LAMINATES

Submitted by:DEEPAK BAJAJ Sch. No. - 101110051

AIM OF WORK
TO summarize the different types of laminates and their importance in interior design of residential spaces.

OBJECTIVES
To Study The Importance Of Laminates In Interior Design Of Residential Spaces. To Understand The Types Of Laminates And Their Classifications. To Analyse The Use Of Different Types Of Laminates In Different Residential Spaces. To Study The Standards And Specification Of Laminate. To Understand The Application Of Laminates In Different Residential Spaces.

NEED
Effective building design requires balancing multiple objectives: aesthetics, acoustics, environmental factors, and integration with the building's infrastructure hence there arises a need of Laminates for better acoustics, aesthetics, ambience, shades and for better environmental impacts.

SCOPE OF WORK
The Scope Of My Work Covers The Use Of Laminates And Their Applications In The Interior Designing Of A Residential Building. The Purpose Is To Summarize The Different Types Of Laminates, Their Uses, Application And Also Their Standards And Specification.

LIMITATIONS
Financial Implications Have Not Been Considered In My Study. The Scope Of My Work Doesnt Cover The Use Of Laminates In The Interior Designing Of Public And Corporate Building.

INTRODUCTION TO LAMINATES :The official definition of laminate is "a man-made decorative material that is applied to the surface of a substrate." It is often referred to as HPL, or highpressure laminate, but its technical name is thermosetting high-pressure decorative plastic laminate. Laminate has many features that account for its widespread use: It's available in hundreds of designs, it's low-maintenance, it's heat- and impact-resistant, and it offers high value for the investment. Laminate is manufactured one of two ways:- Under high pressure - Under low pressure.

High-Pressure Laminate They are comprised of multiple layers of resin-treated paper fused together during manufacturing. Hpls can be adhered to a variety of substrates, have a dimensional behavior similar to wood, and expand and contract with humidity.
Used for both vertical and horizontal surfaces. Have a High initial cost and a lifespan of five to 15 years. Available in hundreds of designs and multiple finishes.

Low Pressure Laminates Low-pressure laminates (lpls) are also known as melamine boards or direct-pressure laminates. They are comprised of a single-wear layer over a single decorative sheet.
Recommended for vertical surfaces or low-impact/low- traffic areas. Lpls have a very low initial cost, but only a one- to five-year lifespan. They are available in a limited number of designs and finishes.

TEXTURE OPTIONS INCLUDE WHILE DESIGNING WITH LAMINATES: Matte - A textured finish with a moderate reflective quality. Matte is the standard finish on most laminates. Crystal - A finely beaded design that minimizes fingerprints and has high scratch resistance. High Gloss - A texture with a mirror sheen finish that is susceptible to scratching and not recommended for horizontal surfaces. Textured Gloss - A finish similar to waxed wood furniture. Beaded - A pebbled texture with the look and feel of coarse-grained sand. Wood grain - An embossed finish with the look and feel of wood.

DIFFERENT APPLICATION OF LAMINATES IN DIFFERENT INTERIOR SPACES :-

TYPES OF LAMINATES :Since Decorative Laminates are artificially created surfaces, they have a large variety in colours, patterns and textures. Based on the surface finishing of the sheets, decorative laminates can be classified as solid colour, floral patterns, gloss finished, matt finish laminates, wooden finish laminates (which has designs that look like wood).
Following are the different materials available: MDF (Medium Density Fiber Board) Plywood - MR plywood (Moisture Resistant) - BWR plywood (Boiling Water Resistant) Marine Grade Plywood Decorative Laminate (Mica) Veneer Veneered MDF

 MDF (Medium Density Fiber Board) :MDF is generally denser than plywood. It is made up of separated fibers, but can be used as a building material similar in application to plywood. It is stronger and much more denser than particle board. There are different kinds of MDF, which are sometimes labeled by colour: Moisture resistant is typically green Fire retardant MDF is typically red or blue

A vast range of MDF in available in varying thickness and sizes are available. Thicknesses: 2.3mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5.5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 11mm, 12mm, 15mm, 17mm, 18mm, 25mm, 30mm and 35mm. Sizes: 8X4; 8X6; 7X6; 7X4 and 6X4.

Applications of MDF in Residential Spaces:-

Timber paneling creates interiors as warm as they are stylish. Commonly utilising an MDF or plywood substrate, internal timber paneling is natural and versatile and comes as either solid natural timber panels or as sheets of engineered wood products Benefits of MDF
Some varieties are less expensive than many natural woods Flexible. Can be used for curved walls or surfaces. Shapes well. Stable dimensions (won't expand or contract like wood)

Denser than plywood or chipboard (the resins are heavy) Low grade MDF may swell and break when saturated with water. Contains urea-formaldehyde which is a probable carcinogen and may cause allergy, eye and lung irritation when cutting and sanding. Subject to significant shrinkage in low humidity environments.

Drawbacks of MDF

 PLYWOOD :Plywood is a manufactured wood panel from the family of manufactured boards (such as medium-density fiberboard (MDF), particle board (chipboard), etc.) made from thin sheets of wood veneer. Plywood layers (called veneers or plies) are glued together, with adjacent plies having their wood grain rotated relative to adjacent layers up to 90 degrees. There is usually an odd number of plies, so that the sheet is balancedthis reduces warping. Because plywood is bonded with grains running against one another and with an odd number of composite parts, it is very hard to bend it perpendicular to the grain direction of the surface ply.

