WPC board or Wood Plastic Composite board is made from virgin polymer, wood powder, and other additive chemicals. This WPC board is one of the best alternatives for natural wood and plywood at present in the furniture industry.
The WPC boards have a lot of plus points over their counterparts like natural wood, plywood, and block boards. They have more internal strength, they are eco-friendly, they are resistant to termite, and they are very easy to work with.
This board is a new and attractive option for making modern-day furniture and it is rapidly replacing traditional options like plywood, natural wood, and block boards. It is gaining a lot of popularity because of its strength, durability, modern design, and a lot of other good qualities.
WPC Board Size And Thickness
The WPC board is generally available in the standard size of 8 feet by 4 feet in the market. There are many options of thickness in this board which can suit almost all kind of your furniture requirements. These boards are easily available in 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, 18mm, 20mm, and 25mm options in the local and online markets.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of WPC Board
The WPC boards have seen a lot of changes during recent years and now they have become better equipped for application in the furniture industry. These boards have a lot of advantages that make them superior to the other options, and a few disadvantages. Let’s have a look at some of the main advantages and disadvantages of using this board in your home.
Advantages Of WPC Board
Durability
One of the biggest advantages that come with using a WPC board is the durability that it provides. It does not get easily affected by moisture and water and as such, it is able to withstand the test of time in almost all types of conditions.
Termite Resistance
Termite infestation in the furniture is one of the biggest nightmares of any homeowner. This board does not contain cellulose and is mainly made up of virgin polymer. As such it is highly resistant to termite infestation.
Resistance To Rot And Decay
Although the WPC Boards have some amount of wood powder in them still they are very well equipped to fight against rot and decay. They can handle the exposure to moisture much better than their alternatives.
Proper Finishing
Unlike the natural wood board and plywood board option, the WPC board is available in a very good finish. You can use it directly for making furniture without any kind of painting, staining, oiling, or finishing.
Amazing Designs
WPC board can be used for making amazing and beautiful designs as it can be cut very easily through a CNC router. This is the reason it is very popularly used for making beautiful WPC Jali for interior and exterior use.
Fire Retardant
The WPC board is a fire retardant material as it does not support fire and does not burn with a flame. The other options like natural wood and plywood strongly support the spread of fire as they burn in flames.
Eco Friendly
The WPC boards are made up of virgin thermoplastic, recycled plastic, and waste wood. As such there are no trees cut in the production of these WPC boards, so they provide an eco-friendly and environmentally friendly option.
Disadvantages Of WPC Board
Heat Resistance
The plastic polymer forms the major constituent of the WPC board, as such, it is not very highly resistant to extreme temperatures. And if it gets in contact with any hot metal or object, it can melt it and form a depression on the board.
Higher Cost
The cost of the WPC board is generally higher than the other options like plywood and block boards. As such you would need to spend a higher amount for making the same furniture with this board.
Laser Cutters
The laser cutters cannot be used on the WPC board because the WPC board will get burn because of the high temperature of the laser. This is the reason the CNC router is used to cut this board.
Artificial Look
The WPC board lacks the feature of a natural wood look, as it looks simple plain white. So if you are looking for a natural wooden look for your furniture then you would have to use the natural wood options.
Uses And Application Of WPC Board
The WPC boards have a lot of applications and use because of their flexibility, durability, and availability in different shapes, sizes, and densities. They are used in interiors of buildings, exteriors of buildings, and also for advertisement purposes.
In interior applications, the WPC boards can be used for making wardrobes, cabinets, panels, partitions, sections, modular kitchens, windows, doors, and their frames. They can also be used for making any kind of home or office furniture and decorative ceiling items.
The WPC board can also be used in exterior applications for making the garden and patio furniture, external wall cladding, fencing, shuttering boards, park benches, etc. These boards can also be used for the purpose of deck flooring.
Cost Or Price Of WPC Board
The cost or price of the WPC board will depend upon the density, thickness, brand, and location of the site. It is generally a little expensive than the other alternatives but when you consider the advantages that it provides it is very cost-effective.
You can get a good quality WPC Board of 18 mm thickness for a price of about Rs. 100 per square feet in the market. This price will vary with many other factors so you should choose the best option as per your requirement and budget.
How To Select The Right WPC Board
As we have discussed earlier in this article the WPC board is available in many different options of density, thickness, and quality. So it becomes very necessary to choose the right option for the right purpose.
If you want to use the WPC board for decorative items, partitions, jali, and ceiling items then you can use a low to medium density and medium thickness WPC board for these purposes.
But if you wish to use the WPC board for making modular kitchen, furniture items, tables, chairs, etc, you will have to use high quality and high-density WPC board with a good thickness to support the load on the furniture.
