Elements of eco-style are in trend today. People are tired of plastic and imitations. From concrete and brick. Many people are increasingly drawn to the natural, to the natural, to the natural. Natural materials, especially wood, play a special role in this.
Moreover, it is desirable that the tree be as close as possible to its natural appearance. So that it is not painted over or varnished. So that the texture is visible, the texture of the wood surface is felt.
In this regard, slabs and saw cuts began to be in particular demand. These are unprocessed or minimally processed wood blanks. They quickly gained recognition among designers and furniture manufacturers. They began to be used in the manufacture of a wide variety of interior parts.
What is a slab?
A slab is a longitudinal cut, on which all the cracks, bends of the tree, growth rings, and bark on the side surfaces are clearly visible. Each slab is unique and individual. This is what is so valued when creating a unique interior.
Most often, countertops are made from slabs. Typically, their surface is pre-sanded and treated with a finishing protective coating for wood, which is transparent, preserves the grain and texture of the wood, improves the wear resistance properties of the surface and protects against moisture.
In a separate article, we talked about how tables, tables and countertops with a river effect are made from slabs and epoxy resin for pouring. See the link for more details.
In this publication, we will take a closer look at other ideas for stylish products made from slabs for home, office, apartment, and restaurant.
Loft style furniture
The style appeared at the intersection of everyday poverty and artistic taste. Therefore, his philosophy fits well with modern realities. The main details in furniture are scratches, dents and natural imperfections in materials. You can choose interesting and unusual items from slabs that will decorate a private house or apartment. Such furniture will emphasize the status of the owner and the tendency to have simple, emphatically rough lines in the design.
Idea 1. Table-river.
But first, let's talk about this option again.
A table with a slab top and epoxy resin filling quickly became fashionable and won the love of many. It can be either a dining table, a work table, or a small coffee table.
Usually this is a tabletop made of two parts of a slab, the edges of which face each other inward, and the middle between them is filled with resin tinted blue. This creates an interesting optical effect. The feeling of a fast river flowing in the middle of the table.
However, this is not the only option for using slabs.
This is an environmentally friendly material
If you prefer to surround yourself with environmentally friendly materials, the choice in favor of wood is obvious. Any wood in the interior is a natural, easily recyclable material that does not contain harmful impurities and fills the space with the smell of the forest. Moreover, the texture of the wooden slab is not subject to serious factory modernization.
Idea 2. A table made of solid slab, without processing.
Nowadays, designers are increasingly abandoning countertops with pouring and choosing options without it, as laconic as possible, clumsy and brutal.
The main thing in this case is to choose a suitable piece of wood. It should not be very small so that all family members can sit at it (if we are talking about the dining table). Or so that it can accommodate all the necessary office supplies (if we are talking about a desktop).
Such a table would be appropriate both as a meeting room and as a table for a director or boss. Suitable for decorating a country house or cottage. Either for an apartment in eco-style or with its elements.
It usually looks quite solid and impressive. It’s true that the weight of such a table is usually not small.
Creative use of slabs in the interior
It is impossible to find two identical saw cuts; each is endowed with its own special texture and outline. With their help, it is easy to design interior items with individual features. More often these are tables, benches, countertops for bar counters, cabinets under the sink or hanging shelves.
Slab – rebirth of a tree
In size, the saw cuts reach a width of up to one and a half meters, and a thickness of 50-150 mm. Not only longitudinal, but also end slabs cut transversely are used. They serve as miniature coffee tables, stools or bases for creative chandeliers.
Slab base for sink
Wood slabs are widely used in the range of interior solutions. Metal, wood and even empty glass bottles can be used as a base, that is, everything that is enough for human imagination.
Idea 3. Coffee table made of sawn wood or slab.
Instead of a slab, you can use a saw cut. This is a cross section of wood. It is usually much smaller in diameter and round in shape. Therefore, it becomes an excellent option for making a coffee table.
