Werzalit Student Chair

The Werzalit student chair is the classic school chair, with seat and backrest produced from Werzalit panel and bolted to a tube profile frame. Being usable in two different environments — classroom and dining hall — makes it a practical option for schools that want a single supply type across multi-purpose buildings.

The Werzalit panel: why this material?

Werzalit is a wood-based board densified by pressing under high pressure. It has a long history of use in school furniture, and the reason is a single property: it behaves markedly more stably against moisture than ordinary wood boards. Its tendency to swell and blister on contact with liquid is low, and because its surface is closed, liquid does not soak inside.

That behaviour is the direct reason the chair can be used in a dining hall environment. In a space where meals are served, spillage, wiping and wet cleaning are a daily routine; the life of wood-veneered panels is shortened under those conditions. A Werzalit surface, by contrast, can be wiped down with a damp cloth and left.

Classroom and dining hall: two environments, one chair

Most schools supply a separate chair type for classroom and dining hall; that means two separate stocks, two separate spare-part lines and two separate maintenance items. Being able to use the same chair in both environments removes that duplication. The practical result is this: a chair worn out in the dining hall can be replaced from classroom stock, the spares ordered fit both areas, and the school works from a single product.

The same advantage applies in multi-purpose halls. In a hall moving from a conference layout to a dining layout, using one chair type preserves both visual consistency and operational simplicity.

A less-discussed benefit of single-type supply lies in the purchasing process. Two separate products mean two quotations to obtain, two deliveries to plan and two products to approve; with one product that process halves. In public institutions, simplifying the tender item also produces a direct time saving. This is not a technical property of the product, but it is a real advantage felt on the purchasing side.

Screw-mounted panel construction

The seat and backrest are separate panels bolted to the frame. What distinguishes this construction from monobloc chairs is that the panels are pieces independent of the frame. Damage occurring on a surface does not concern the whole body. On the other hand, bolted connections can loosen over time; a simple tightening check once a year noticeably extends the chair’s life. We recommend adding that check to the school’s general maintenance list — a few minutes’ work heads off a problem that would otherwise turn into a moving panel.

Tube profile frame and stacking

The frame is produced from electrostatic powder-coated tube profile. The legs are joined to one another by horizontal rails at the sides and the front; those connections prevent the chair shearing under forces arriving from the side. Because the leg form narrows towards the front, the chairs can be stacked and the space cleared when needed. The plastic glides at the leg ends protect the floor.

The frame colour is chosen from the RAL chart; schemes contrasting with or matching the panel colour can be built. Choosing different frame colours for the dining hall and the classroom is a simple way of separating the areas visually while continuing to use the same product.

Cleaning, hygiene and daily maintenance

Because closed-surface panels do not absorb liquid, daily cleaning is done with a damp cloth. Unlike fabric-upholstered chairs, stains do not soak in and odours are not retained — decisive for hygiene in areas where meals are served. The flat geometry of the panels leaves no recess to collect dirt. If disinfectant cleaning will be applied, we recommend sharing the chemical the product will be exposed to before ordering; we can assess surface behaviour accordingly.

Long-term cost: why is it still preferred?

Purchasing decisions on school furniture are often made on unit price, whereas real cost comes out when divided by how many years the product serves. That is where the reason for this chair’s long-standing use lies: because the panel material resists moisture, it gives a longer life than expected even in demanding environments such as dining halls, while the frame stays a simple and repairable structure.

The plain geometry of the tube profile frame makes intervention easier in case of damage. Unlike bodies requiring complex moulds, here a weld point or a bent profile can be repaired even in local workshops. Because the expected service life of furniture in state schools often exceeds what was projected, repairability becomes a more decisive item in the long run than unit price. Most of the institutions that choose this chair make that calculation from experience over the years.

Ordering and delivery

Quantity, panel and frame colour and height are determined on the order. If you are buying the same chair for both classroom and dining hall, planning the total quantity in one go is advantageous for both price and colour consistency — a difference in tone may be visible between batches produced at different times. On high-quantity orders, where the school has no temporary storage area, planning delivery in batches keeps the corridors clear and the products undamaged; because chair delivery requires no installation, it suits that flexibility. The project survey is free of charge. The delivery charge is calculated according to order volume and destination province, shown as a separate item in the quotation, and is not included in the product price.