from thin wood slices (like oak, maple, and mahogany) joined using finger jointing, it often features heat-sensitive glue backing.

Pros: Veneer offers an attractive, strong, and durable finish, closely mimicking solid wood. It's pre-sanded to absorb stains and finishes, enhancing compatibility with your furniture color. Cons: Veneer is not heat resistant, should be kept away from heat sources, and is less suited for high-use environments.

Application Methods for Edge Banding

According to the RA Learning Center, edge banding can be applied using various methods, including:

• Hot-melt glue
• Hot air or laser technology
• Iron-on adhesives
• Laser edging

Factors to Consider

Peeling

Edge banding is vital in most campus and dorm furniture. However, improper application or use in critical components may lead to maintenance issues.

Peeling is a common problem encountered with edge banding. Adhesive failure can lead to the edging lifting from its surface, or rough handling can also cause damage. For instance, the thinner 0.5mm edging is insufficient for high-impact areas, which may lead to peeling.

Should you experience peeling, don’t hesitate to contact your local DCI account representative for assistance.

Cost Considerations

Typically, we recommend PVC edge banding for budget-centric projects. It's efficient to manufacture, leading to lower material costs. Conversely, solid wood edge banding is pricier due to the labor-intensive process and superior material quality, making it a premium option.

Adhesive Choices

We rely on hot melt glue for our adhesive solutions, as it is user-friendly and ensures excellent adhesion. The temperature of both the environment and materials significantly influences the bonding process, requiring a warm atmosphere for optimal results. Furthermore, a clean, precise glue edge is essential for effective application.

Making Your Selection

It is our duty to ensure edge banding is applied correctly. However, you'll need to make specific choices about the edge banding options suited to your needs.

Understanding these options might feel overwhelming if you're not familiar with them. That’s where our experts come in. We will guide you in selecting the right edge banding for your project.

Our aim is to equip you with the knowledge necessary to understand the process and assurance that our products are built on years of manufacturing expertise and proven performance.

Edge Banding Basics Video

For a fundamental overview of edge banding, this video illustrates the process, although here at DCI, we implement it on a larger industrial scale, ensuring high-quality results.

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If you enjoyed this article, you can find more insights in our complete Nuts & Bolts Series.