What are the advantages of MDF timber? This article explores the benefits of MDF. Find out if MDF timber is the right timber for your project.
Theos Timber offer MDF timber made to measure cutting and delivery for Manchester, Liverpool, Stockport, Preston and the surrounding areas of Lancashire. Find out more about selecting the right timber for your requirements.
What is MDF?
MDF is a man-made material that stands for Medium Density Fibreboard. It is created through amalgamated wooden fibre sheets combined with thermosetting resins placed under high pressure and immense heat. Once this process is complete, you are left with a dense board or several MDF sheets tightly packed with even fibre distribution, making it a smooth surface.
Over the years, engineered wood products have developed and become more affordable and reliable than ever due to impressive industrial and technological advancements. It has numerous advantages and disadvantages that we can uncover.
What Is MDF Made of?
MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) was initially produced by utilising forms of hardwood, softwood and their wood fibres and disintegrating them into fine particles and combining them with other components. You'll find that there is 82% of wood fibres, 8% of water, 9% of urea-formaldehyde resin glue and 1% of paraffin wax are included in the making of MDF materials.
What are the Advantages of MDF?
Cost-Effective & Easily Available:-
It is a much less expensive material to produce and utilise for numerous projects than natural wood. Suppose you implement wood veneers or similar engineered products.
In that case, you can successfully acquire the appearance of real wood at a generally cheaper price, which is better for economic value and helps save money.
Compared to plywood and other types of wood, it is far more affordable and straightforward to find in numerous sizes, unlike maple, oak and rosewood.
High-Density Material:-
MDF boards are an engineered material accurately curated to remove the existence of specific grains or unappealing textures. It ensures no significant tear-out, splintering or scorching whilst using band saws, jigsaws, routers or scroll saws. With such properties and high density, drilling or cutting becomes a much easier task to undertake without damage.
Environment Friendly:-
If you're looking for a material that can decrease the material costs of virgin wood, making them more cost-effective. MDF wood is entirely curated from plantation wood, meaning that to use this material, no trees are cut down throughout the manufacturing process, with a lumber production method that utilises leftover hardwood and softwood, so it is incredibly environmentally friendly.
MDF is Strong:-
A composite material such as MDF boards is of high quality and comprises a series of wood fibres and resins that are dried and pressed to create dense, sturdy sheets. MDF is curated using strong wood fibres that ensure the material cannot warp or crack when at a normal or cold temperature. Its strength, superior to particle board, enables it to be used similarly to plywood.
Perfect For Painting & Layering:-
MDF board offers a sleek surface with smooth edges that are entirely paint-friendly, so you never have to worry about knots, consistent wood grain or texture appearing within your layers.
A single MDF sheet is a hefty, flat surface that can be painted or stained much more efficiently than natural wood with a sealant.
You can successfully cover your MDF panels in wood veneers or laminates to achieve a more realistic visual, making it the perfect replacement for real wood.
Stable, Durable & Sustainable:-
You'll find that MDF is a relatively stable natural product that requires minor fixing throughout its lifespan. It offers durable, sturdy and long-lasting properties that also make it incredibly fire-resistant.
Say No To Termites & Insects:-
MDF is a common form of engineered wood that is usually used by glueing wood fibres together in numerous layers. The high glue content needed to make MDF means they can assist as an effective termite inhibitor. MDF is incredibly pest and insect resistant and repels fungi and borers.
LOW VOC & Formaldehyde Emission:-
It is safe to use MDF materials on and off construction sites, yet you must ensure they are eco-friendly, meaning they emit reduced urea- formaldehyde. MDF is a somewhat neutral material. Its other components are small in number, so you aren't at risk of them releasing any VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) throughout the room, as some of these special chemicals can be toxic and cause health issues.
What are the Disadvantages of MDF?
Engineered wood is easy to damage:-
The surface is potentially the most significant difference when comparing engineered wood to solid wood. MDF board has an external surface with the same texture and material built as its core; however, it is over-compressed, which is why it is much like a sealant.
Suppose you try to sand it down; you'll find that eventually, you will reach its core compiled of fibre and wax, and shaving it down this far can negatively affect the strength and integrity of the panel or board.
You must ensure that if you paint or repaint your flat-pack units, it's best to use delicate and gentle brush strokes. Damage on MDF is more permanent than on other solid wood forms, where you can remedy scratches and dents with sanding sessions.
MDF is heavier:-
Many people can assume solid wood is much heavier than other wooden materials, yet that would be false as MDF weighs more. It weighs more, so whenever you install shelving, cabinets, cupboards and various other flat-pack storage units, it needs additional support and often more anchors on its edges.
It can be tricky to use pilot holes with MDF, as when you drive screws through it, the fibres will rise, which creates curved surfaces. Many furniture designers build cabinet doors using MDF, and the rest is finished using solid wood.
MDF can't support too much weight:-
All wood forms have some tensile strength properties but cannot withstand extreme stress and extensive weights. Engineered wood is typically utilised to create kitchen cabinetry, wardrobes, bookshelves and others, yet they aren't efficiently designed to cope under heavy pressure. The material will often sag and eventually break. We recommend using components of solid wood in combination with MDF boards for additional support.
MDF is vulnerable to extreme heat:-
MDF is created using resin compounds and paraffin wax, so it is paramount not to be used beside radiators or heating appliances like stoves, ovens and fireplaces.
High temperatures can cause it to swell and warp. We don't recommend using MDF for outdoor projects in the summertime, as, again, they will warp and become less sturdy due to how moisture-resistant they are.
Recommended uses of MDF
Shelving
Many like to utilise the properties of MDF boards to build shelves, especially floating shelves, for those with alcoves they would like to decorate. Whilst it is a durable material, you'll find that they require some form of solid wood underneath as an underframe to prevent them from drooping in the middle.
Cabinetry
MDF is an excellent material generally used by manufacturers to curate high-quality, robust kitchen cabinets or storage units for your household or domestic property.
With the help of multiple boards joined together tightly, it can successfully increase the structural integrity of your cabinets.
However, they are a robust and durable material but cannot withstand extreme weights. We suggest using another wood material if you wish to build or implement a bench in your home, as they will likely break.
Decorative / Detailed Mouldings
MDF is also used for architrave, skirting boards, door framing or lining and various other forms of decorative pieces, such as mouldings, across your home or domestic property. Visually they offer a smooth, clean and consistent finish that looks sleek and stylish when painted, so you can begin decorating your MDF furniture.
Are you looking for MDF timber delivery in Manchester and the surrounding areas? We offer a range of timber cut to size for Manchester, Liverpool, Preston, Oldham, Stockport, Warrington and the surrounding areas.