When you’re choosing your residence hall furniture and deciding on the specs, you’ll inevitably choose what materials you want.
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Should it be totally solid wood, including the top? Or should you get solid wood or plywood substrates with laminate tops, or all laminate?
Whatever the selection, your furniture is probably going to include edge banding. Why?
Because it’s an important part of the construction. And depending on where we use it in the cabinet, it improves the longevity of your furniture.
In this short guide—part of our Nuts & Bolts Series for operational and facilities leaders—you’ll learn some of the basics of edge banding.
So let’s start at the beginning. What is edge banding?
It’s actually kind of simple, and the video below will help you understand it even better, but this is a simple overview to get you started.
Here’s the basic non-technical idea.
Plywood, particle board, and other manufactured wood cores like MDF have rough, unfinished, unprotected, and generally unsightly edges.
To account for that, some clever folks developed technologies that allow you to glue different bands of glossy finished material to those rough edges to match the tops and sides.
Those narrow bands or strips are called edging tape, and they range in thickness from 0.018-inch to 5mm thick and come in 250 ft rolls.
The thicker edging is used in high traffic and commercial environments because it provides greater resilience and impact resistance. For example, the military requires a thicker ⅜” solid wood edge banding for maximum impact resistance.
And edge banders are the industrial grade machines that apply the edging tape to the raw edges of the wood panels with a hot-melt adhesive or glue.
Edge banding serves both functional and aesthetic purposes.
Functionally, edge bands perform some key duties for your furniture. First, they keeps moisture out serving as de facto seals on the edge of the core material. Second, edge banding improves durability and resilience by providing impact resistance. If you’re using solid wood edging, it can also add to the overall strength of the furniture.
Aesthetically, edge banding covers up unsightly rough edges and creates a glossy finish to match your tops and sides. You can also create radial edges to soften sharp angles.
Where can you expect to find edge banding in your furniture? That depends on your overall material specification.
A solid wood product won’t include any edge banding, except where we can’t use solid wood. Wardrobe doors, for example, are made of veneer core plywood or MDF.
And even when we use solid wood for case sides and drawer fronts, many customers still use high pressure laminate tops. Those tops need edge banding.
If you’re using plywood or laminate as your material specification, that needs edge banding too.
DCI uses edge banding in places you might not expect, like plywood bed decks. Why? Because a fully sealed deck prevents bed bugs. You can read more about bed bug mitigation here.
DCI doesn’t use edge banding on cabinet backs or drawer bottoms because they are already embedded (sealed) in dato grooves. Likewise we don’t edge band internal plywood drawer parts because it doesn’t add value.
You should note that some manufactures don’t use edge banding where they should—like on the bottom and back edges of plywood cabinets. That’s a problem because moisture, even small amounts, can destroy unsealed furniture.
What are the edging tapes made from? There are different materials, and we’ll just focus on a few here.
1. PVC is the most popular material for edge banding on case good tops. Pros: It’s inexpensive, durable, and boasts a long life. It doesn’t require any finishing process. It’s also easy, albeit tedious, to repair. Cons: You can’t recycle it. It doesn’t biodegrade. Once it’s blemished, you can’t refinish it. (NB: ABS—Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene—is an eco-friendly alternative to PVC because it’s both recyclable and safe to incinerate.)
When it comes to PVC, we recommend 3mm edging in general because it goes on cleaner, quicker, and with better adhesion. Another advantage is that you get a graceful radius and a nice soft-looking finish. In general, we avoid .5mm edging because the corners tend to be too sharp.
2. Solid Wood is still a favorite for case good tops in many woodworking camps. It’s durable, recyclable, easy to fix and refinish, strong, stiff, and economical.
Benefits: it’s more resistant to chipping than veneer edge tape. Solid wood glues are more reliable and less prone to peeling than veneer and PVC. It provides additional dimensional support to plywood and mdf. Climate neutral manufacturing. Cons: Difficult to use for curves.
