Products

Newer homes and furniture burn faster, giving you less time to escape a fire. In as little as 30 seconds a small flame can become a major fire that ravages a home and threatens the lives of the people inside. Fires kill more Americans each year than all natural disasters in the United States combined. And even if individuals are spared, fire can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage—up to $50,000 to rebuild a kitchen engulfed in flames.

What’s most alarming is that home fires have become more dangerous and devastating recently because of the flammability of the materials in the house. Thirty years ago, you had on average about 14 to 17 minutes to escape a house fire. Today, with the prevalence of synthetic materials in the home, occupants have roughly 2 to 3 minutes to get out. Fire testing conducted by UL has found a home with mostly wood, engineered lumber and synthetic-based furnishings can be entirely engulfed in less than 4 minutes. These materials may ignite faster and burn hotter than non-flammable materials.

TEC CARIBE Products are non-flammable and non-combustable.
They will not ignite or burn.

Overview & Benefits

The New Generation of Building Materials

Faster

Ease of use - Installation requires very limited training and requires a low skill level. No special tools required

FASTER TO BUILD

Cost Effective

Our building materials will compete with all existing construction methods

COST-EFFICIENT

Echo Friendly

Environmentally friendly, natural materials

ECO FRIENDLY

Safe

Resistant to water, fire, wind, projectile impact, earthquakes, insects, fungus, mold, mildew and chemical infiltration

SAFER

Stronger

Wall axial load capacity is nearly 4 times stronger for Wall Panels vs conventional construction

STRONGER

Light Weight

Our building materials will compete with all existing construction methods

LIGHT WEIGHT

Sustainable

The average lifespan for a stick build home is only 40 years

SUSTAINABLE

ENERGY EFFICIENT

Our products create a tighter structural envelope increasing energy efficiencies and reducing power consumption

ENERGY EFFICIENT

TEC CARIBE Innovative Materials used in External Wall Construction

There are many types of building materials used in construction. Each material has different properties such as weight, strength, durability and cost which makes it suitable for certain types of applications. The choice of materials for construction is based on cost and effectiveness to resisting the loads and stresses acting on the structure.

The manufacturing of building materials is a well established and standardized industry capable of providing a reliable supply of high-quality materials for our structures.The production of structural-grade building materials is subject to quality control procedures that involve inspection and testing according to national standards and scientific testing methods.

Magnesium Oxide Board

Magnesium oxide is a versatile mineral that when used as part of a cement mixture and cast into thin cement panels under proper curing procedures and practices can be used in residential and commercial building construction.

  • Flame retardant
  • Waterproof (tested to freeze/thaw for 36 months
  • Free from mildew / mildew / insects (does not feed mold, mildew and insects)
  • Shock resistant
  • Silica / Asbestos Free STC Rated 53-54
  • No special tools required.
  • Hard non-absorbent surface - based on fiberglass - no paper.
  • Available in colors
  • Energy Efficient: High Thermal Insulative Properties

HPL Coated & Printed Magnesium Oxide Non-Combustable Board

Magnesium oxide is a versatile mineral that when used as part of a cement mixture and cast into thin cement panels under proper curing procedures and practices can be used in residential and commercial building construction.

Outstanding properties

  • Good visual effect
  • The panel can be made into different into designs with vivid gloss.
  • Tough, abrasion-resistant, heat-resistant
  • Acid-resistant, alkali-resistant, oil-resistant
  • Smooth surface, easy to clean
  • Fireproof: Grade A non-combustible
  • Waterproof
  • Healthy and environmental friendly, doesn’t contain asbestos, formaldehyde or benzene

Specifications

Size: 1220*2440mm Max width is 1220mm and max length is 3660mm. Other sizes can be cut. HPL skin thickness 0.5-1mm. MGO board thickness: 3-20mm

Traditional Materials used in Cabinet and Furniture

Solid Wood

Solid wood is just what it sounds like: a solid piece of wood. The most popular are maple, cherry, pine, and oak. It is not a composite, and it is not several pieces of wood glued together to make a solid slab. A good indication that a cabinet or cabinet component is solid wood when staining is a finish option. Engineered wood products cannot be stained as they have no grain. Many cabinets do have some components made of solid wood, such as the face-frame for framed cabinets, and the cabinet door. In many cases, though, the cabinets are made of engineered wood materials and covered with a wood veneer to simulate the look of solid wood.

Disadvantages of Solid Wood

  • Wood is vulnerable to water. Moisture can damage wood finishes and soak into the wood underneath, causing it to split and swell.
  • Ultraviolet light can change the wood’s color and damage its surface.
  • Finishes can be scratched or damaged by sharp objects. While the topcoat should make your furniture resistant to damage caused by everyday use, sharp or heavy objects may scratch the finish, which could expose the wood underneath.
  • Repairing damage requires patience and skill. Fixing scratches on a wood surface requires a craftsman’s touch; sanding or removing stains requires patience, care, and attention to detail.

Particleboard

Particleboard is one of several engineered wood alternates. It is made of wood particles and chips held together by adhesive and compressed to form panels and boards. Many cabinets today use particleboard for the cabinet boxes and the shelves. You cannot paint or stain particleboard directly, so it is typically covered with wood veneer, laminates, or Thermofoil.

Disadvantages of Particleboard

  • The strength of the furniture prepared using particle boards is less compared to other plywood furniture. Lesser strength is attributed to low density.
  • The life of the furniture prepared with particle board is less. The resistance to moisture and humidity is also low. This is the major drawback of the particleboards.
  • The particleboards should not be used for joining purposes as they can be easily damaged.
  • The particle boards are not eco-friendly as solid wood furniture.