Types of plywood:There are a variety of ways in which plywood is classified and these classifications are usually based on the different aspects of plywood such as the wood used, the number of plies it has, its suitability for indoor and outdoor use, its grading as per quality specifications, and its intended uses. MR Grade plywood (Moisture Resistant) BWR Grade plywood (Boiling Water Resistant)

The important points of difference between Commercial MR grade plywood and BWR plywood is summarized in the table below :BWR grade plywood BWR = Boiling Water Resistant Has better strength and quality It's a waterproof plywood Costlier MR grade plywood MR = Moisture resistant Is of a slightly lesser quality It's not waterproof. Cheaper

Phenol formaldehyde synthetic is used for glueing the plies together. This is a synthetic plastic resin.

Urea formaldehyde resin is used for bonding the plies to each other. UF resin is not considered to be very eco-friendly.

Exterior grade for outdoor use

Interior grade for indoor use

Preferred for making kitchen furniture that is likely to get wet

Preferred for making furniture that is not likely to get wet. e.g. Drawing room or bedroom furniture.

 MARINE GRADE PLYWOOD : Marine Plywood is manufactured from special hardwood veneer and is bonded with undiluted Phenol Formaldehyde Resin at extremely high temperature and pressure. Therefore, this plywood can take extreme changes in temperature, humidity and alternate wetting and drying which are all the prerequisites for plywood used in marine applications. Being powder proof it guarantees protection against borer & termites. This marine plywood is strong enough to withstand excess load, thrust and vibrations.

It is dimensionally stable and an ideal choice for high quality projects.

Application of Marine ply in residential building :-

 DECORATIVE LAMINATES (MICA) :Decorative Laminates are thermoset composite sheets generally called High Pressure Decorative Laminates (HPL).These sheets are homogeneous, non-reactive, non-porous, high density, rigid sheets with high resistant to abrasions, scratches, impact and ageing due to light. The melamine impregnated decorative paper used as the surface gives it an attractive look. Available in 1mm and 1.5mm thickness. Apart from the regular 4'x8', Decorative Laminates comes in special sizes like 5' x 12', 4.25' x 10', 3' x 7' that suffice various interior design needs

Applications :Applications like furniture, tabletops, counter-tops, study tables, office furniture, kitchen cabinets, partitions, wardrobes, doors, industrial products and more. They can be used to laminate or cover the surface of any appropriate substrate material like chipboards, plywood, MDF boards, OSB, WPC boards, walls, etc

 VENEER :Veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 mm (1/8 inch), that typically are glued onto core panels (typically , wood, particle board or medium-density fiberboard) to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. They are also used in marquetry. Plywood consists of three or more layers of veneer, each glued with its grain at right angles to adjacent layers for strength. Veneer beading is a thin layer of decorative edging placed around objects, such as jewelry boxes. Veneer is also used to replace decorative papers in wood veneer hpl. Veneer is also a type of manufactured board The veneer are placed on other wood constituted products such as Medium Density Fibreboard, Particleboard to produce: Cabinet interiors and exteriors Desk and Table tops Kitchen tops Doors Drawers Furniture Shelves Wall Paneling

Types of veneers :There are a few types of veneers available, each serving a particular purpose. Raw veneer Paper backed veneer Phenolic backed veneer Laid up veneer Reconstituted veneer Wood on Wood

 VENEERED MDF :Veneered MDF provides many of the advantages of MDF with a decorative wood veneer surface layer. In modern construction, spurred by the high costs of hardwoods, manufacturers have been adopting this approach to achieve a high quality finishing wrap covering over a standard MDF board. One common type of veneered MDF uses oak veneer.

variety of veneered MDF boards include:

VENEER VS. LAMINATE :1. Which looks better? The basic point is veneers are natural, while laminates are artificial materials. 2. Which is costlier? High quality veneers are generally costlier than laminates. The cost of laminates depends on the brand and quality. 3. Which ones are easier to maintain? Laminates are easier to maintain. They are scratch-resistant, waterproof and usually retain their look for years. In comparison, veneers require more maintenance. They need to polished from time to time, so that they look as beautiful as ever.

CONCLUSION : ADVANTAGE OF LAMINATES The widest range of sizes. Eco-friendly products, made from wood from our own plantation. Unmatched range of thickness. Available in a host of aesthetic finishes and shades. Uniform thickness. Dimensional stability. High durability. Water and moisture resistance. Borer and termite resistant. Fungus resistant. Very high abrasion resistance. High surface resistance to heat, steam and stains, Easy to clean and maintain. Easy-to-install, Saves both time and labour. DISADVANTAGE OF LAMINATES Wooden laminates Requires maintainance. Wooden laminates are not environmental friendly. Decolouration after some duration of time. Wooden laminates are Uneconmical. Wooden laminates are Unrepairable

COMPANIES / MATERIAL SUPPLIERS :Few well known laminate companies/brands in India are listed below.
Sunmica
Formica GreenLam Laminates - from the makers of GreenPly Merino Laminates Century Sundek Asis

Virgo
Durian Delta Laminates KitVista - from the makers of KitPly