We offer solid wood edge banding for tops in a range of thicknesses. And you can apply it internally or externally.
When it comes to solid wood we recommend 9.5mm on case good tops.
As we explain below, at DCI, we believe the best way to apply wood edge banding is “internally” with a HPL top. Why? Because in our experience, it’s incredibly durable and never requires additional service.
3. Wood Veneer is the most common edge banding material for plywood cabinet sides, drawer fronts, and MDF wardrobe doors. It’s made from thin slices of wood—typically oak, maple, ash, walnut, birch, and mahogany—that are joined together in a roll using finger jointing.
It usually features a heat-sensitive glue backing. And it comes in a range of thicknesses, so it’s important to use the right one depending on the application.
Pros: It’s attractive, durable, and strong. It provides a clean solid-wood look, and it’s pre-sanded to absorb stains and finishes and seamlessly match your wood. Cons: It’s not heat resistant. Avoid putting it near a heater. It doesn’t do well in high-use environments.
According to RA Learning Center, there are at least four methods of applying edge banding. There are a lot of things to say about each of these but for now, here’s a simple list of application methods and mediums.
There’s no doubt, edge banding is essential to most campus and dorm furniture. When applied improperly, or used incorrectly in critical components, it’s a huge maintenance issue.
One issue you might find in furniture that has edge banding is that it peels. Why?
Sometimes, for different reasons, the adhesive can fail. When that happens, the edge banding will start to peel away from the edge.
Peeling can also happen because of rough use. For example, .5mm edging doesn’t provide much resistance to impact. Therefore you don’t want to use it on the front end of a case side. If you do, your edging might start to peel.
If your furniture starts to peel, we can fix it. Just reach out to your local DCI account rep, and we’ll take care of it for you.
Generally speaking, we recommend PVC edge banding for projects where budget is the first and driving priority. That is not to say there is anything wrong with this material. There are just fewer steps in the manufacturing process and the raw material is less expensive.
For more PVC Edge Banding for Doorinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.
Solid wood edge banding is more expensive because it’s labor intensive and the material is higher quality. And with more steps involved in the manufacturing process, we consider this a premium solution. As we alluded to above, internal solid wood edge banding with HPL tops are probably our strongest and most durable solution.
We choose to use a hot melt glue for our adhesive solution because it’s user friendly and provides a great seal. We apply the glue to the edge while it’s still hot and then apply the banding, pressing it to the side.
Ambient temperature plays an important role in the edge banding process. We need to regulate the temperature of both the building and our materials. In essence, we need a warm environment for the optimal adhesion process. It can’t be cold in the building.
And finally, you need a good clean glue edge for the process to work. At DCI, we have state of the art machinery that improves the glue edge and squares it up perfectly.
It’s our responsibility to edge band correctly. But you should know, there are still choices you’ll need to make when evaluating edge banding options.
Those choices can feel daunting if you don’t live and breathe this stuff like we do. Our experts will help you navigate your edge banding options to ensure you get the right product for your project.
Our goal is to help you understand the process and give you confidence that our products are designed based on years of manufacturing experience and time-tested performance in the field.
Here is a stripped down version of edge banding. Of course, when building furniture for Higher Education and Military customers, we do this on an industrial scale. But this video will help you visualize the process in its simplest form.
The process of sealing the raw, exposed edges of wood panels with lipping is called edge banding. Edge banding or edging has wide use in furniture making process; thus, making lipping is one of the critical sorts for materials for the furniture sector. Edge banding is also commonly used in carpentry as an end process to tidy up rough edges and ensure that the finished product is durable and constructed to a high standard.
If you have observed furniture being made, you might have noticed that the wood panels have a raw, exposed edge when cut to size. If left unprotected, this natural edge can pose severe problems for the furniture. The exposed edges of the wood panel allow moisture to seep in, making them warp and become uneven or swell, significantly reducing the furniture’s life span. It is also very damaging to appearance.
