What is MDF? Plus Tips for Using MDF

MDF (medium-density fiberboard) is inexpensive, durable, and a good choice for many woodworking and carpentry projects. Learn how to use it correctly, and how to avoid common mistakes.

Medium-density fiberboard is the most versatile building material I know of. Because it's inexpensive and fairly durable, medium density fiberboard s a good choice for practical projects like shelving and storage cabinets. But MDF wood is great for decorative projects too. The smooth surface of medium density fiberboard is perfect for painting, and a router leaves crisp profiles with no splintering, burning or tear-out.

Over the past 15 years, I've used MDF to build everything from crude shelving in my shop to fancy trim in upscale homes. I've even used it for furniture and ornate millwork like the trim board shown in the lead photo. In fact, my own home is entirely trimmed out with MDF moldings made from about 50 sheets of MDF. Yes, I'm a fan of the stuff. This article will cover the most important things I've learned about working with MDF—and help you avoid some of the frustrating mistakes I've made.

Though these two materials may have found a place in your home, they are definitely not interchangeable. Both are often used in building kitchens and modular furniture and like every other material, MDF and plywood come with their set of advantages and disadvantages. Given their frequency of use, we thought we'd give you a lowdown on the MDF vs Plywood comparison,. A little extra information never did any harm, right? Read on.

MDF is medium-density fiberboard, which is basically engineered wood obtained by breaking down hardwood and softwood composites. Since an MDF board is made up of small wood fibres, there are no visible wood grains or knots. The fibres are joined together using wax to produce panels by applying pressure or high temperature.

Advantages of MDF Material

PVC boards and plywood are widely used for making cabinets and other items for the house or office needs. They are mostly used for kitchen remodeling. Although both PVC and plywood has equal role and importance to play in any renovation or remodeling works, the PVC boards are broadly used when compared to the plywood. There are certainly a few reasons to validate this.

Here are a few facts that make PVC a better choice than plywood:

PVC foam board consists of materials like thermoplastics. This is the combination of wood fiber and PVC and thus also termed as Wood-plastic composite. This material may also contain some filler materials, which are inorganic. Whereas plywood's are mostly two or three wood boards glued together.

Marine plywood is constructed from water resistant tropical hardwood, and as these are naturally water resistant, they make marine plywood better than other types of plywood in situations where moisture levels are higher.

There are certain wood species, such as cedar, cypress and redwood, Western Larch or Douglas Fir, that have a natural resistance to decay.

Whilst marine plywood is not pressure treated to enable it to withstand decay, high quality grade veneers are used to increase its resistance.

As a result of this, it is made to withstand moisture far better than standard plywood as it will be well protected with water resistant materials.

How is Marine Plywood Made?

Marine plywood is available in different grades namely:

A-A

Film faced plywood is an exterior plywood used in building and construction projects. It has a special film coating on its surface made from phenol or melamine on either or both sides which gives the plywood a higher resistance to moisture, abrasion, chemical degradation and fungal attack compared to ordinary plywood.
Because of its increased stability and resistance to moisture, ultraviolet radiation and corrosive chemicals, film-faced plywood is ideal for outdoor applications such as the external surfaces of new buildings. The extra film layer and acrylic varnished edges of this type of plywood make it more durable and less able to distort when used outdoors in harsh weather and adverse conditions. Buildings in direct sunlight are less prone to wear and tear if they are made from film-faced plywood, at least as part of the overall structure.
The plywood is useful for forming level molding boards and girder molding boards, which need to be resistant to strong forces, large amounts of fast-flowing water and yet still maintain their structural integrity and shape. There is a choice of thicknesses available, depending on requirements, from 12mm, 15mm and 18mm to 21mm, 24mm and 27mm. Some examples can reach 30mm.