What is MDF: A De-Mystification of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)

You lot've probably heard of a building material referred to equally "MDF," and y'all may have a vague idea of what it is…but that's where it ends. In this commodity, we're going to look at what MDF is, how information technology's fabricated, and some of the pros and cons of using it.

Definition of MDF: Technically, medium density fiberboard (MDF) is a high-grade composite material that is somewhat like to wood. Casually, however, MDF has also become a generic term to mean whatsoever dry-process fiberboard (Wikipedia).

How MDF is Made: MDF is an engineer lumber fabricated from wax, resin, and recycled/mashed wood fibers. Those materials are machine-dried with loftier heat and high pressure methods, and when hardened, the pulpy mix is pressed into dense, flat, stable (e.thousand., non knotty) sheets of MDF. The wax in MDF gives information technology moisture resistant properties, and the resin keeps the mixture of materials uniform and dense.

MDF, when completed, is a composite somewhat similar to particleboard (think: Ikea furniture), although MDF is significantly more than dense, strong, and stable. For these reasons, over the years, many large-scale furniture makers have implemented MDF for mass production of veneered products.

Benefits + Pros of MDF:

When compared to solid wood, MDF is more stable and isotropic, meaning that its properties are the aforementioned in all directions because there is no grain. Because natural forest has grain, knots, and/or rings, it is less uniform than MDF. Thus, MDF can be cut more precisely and avoid splitting amend than wood.

MDF is better able to withstand changes in humidity and temperature (heat) than solid wood.

MDF tin exist easily laminated, glued, or doweled. In some circumstances and higher grades, it is relatively easy to paint/finish.

MDF tin can be less expensive than solid wood, depending on the variety of MDF (premium MDF is denser, and some hardwoods are more expensive than others).

In full general, MDF is flat and smoothen-surfaced (fibers are pressed very tightly together to comprise the material, and then information technology's not completely uniform, but it's close). This hard, smooth quality makes MDF an ideal substrate for veneers because no underlying grain or inconsistencies in hardness transfers through sparse veneer with MDF.

MDF is consequent in strength and size (dissimilar difficult wood, which can expand/contract in size), and it can be cut/shaped well. This is largely due to its composite and almost isotropic backdrop.

MDF is increasingly light-green, or environmentally friendly. Because many of its components are recycled content as well every bit from sustainable forests, it doesn't put a strain on the surround as much as natural wood use tin.

Disadvantages + Cons of MDF:

MDF often comes pre-primed; nonetheless, the pre-priming is more often than not insufficient for near end painting, especially with latex paints. The paints are absorbed chop-chop, which means finishes and pigment will appear splotchy and uneven.

Although MDF is adept at withstanding changes in humidity, it is prone to swelling and breaking if saturated with h2o (due east.grand., MDF baseboards with flooding, cabinetry with h2o spills, etc.). This is truthful of all MDF but particularly low-grade MDF pieces.Conversely, MDF can shrink when used in very dry (due east.g., depression humidity) areas.

MDF has poor moisture resistance qualities and, thus, has a tendency to warp or aggrandize in its raw state. It must be thoroughly sealed (front end and back, height and lesser), and even then must be sealed regularly. This is why MDF is primarily used for indoor applications.

The cutting and sawing of MDF has a tendency to dull blades faster than natural woods' cutting and sawing. This is due in large part to the extreme density of MDF; the blades are cutting through more mass per cut than during woods cuts.

MDF can be heavy. Because it's denser than plywood or chipboard, with its heavy resins, MDF isn't light. This tin play a role in its suitability for some building applications. Conversely, however, MDF can sometimes be used in veneering applications to produce lighter-weight pieces than solid hardwood.

The surface of MDF tin can split when screwing into the board (although it doesn't tend to separate on the sides, like natural wood does).

(Note: The photos in this article include MDF structure equally well as other materials, such as hardwood.)

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Source: https://www.homedit.com/what-is-mdf/

What is MDF: A De-Mystification of Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF)

Benefits + Pros of MDF:

Disadvantages + Cons of MDF:

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