Suggestions for sturdy kitchen furniture

I think for many of us our favorite place in the house is kitchen. There you feel like you're not in the way, you're relaxed, close to the coffee and the beer fridge. Now, with the new American-style kitchens, you can't even say you're sitting in the kitchen, even though you're still there after all. And hence the desire for sturdy, beautifully designed kitchen furniture with special finishes.

The kitchen, even if not working at full capacity, is still an environment with increased humidity and where there is a risk of spots or a scratches (Under these conditions, the technology and finishing materials used must ensure maximum resistance to these factors.

First of all, it is very important which material is used. For example, solid wood is less impact resistant than veneered panels. And lacquer can't do anything about that. If the wood cracks the lacquer film will crack too. And there are differences between wood species. One is oak and other wood plop. The former is hard, resistant to mechanical shocks, while the latter is soft and mechanical shocks leave very visible marks.

In order to protect the wood as much as possible, it is covered with film-forming materials. These must have high resistance to scratching, mechanical shock, staining and moisture. As there is a possibility that the wood may come into contact with water and change in size with variations in humidity, it must be as well insulated as possible. It should be coated on all surfaces, including edges. No matter how strong the finish, if it is not done all over, it will crack.

In an article about The kitchen furniture that, due to lack of funds, I made years ago out of MDF. The panels were milled, the varnish was pigmented, patinas were used, the final varnish was low gloss and that's how I managed to make many friends think I had solid wood furniture. Unlike the materials used to finish this type of material (MDF, veneered panels, tackle), those for solid wood must be more elastic. Moisture-related dimensional variations are greater in wood, and if the finishing materials used are very hard and stiff, cracks can occur and wood protection is compromised.

White primers with a lot of filler are often used to finish MDF because they cover the surface well and are cheaper. However, these materials are not recommended for wood. The high filler (chalk) and low resin content makes the primer less elastic and cracks appear when the wood is worked.

I was saying that the materials used must have very good strengths. This is the case for catalytic products, and in particular polyurethane products. The resistance of these products to various stresses in the kitchen is determined by standardised methods. Some manufacturers give the level of resistance of products in the product data sheets. Below is an example from the data sheet of a white polyurethane varnish from Polistuc.

When finishing is done by spraying, hand guns or pumps, the best materials for wooden kitchen furniture are polyurethane. I'm talking about solvent-based ones. They are high hardness but also elastic, with good resistance to staining with cold (wine) or hot (coffee) liquids, resistance to scratching, abrasion and mechanical shocks.

But don't expect to chop the vegetables with a knife directly on the polyurethane-coated countertop and not have any marks left. No varnish used for normal wood finishing can withstand such aggression. But polyurethane varnish won't be harmed if you put a hot pot on the worktop, spill coffee or wine, or clean the worktop with abrasives. But if you drop a heavy object it will also matter what kind of wood is under the varnish. A hardwood will hold up better than one soft.

For a durable finish it is best to apply at least 2 coats of primer to the entire surface, both inside and outside, before applying the final varnish. If not well protected, water or steam can penetrate, swell the wood and damage the finish inside. For tannin wood it is good to use a layer of insulation first. Tannins are aggressive and can attack the finish inside. Insulation blocks them inside the wood. Sometimes it is good to use insulation even if the wood is not tannin. Insulator is a fluid catalyzed product with high penetrating power. The chemical reaction takes place inside the wood, virtually sealing it. It is an extra guarantee that moisture will not get into the wood.

Water-based products can also be used for finishing. Catalysed ones are recommended for adequate surface resistance.

If a natural effect low-gloss varnishes may be used, which give the impression that the wood has not been finished, or skies and oils. Wax is beautiful but not very durable and it will be very hard to maintain such a kitchen. With oils, however, you can achieve a beautiful and durable finish, especially if the wood is hard. There are also very resistant oils with catalysation that give very hard surfaces. They can also be used to finish floors.

When making a piece of kitchen furniture, never forget the environment in which it will have to stand and never compromise on quality. If you want a sturdy, quality wooden kitchen furniture, don't look for the cheapest. The difference in price has to be found somewhere and often you find it in the quality of the finishing materials used.