So, edge banding was created to address the problem. Edge banding protects the wooden panels in your furniture from moisture, thus reducing the effects of atmospheric humidity and liquid spills.
Typically, a lipping or edge band is a thin tape of impermeable PVC, acrylic, or ABS material cut to fit the size of wood-based panel materials such as plywood, particleboard, or MDF. The lipping is then applied to the exposed edge using a strong adhesive. Commercially, edge banding is completed using industry-grade machines called edge banders and a hot-melt adhesive. For flatpack and modular furniture, the material used is mostly PVC, which is easy to fix and has a long life.
Lipping can be sourced in 200 metres rolls, and the thickness of the tape may vary. The width will also be quite different, depending upon the requirement of the customer. At Meru Timber, edge banding is available in various thickness ranges ranging from 0.45mm, 1mm, and even beyond that.
Thicker lipping is used in high-traffic and commercial settings because it provides greater resilience and impact resistance. For example, doors and drawer fronts may require a thicker 1mm PVC lipping for maximum impact resistance. Typically, a lipping or edge band is a thin tape of impermeable PVC, acrylic, or ABS material cut to fit the size of a wood panel. The lipping is then applied to the exposed edge using a strong adhesive.
Modular furniture is made using wood-based panels. As such, the wood is handled and made resistant to moisture by treatments. Nevertheless, wood has a natural inclination to absorb moisture. This trend cannot be eradicated – it can only be reduced. The lipping protects the wooden panels in your furniture from moisture, therefore reducing the effects of atmospheric humidity and liquid spills. That means that the strength and durability of the wood increase. So, the next time you spill the tea on your table and it drips down the edge, thank the edge banding for protecting the wood.
Notably, edge banding serves both functional and aesthetic purposes. Functionally, lipping performs some essential duties for your furniture. First, it holds moisture out, serving as a de facto seal on the edge of the core material. Second, edge banding increases strength and resilience by providing shock protection. Aesthetically, edge banding covers unsightly rough edges and creates a glossy finish to match your tops and sides. You can also develop radial edges to soften sharp angles.
There are various edge banding materials available on the market. Edge band tape can be made from PVC, ABS acrylic, PP, PMMA, PET, Laser, wood or wood veneer. But, we will focus on two common materials: PVC and ABS. PVC is the most popular material for edge banding.
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) lipping materials are made from thermoplastic gum and are soft and long-lasting. PVC lipping is most popular in the construction of Laminated And Melamine cabinets and furniture. PVC Lipping is noted for its wide variety of colour matches to Laminate and Melamine board manufacturers. With Europe-style modular cabinets on the rise, it is not uncommon to see cabinets with glossy or colourful finishes. Pigments and other materials are added to produce ostensibly endless edge banding colours, textures and natural wood grains. You are assured of finding a match once you choose your Board laminate!
PVC edge banding is very popular for modular furniture. It is incredibly durable, simple to fix, and has an extremely long life. Therefore, the PVC edge band is the most preferred edge band model. The material is impermeable, which means that it significantly reduces water absorption.
Furthermore, modular furniture comes in a much wider variety of colours and shades than the possibilities available with real natural wood. PVC lipping can be produced to resemble your modular panel’s exact shade and finish, thus creating a seamless look. Also, PVC is easier to use on curved surfaces than natural wood bands.
So, in essence, the main reasons that PVC is such a popular choice for edge banding are:
Cons for the use of PVC:
ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) shares most PVC characteristics, but ABS is lower in density and does not include chlorine in its composition. Edge bands made of ABS are eco-friendly, recyclable and thermally resilient, meaning they are safe to incinerate. Lipping made of these materials are available in various colours, finishes and textures, offering you the versatility to pick a colour that best resembles your interior.
Whether you are a Fundi or DIY hobbyist looking for a quality edge, banding can require extra effort to achieve the look and value of your furniture. That is why you should seek professionals for their expertise and guidance in selecting the correct width, thickness, and colour shed.
