All You Need to Know About MDF
Furniture, floor, and wall coverings, as well as many other finishing materials, are made from MDF boards. However, not everyone understands what this abbreviation means. In the article, we will consider all the available information about MDF boards: what it is, what it is used for, and what advantages this material has, thanks to which it is so actively used today.
What is it and how can it be used?
The abbreviation MDF stands for a medium-density fine board. Such boards are made from wood fibers, the density of which corresponds to average values, by pressing them under conditions of high pressure.
The areas of application of the obtained plates are diverse. For many manufactured factory products, MDF acts as the basis. Consider several main areas of use of this material in everyday life:
- MDF sheet panels are used for finishing floors and ceilings.
- Wall cladding with MDF panels is also quite common.
- Production of furniture, the facades of which can have both a smooth surface and be decorated with carved elements.
- Due to its properties, MDF is widely used as a soundproofing material, allowing you to significantly reduce the audibility between rooms.
- A more unusual but very popular use of this material is the transformation of steel doors. MDF is used as a decorative overlay on an existing surface, thus improving its appearance. At the same time, you can buy MDF lining for entrance doors in a variety of variations and colors.
This material has received such widespread use because in the process of its production only materials that are completely safe for human health, in particular carbide resins, are used. In addition, such plates have excellent technical characteristics: thermal and moisture resistance and are not subject to the formation of various kinds of fungi and mold on the surface and inside the chips. All this makes an MDF board, a worthy competitor to natural wood.
Chipboard or MDF: Which is better to choose and why
- Recently, MDF has strongly pressed chipboard on the market. Why did this happen and is there a difference between these, so similar, materials? We will try to figure out whether such an arrangement of positions is justified, and what caused it.
- First, it is worth remembering that the chipboard is chipboard, which, like MDF, is made from wood chips by pressing and adding a special binder. True, the second option has several significant differences and advantages, which became the decisive factor in the popularity of using it in some areas.
The ability of the chipboard to hold parts screwed into it is much worse. If we talk about the manufacture of furniture, then this is fraught with falling off attached parts. Kitchen cabinet doors, doorknobs, and more can simply fall off. Moreover, it is not possible to re-fix the fallen part since the holes are subject to rapid loosening. MDF furniture boards have a much higher density, which allows them to securely hold the elements fixed in them.
Environmental friendliness is an essential factor when choosing a material. When wondering which is better – chipboard or MDF for the kitchen, you need to consider that the first option is not environmentally friendly.
Conclusion
Of course, disputes about which is better, plastic or MDF, which kitchen or furniture will last longer in certain conditions, will never stop. You can argue in favor of one or another option, but we can say with confidence that MDF takes its place quite deservedly. Its technical characteristics, combined with its aesthetic appearance, can become an excellent basis for performing various works, including the manufacture of furniture and interior decoration.
