Chipboard is made with the scrap from wood processing and residue from trees. It is favorable ecologically because no additional trees are cut down to make it. Chipboard is made from chips and particles of wood that are pressed and bonded with thermo-hardening glue. Generally, it is then covered with veneer, melamine resin paper, PVC or laminate to give it its aesthetic qualities.
Mechanically it has great dimensional stability. This makes it extremely useful for large surfaces where solid wood could buckle. It is not very resistant to dampness; the problem has been partially but not completely resolved with the creation of P3 water-repellent board. The glues used for chipboard release formaldehyde, this has been reduced to a minimum in board produced in accordance with strict Japanese laws (F****).

Five or more layers of wood are arranged with the grain at right angles and attached with glues that resist water and humidity. Valcucine makes its Class 3 exterior plywood with a full 11 layers of birch wood.

Ergonomics studies the interaction between people, their work place and equipment to facilitate safer use of objects.

Covering a raw wood panel with various materials, e.g. laminate, PVC, veneer, etc.

A pungent-smelling chemical used to make most thermohardening glues for the furniture industry. Suspected of being cancerous, in high concentrations, it can cause tearing and irritation of the respiratory tract. In 1977, the B.G.A. (The Berlin Health Board) decreed that it is dangerous in concentrations of 0.1 p.p.m. (parts per million) or 12 mg/m3. Many other countries have adopted this standard.

During the day, the earth’s surface accumulates the heat of the sun. At night, the heat escapes into space. Excessive concentration of carbon dioxide in the air traps the heat from the sun’s warmth during the day and keeps it from being expelled. The resulting effect is similar to that of a greenhouse.

Adhesives that are applied while hot which adhere and harden during cooling. They are reversible because they soften when heated to temperatures between 60°C and 100°C, temporarily losing their adhesive power. Used almost exclusively to attach edging.