These are real photos from Particle Board, MDF
and Melamine Manufacturing Plants
Particle board is made
of thousands of small wood chunks glued together with formaldehyde
resin. It's is the least expensive material for making wood
products.
Particle Board is the core
panel that is used for melamine panels
Melamine is simply particle board
or MDF
with a printed paper material attached to one or both sides of the
particle board.
It is the least expensive material for making wood products with a
simulated appearance of real wood.
This is the material used by
California Closets, Closets by Design, Closet World, Container
World, Ikea, Closet Maid and Home Depot.
MDF is particle board made with
extremely fine wood particles instead of wood chunks. The benefit of
MDF is that it is stronger than standard particle board and can be
routed and/or painted. However, standard MDF contains more
formaldehyde as more resin is needed to bond the smaller particles.
This material is commonly used by
cabinet makers as a lower cost alternative to plywood and covered
with paper melamine, plastic laminate (HPL) or actual wood veneer.
Plywood is several layers or ply's
of wood that are all glued together to form a plywood panel. There
are numerous quality levels of plywood depending on the material,
the amount of layers and the glue used to make the plywood. Glue on
standard plywood contains formaldehyde, although not nearly as
much as particle board. Glue on Soy Based Plywood is made out of soy
bean and contains no formaldehyde.
This is the material used most
often by cabinet makers for custom cabinetry. This is typically
considered the best material next to solid wood.
Solid Wood is cut directly from the
tree and milled to different thicknesses. It is then surfaced/planed
into dimensions prepped for final use....typically made in 3/4", 1",
1 1/4" and 2" thicknesses for cabinet use. The lumber industry
describes the thickness of solid wood in "Rough" dimensions after it
has been cut in the mill but before it is surfaced smooth into it's
final thickness. That is why a 2" x 4" is actually only 1 1/2"thick.
It was cut at 2"thick before being surfaced smooth.
This is the material used by
Lundia USA (aka SimpleCloset). It requires more skilled labor and
much more involved manufacturing processes. A cabinet frame made out
of melamine/particle board will have 4 pieces. That same frame made
out of solid wood will require 14 separate solid wood parts.
California's EPA
report on Particle Board (PB) dated April 26, 2007
confirms: 7,000 kids in the U.S.(23 to 63 per million
population*) under 9 years old are estimated to
get cancer due to Particle Board Formaldehyde
exposure in their home. As many as 73,000 adults in the U.S. (86 to 231 per
million population*) will get cancer in their lifetime
due to Particle Board Formaldehyde exposure. Carb Compliant Particle Board Phase 1 will only
reduce the cancer cases by 12 to 35 cases.
*Based on EPA specifically reporting up to
63 kids per million will get cancer (49 million kids under 9
in USA) and 231 adults per million will also get cancer due
to particle board (327 million adult population in USA).
Important Facts About Solid Wood
Closet Organizers vs. Particle Board
From Oprah.com:
Some experts recommend keeping pressed-wood
furniture out of kids' rooms to lower their asthma
risk.
"If it smells," Rudel says, "don't buy it."
(Ruthann Rudel, senior
environmental toxicologist at the Silent Spring
Institute in Newton, Massachusetts)
Read more:http://www.oprah.com/health/are-toxins-in-your-furniture-making-you-sick#ixzz4XSrSPT9g
Excerpt
from the USA Consumer Protection
Agency 2015 Update: Why should you be concerned? Actual Quote:
"Formaldehyde
exposure may potentially cause a
variety of symptoms and adverse
health effects, such as eye,
nose, throat, and skin
irritation, coughing, wheezing,
and allergic reactions.
Long term exposure to high
levels of formaldehyde has been
associated with cancer in humans
and laboratory animals.
All particle board material
has two things in common:
1). It is by far the cheapest,
least expensive material to manufacture with. That
was the primary reason this product is being used in
manufacturing. 2). All particle board contains
"Formaldehyde" which is a necessary part of gluing
all the wood chips together to form a panel.
Most closet organizers
are made of particle board....you might think
this is good news....
The core of our panels is made of 100% recycled
and/or recovered wood fiber. Our panels are
certified to meet California Air Resources Board
(CARB) Phase 2 standards
Here are the facts....Here are actual excerpts
from the CARB certification:
What is formaldehyde
and what are the health effects of formaldehyde
exposure? Formaldehyde is a colorless gas and is
released to the environment from a variety of
sources including the combustion of fossil fuels
such as gasoline and propane, tobacco smoke,
fireplaces, and wood burning stoves.....Health
effects can include nose and throat irritation,
a burning sensation of the eyes, wheezing,
difficulty in breathing, and can trigger asthma
symptoms in those with asthma. Sensitive
individuals may experience fatigue, headache,
and nausea.
"Formaldehyde is also a known
human carcinogen."
California Environmental Protection Agency
You may leave your
new "Particle Board" product in the Garage for a
few days to let it off-gas before bringing it
inside
from the
California Environmental Protection Agency / Air
Resources Board
While
looking for a closet organizer you may come across
websites or companies calling their product "Solid Wood"
when in fact it is made of particle board (sometimes
referred to as "Engineered Wood"). It is a false claim,
made under the misleading idea that because the board or
shelf isn't "Hollow" inside it is solid.
Here is the truth about particle board vs. solid
wood (We are also including links to other non-biased
sites to substantiate the information we are providing
you):
*The
advantage of particle board is
lower cost. It is made of scrap wood particles
glued together to form a board. The problem with
particle board is that it is brittle and will break
easily when hit with force (especially on a corner).
Most people have had this experience with a cheap piece
of furniture. This is why a fine piece of furniture
built in 1930 will outlast a new piece of furniture
built in 2008.
Particle board can be
made to look like beautiful solid wood by laminating
veneer or fake wood over it.
Here is what others
say.....
Excerpts
From Wikipedia Encyclopedia:
Particleboard is cheaper.........and is
substituted......when appearance and strength are less
important than cost.
