Several types of materials are used to make Closet organizers, ranging from low-end wire shelving all the way to high-end solid wood. No matter which type of material you decide on implementing in you closet, it helps to know a little about them, and whether it suits your needs and compliments your home decor. Here is a list of some of the material used:
Wire shelving: Wire shelves are on the lower end of closet organizers, as far as functionality, looks and decor. They are made of metal and either painted or chrome plated. They come in different levels of quality ranging from the very thin metal "wire like" shelving to the heavy duty steel. There are kits available at most home centers and online that you can purchase and install. They are simple and inexpensive alternative, but they do come with limitation of options available, such us, drawers, doors, built-in hampers and other closet accessories. This is a good alternative to the traditional reach-in shelf and rod closet.
Decorative Shelving
Particleboard: Particleboards are one type of Engineered Wood, also referred to as Fiberboard. They are manufactured by using scrap wood, wood chips, even saw dust combined with a resin, which is usually formaldehyde based, which has been classified as human carcinogen by the WHO (World Health Organization). Although particleboards are cheaper alternative to real wood, if untreated it has the tendency to disintegrate in humid and moist environment. To somewhat remedy the problem, it is usually painted, or covered with plastic resin, like Melamine, that are glued to the surface. It is also difficult, or in some cases, impossible to repair if damaged. It can also sag or snap over time since it is the weakest kind of Fiberboards. For closet organizers, they are available as kits at most home centers and online.
MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard): MDF is another type of engineered wood which is also referred to as Fiberboard. Although it's a lot denser and heavier than Particleboards, it has similar characteristics, and it's made with similar scrap wood, and formaldehyde resin. Like Particleboards, MDF is widely used as material of choice to make closet organizers, especially by the so called "custom closet organizers" because it is cheap, and readily available. Also, it comes in variety of colors achieved by laminating the surface with plastic material, like Melamine resin. They are also available at most home centers and online.
Melamine: Some closet organizer companies refer to the material used to make their closet organizers as Melamine. It's nothing more than particleboard or MDF laminated with plastic Melamine resin to imitate the color and grain of real wood.
Plywood: Plywood is another type of engineered wood. It is made by piling very thin layers of wood, called wood veneer, on top of each other held together by adhesives, usually formaldehyde resin. They come in many grades and quality ranging from indoor use to outdoor use, referred to as marine grade, and from construction grade to decorative grade, which is achieved by gluing a very thin layer of real wood on top of the other layers of wood. Very few custom closet companies offer closet organizers made with plywood, but generally, they charge 50-80% higher than closet organizers made with Particleboards or MDF, and even fewer companies offer it online.
Solid Wood: Unlike all other materials which are engineered from scrap wood and chemicals, solid wood is solid lumber, real wood. Its appearance is unmatched by any other material used for closet organizers, or any other piece of furniture. Solid wood is strong, stable, and lasts longer than any engineered wood. Some worry about warping of solid wood in high moisture areas, which can be true for long, thin, unfinished pieces of wood. Others, worry about cracking, but if the wood in kiln dried correctly, sealed, and finished with multi-layer process, it performs much better than any engineered wood. If you want proof, just take a look at any antique piece of furniture made with solid wood; no engineered wood would last as long.
One major disadvantage of solid wood is the cost, primarily because of harvesting, kiln drying, and selecting pieces without defects. Very few companies offer solid wood for closet organizers online, and fewer custom closet organizers offer it as an alternative to engineered wood, primarily because of cost. Some closet companies suggest that their material is solid wood simply because it's not hollow, and made of real wood saw dust, others claim their material is solid wood because they use plywood covered with real wood veneer. Beware, and make sure you're getting the real solid wood, and certainly, getting what you've paid for. It doesn't matter if you're going to hire a closet company to design and install your closet organizer, or you're buying a closet system online to install it yourself, it pays to ask questions about what type of material is being used to manufacture the closet organizer that is going to be installed in your home.
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