There are a variety of lipping tapes available in the market, from pre-glued ones to 3D acrylic tapes:
We at Meru Timber can assist you with making those critical selections! We use top-quality, commercially available lipping with 90 different colours currently in stock. Additionally, we offer a diverse range of finishes and patterns to choose from – You name it; we have got you covered. And, if it’s pre-finished you’re looking for, we’ve got that too! The consistency of our products speaks for itself, and we are eager for you to notice our quality. Our PVC lipping materials are designed to match current popular melamine boards such as Timsales, Comply, PG Bison and Rai plywood. We aim to offer a one-stop shop and make your life easy…
Generally speaking, we recommend PVC lipping for projects where budget is the primary factor. That is not to say there is anything wrong with this material—far from it. There are just fewer levels in the production process, and the raw material is less costly. We consider this a premium solution with more steps required in the production process.
Using the right lipping for a particular material is essential to ensuring strength, durability, and precision. We recommend 1mm lipping for PVC because it runs cleaner, faster, and with superior adhesion. Thus, an added benefit is a smooth radius and nice, soft-looking furniture.
Pro Tip In general, we avoid 0.45 mm edging because the corners tend to be too sharp. Thin 0.45mm lipping is suitable for drawer boxes and light use edges. 1mm and 2mm are ideal for door edges and countertop edges or anywhere you will get heavy use. Countertop edges are well suited to a 3mm product as it is very resistant to abuse. For cabinets and wardrobes in low-use areas, such as a home office, 0.45mm edging tape is adopted to be cost-effective while being long-lasting. For frequently used rooms, like kitchens and bathrooms, 1mm thick edging tape is recommended to better protect your cabinets from frequent use. Finally, 3mm edge banding is used for commercial jobs, where strength and longevity are a must.Edging adhesive, also known as hot-melt glue, is a thermoplastic adhesive. A suitable adhesive is essential to ensure that your edge banding goes on and stays on and that you don’t make a mess of your project. However, using the wrong glue in the wrong way could spell disaster!
We choose to use a hot melt glue for our adhesive solution because it’s user-friendly and provides an excellent seal. We apply the glue to the edge while still hot and then use the banding, pressing it to the side.
The two main hot-melt glue choices are EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) and PUR (Polyurethane). Each has advantages and disadvantages, depending on your project and the material you are working with.
The machine that is used for this process is called an edge bander. The Edge bander machine applies the lipping to the raw edges of the wood panels with hot-melt glue. Edge banding machines can process lipping up to 3 mm thick and up to 50 mm wide. The ends are trimmed flush and bent to cover the wood and do not have any sharp corners at the edges. Any excess adhesive is scraped off, and the finished edge is buffed to give a perfect, seamless finish.
At Meru Timber, we use State-of-the-art machinery that improves the glue edge and squares it up perfectly. One of them is Casadei Edge banding machines – Italian technology and another Industrial edge banding machine from Europe, Capable of grooving and corner rounding.
Additionally, we’ve invested in top-of-the-line Cutting Optimization software to calculate and determine the linear Metres of lipping required for your entire Project.
When generating your cutting list, there is no need to subtract edge banding thickness; our software will automatically provide you with the finished size.
The size of the part is automatically adjusted to accommodate the thickness of the lipping.
Learn how to manage your cutting list successfully on Meru Timber’s online cutting list platform. Then, with a single click of a button, you can get the quantity of edge banding material required for your entire Kitchen or wardrobe project!
A Quick start video on how to us Meru Timber cutting list platform is as below. Remember, its absolute Free to use our online cutting list platform!
A local carpenter/in-house fundus may not have the capacity and know-how within their reach. That’s why there is a distinction between commercial modular and carpentry edge banding.
Here is a video to help you visualize the process on an industrial scale. Using a fully automated machine for excellent flexibility and easy adjustment reduces production time and gives the best output.
For more information, please visit PVC Edge Banding.