Have you been eyeing that do it yourself project for a while now, and just can’t figure out what the best material to use is? Have you been considering using basic woods in order to complete a carpentry project or maybe for putting up some shelving? Well, there’s a great wood substitute you can use called medium density fiberboard, and it’s a pretty good medium to be working with. There are a lot of upsides, and a couple of downsides to it, but finding the right kind can be a bit tricky. Good MDF board manufacturers aren’t all that well known, but the ones that are out there can deliver the goods at your specifications.
What’s So Great about this Material?
To start with, it’s a less expensive alternative to natural woods. It is vastly more durable and can last much longer over the long haul. It takes varnishes and lacquers easily, and some specific types are both water and fire resistant. Since this product is man-made it is much less prone to splitting when you are working with it. In fact, fiberboard is very flexible and can even be bent to form around some curves. In addition to that, it is also much better designed to endure environmental conditions as well. It usually won’t shrink or expand because of moisture and heat, and this fact alone can make it vastly superior for almost all outdoor projects.
You Mentioned some Downsides?
This material, while flexible and durable, is also much denser than standard wood or plywood. This means that it is also much heavier, and unfortunately this means that lower quality products have a tendency to break if left in water for too long. It requires sealant because if it isn’t properly sealed then there is a good possibility that it could warp, and even expand. While it isn’t that difficult to cut it has been known to damage saw blades because of the density of the fibers and resin. One of the last things you’ll probably want to know is that the resins typically contain urea-formaldehyde. This normally doesn’t cause issues, but when cutting the product it is best that you do so in a ventilated area because urea-formaldehyde is a known carcinogen.
Don’t let the negatives fool you into thinking this product is bad. It is quite the opposite, and if you follow standard procedures for working with these kinds of materials everything should be fine. For your next project instead of natural wood try out MDF boards.