MDF (medium density fiberboard)

MDF is also an engineered wood composite that is almost as popular today as particleboard. The composition is wood fibers instead of chips and particles, but manufacturers also use adhesives to hold them together and compress them into panels and boards. MDF has a higher density than particleboard, giving it a finer, heavier texture. Its main use in cabinetry is in the construction of the boxes, shelves, and in some instances, the doors. As with particleboard, you cannot stain or paint MDF surfaces directly as it has no grain. Thus, they usually have a layer of wood veneer, laminates, or Thermofoil.

Disadvantages of MDF

  • The strength of the furniture prepared using particle boards is less compared to other plywood furniture. Lesser strength is attributed to low density.
  • The life of the furniture prepared with particle board is less. The resistance to moisture and humidity is also low. This is the major drawback of the particleboards.
  • The particleboards should not be used for joining purposes as they can be easily damaged.
  • The particle boards are not eco-friendly as solid wood furniture.

Plywood

Plywood consists of thin slices of wood called piles, alternated with adhesive to bind them together like a multilayered sandwich. Manufacturers vary the pile orientation with respect to the grain to make the resulting product stronger and more stable. Plywood tends to be more expensive than MDF or particleboard, so there will be a corresponding premium when choosing cabinets using plywood. You will often see plywood cabinets among the more expensive cabinet lines. The term “all wood” may refer to an all plywood construction, or a combination of solid wood and plywood.

Disadvantages of Plywood

  • The disadvantages of plywood are that it is not always easy to find more than the most common types.
  • While plywood comes in several standard thicknesses, the manufacturer’s claims aren’t always accurate.
  • It is difficult to finish the edges of plywood without applying thin strips of veneer which can be an issue for those new to woodworking.
  • Another disadvantage is that plywood veneers made of expensive woods such as black walnut tend to be very thin. This makes them unsuitable for use in high traffic areas, or in homes that have rambunctious adults, young children or energetic pets where the risk of scratching or other damage is high.

Laminate

Laminated cabinets use the same material as that used for countertops, although they are thinner. Laminates are plastic products, resulting from the fusion of polymer resins and paper through pressure and heat. The laminate material serves as the surface of wood-based cabinet boxes and doors to make them easier to clean.

Disadvantages of Laminate

  • Cannot be refinished. One popular function of natural timber flooring is that it can be sanded back and refinished to renew its appearance over the years.
  • Not moisture-proof. Being made of wood, laminate flooring is not impervious to the effects of moisture.
  • The inability to sand and refinish is a major disadvantage of laminate flooring.

Metal

Less popular than wood cabinets, metal cabinets, mainly stainless steel, are available from some cabinet manufactures as a complete set of cabinets and drawers. This is appropriate for modern kitchen styles and industrial settings. In some cases, cabinetmakers will offer wood-based cabinets with stainless steel doors.

Disadvantages of Metal

  • One thing many do not know about steel or metal is that it is quite heavy. This means metal furniture is going to be difficult to be moved.
  • Also, there are many metal furniture manufacturers that do not sand away sharp points and chips. If this is the case, the finish is not safe and does not look great.
  • Metal furniture is heavy so it can damage floors when not handled properly. If you have linoleum floors or wooden floors, it is important to avoid having a heavy set maneuvered without extreme caution.

Melamine

Laminate floors are a hybrid floor covering consisting of a particleboard wood base topped by an image layer and a transparent wear layer. Laminate floors are a popular type of floor covering for homes’ living areas, kitchens, dining areas, bedrooms, hallways, and other areas that are not subject to excessive moisture.

Laminate flooring is a multi-layer synthetic flooring product fused together with a lamination process. Laminate flooring simulates wood (or sometimes stone) with a photographic applique layer under a clear protective layer.

Disadvantages of Melamine

  • Melamine itself has little toxicity and is relatively stable. It will not be free toxic after curing. The air pollution of the melamine board for furniture production depends on the medium density board or particleboard base material used for the melamine board.
  • The melamine board has no smell, but the inferior MDF, coating adhesive, or additive contain formaldehyde, etc Emanating matter. There is no board without formaldehyde, but the accumulation of a variety of furniture is easy to make the house formaldehyde exceed the standard after decoration.

Thermofoil

Another cover for engineered wood products, thermofoil is a vinyl film that goes over the cabinet doors and boxes, and drawer fronts. Manufacturers apply Thermofoil on the cabinet surfaces. Most cabinet brands offer Thermofoil cabinets, which are usually MDF or particleboard cabinets with a layer of Thermofoil.

Disadvantages of Thermofoil

  • Plain and impersonal design – Thermofoil cabinets are most often made with slab (flat) fronts or with simple raised-panel or shaker-style fronts. They’re not ideal for creating a warm, homey feeling.
  • Susceptibility to water damage – Thermofoil cabinets are water-resistant, but not waterproof.
  • Susceptibility to heat damage – When exposed to high temperatures, thermofoil is likely to peel or blister.
  • Unattractive aging – As white and off-white thermofoil ages, it takes on a dull yellow cast largely due to exposure to sunlight and heat. Letting grease buildup linger on the cabinet hastens this discoloration. Yellowing is less noticeable on colored cabinets, but it still happens. Once it appears, there’s no way to remove it.
  • Short lifespan – On average, thermofoil kitchen cabinets stay looking good for around 10 years, provided they’re properly maintained.