Coffee tables made from small unprocessed slabs are also good.
Wood will fit into almost any interior and give it a special look.
Making a slab with your own hands
It is advisable to start creating wooden slabs by selecting the optimal wood. In spring and summer, trunks with a large number of branches are searched for.
Additional originality is added by various growths and branches. After selection, you need to decide on the sawing technology.
The following methods are distinguished:
- Contact professional woodworkers. This allows you to get even panels sawn with the same thickness along the entire length. It should be taken into account that independent transportation of round timber is very labor-intensive, as it involves moving heavy trees.
- If you do the sawing yourself, you will need to purchase a wide range of equipment. Mandatory elements for processing a tree trunk include: rigging devices, a manual sawmill. A powerful chainsaw with an increased length and width of the saw module is used as a working tool.
Idea 5. Shelves
Small slabs and cuts are suitable for creating original shelves. They can be suspended from chains or thick ropes. They can contain books, lamps, frames, and souvenirs.
It would seem a simple element of the interior. But it gives an incredible look to the whole environment, setting a special mood!
Unlike the usual smooth board or furniture panel, the raw, uneven edge of the slab looks much more impressive. By the way, unedged boards can also be used for these purposes.
What types of wood are used for slab?
Typically, the production of flat panels is carried out using a special movable sawmill, equipped with a lifting mechanism for moving trees of large diameter and weight.
The basis for obtaining exclusive countertops, racks, shelves, and window sills are trees with increased density. These include walnut, maple, oak, larch and elm.
More expensive and luxurious interior items are created on the basis of beech, teak or boxwood.
Idea 8. Panels made from wooden cuts or slabs.
Stylish wall decor. It is usually created from several small cuts, similar in size and shape. Or from one beautiful thin slab with a beautiful texture and an interesting edge.
Will decorate a wall in a cafe or restaurant. Suitable for the head of a bed at home, in a country house or in a hotel, chalet, or country house. Can also be used as wall decor near the sofa in the living room, kitchen and other rooms.
Window sills
The slab window structural element is usually installed so that one side of the slab is cut exactly in a straight line. This is necessary so that the part fits tightly into the groove under the frame. At the same time, the uneven side remains visible. The presence of ribs and irregularities indicates the naturalness of the material. However, in some cases it causes inconvenience when placing pieces of furniture. Therefore, for arranging window sills, slabs with a relatively smooth edge are usually selected.
Where to buy in Chelyabinsk?
Our website presents saw cuts and slabs from Caucasian elm, European maple, walnut, sycamore, and mountain poplar.
See all the options presented in the range on this catalog page.
We will deliver to Kurgan, Tyumen, Yekaterinburg, Ufa and other cities, as well as throughout the region.
Great prices, decent range, the best solutions for you and your business. Call or leave requests on the website. We will contact you shortly.
Elm tray
The main quality of smooth elm slabs is their silky texture and pronounced wood grain. When finishing cross sections, the growth rings are clearly visible, which gives the products even greater value. The polished surface has a natural soft oily shine. Therefore, elm trays and cutting boards are very beautiful and practical. If you properly care for a burl slab tray, the product will last for many years.
Technological stages of slab production
Harvested materials must be dried to the required moisture level. Drying can occur naturally in the open air or in special drying chambers under the influence of infrared irradiation or vacuum systems.
Chamber drying can cause significant drying stresses, which, in turn, lead to cracking, warping, and disruption of the structure and color of the wood. Slabs are especially susceptible to such processes due to the large thickness of the boards and their uneven drying.
To protect the surface and prevent the formation of cracks, treatment is carried out with stabilizers and small cuts are made in the slab. The need for such measures depends on the dimensions of the structure, as well as the type of wood used.
Subsequent steps involve removing the bark, calibrating the size, and filling the cracks with epoxy resin. The final stage is polishing the cut and covering it with a protective oil composition or a thin layer of varnish.
