Furniture made from chipboard and MDF has long become commonplace. New, easier to process and use, cheaper materials are actively replacing traditional products made from various tree species. And this is not surprising. The performance characteristics of high-quality artificial materials based on sawdust are in no way inferior to solid wood. And in a number of parameters they are even superior.
When choosing furniture for their home or apartment or organization, many buyers ask a logical question: how reliable and durable are these materials, and what are their differences. You often hear that DSAMP and MDF are practically the same thing, made according to common recipes, and there is no point in choosing. Is it so? In order not to make a mistake when choosing furniture, you need to clearly understand the differences between these two materials. What nuances need to be taken into account when purchasing furnishings for certain needs. Let's try to figure it out together with the experts.
What are the differences between laminated chipboard and MDF?
At first glance, indeed, furniture made from chipboard and MDF looks the same. The products look good, almost the same colors and textures are used. Even the shape and style of many models of kitchen, bedroom or living room sets are made according to the same design. Meanwhile, the difference between them is huge: in quality, in operating conditions, and even in price. All the differences are hidden in the depths, behind the attractive facades. They are associated with the peculiarities of production technologies for particle boards and finely dispersed fractions.
How do the plates differ in appearance?
You can notice the differences between laminated materials only by their edges. Thus, MDF has a smaller and denser structure, while laminated chipboard has rough shavings visible on the cut. On the surface of chipboard without any treatment, you can notice the presence of large wood fibers.
In addition, if you cut two boards of the same shape and thickness, you will notice that the MDF will be a little lighter.
Lumber cutting
If pieces of furniture have carved parts, then we can say with confidence that this is MDF. Even a professional will not be able to cut out such elements from a material such as chipboard, because it will simply crumble during the work.
Disadvantages of laminated chipboard
- Due to the large number of large chips and heterogeneity of the structure, chipboards are prone to chipping of individual particles and the appearance of chips. Products can only be sawed in straight lines. They are not subject to fine milling or laser engraving. Therefore, it is very rare to find beautiful furniture facades made of chipboard, with figured cutouts, 3D relief images, and complex patterns. Mostly even, smooth doors are made from this material, suitable for modern styles.
- If water regularly gets into the joints and seams, the surface in these places swells and bulges into a hump. The product increases its volume up to 30%. The film begins to peel off. Inside the slab, the mass becomes loose, crumbles, and black mold appears. To avoid this, you should choose furniture with laser-cut edges (soldered joints). Such products are more durable. In addition, spilled liquids must be promptly removed by wiping the surface with a soft, clean cloth.
- Due to the low density of the base, the places where the fittings are attached gradually crumble. The fasteners begin to move freely in the socket. Furniture made from chipboard is not intended for frequent assembly and disassembly. It is enough to transport the set 1-2 times to a new place of residence, and it will warp in the most unimaginable way due to completely loose fastenings. To remedy the situation, you can use wood glue or use thicker screws. Or initially purchase products that use not ordinary fasteners, but bolts with wide washers.
- Low-grade types of chipboard negatively affect the health of children, adults, and pets. To produce the cheapest materials, large amounts of resins that emit formaldehyde are used. If new furniture has a specific, chemical smell, it is better to refuse the purchase. Living next to such a time bomb is simply dangerous.
Perhaps the most important disadvantage of laminated chipboard is its short service life. Such furniture lasts on average 5-7 years, subject to the rules of operation.
Is it possible to combine materials?
Often, in order to reduce the cost of products, manufacturers combine different materials. Basically, MDF is used to make cabinet doors, while chipboard is best suited for the frame. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to find such cabinets, the frame of which consists of finely divided material - the fact is that such structures will be too expensive.
Materials do not exclude the option of combining
Advantages of MDF
- Since formaldehyde resins are not used in the production of MDF boards, they are much safer than chipboard. In fact, it is the same wood, with a small content of natural or urea resins, only more uniform and durable. The material is used in the manufacture of children's furniture, cribs and changing tables for newborns, products for children's and medical institutions. By purchasing furniture made from high-quality MDF, the buyer can be completely confident in its safety for health.
- MDF, even in its natural, uncovered form, is not afraid of water. Its dense structure simply does not allow liquids to be quickly absorbed, unlike some types of natural wood and, especially, chipboard. And an additional protective coating in the form of a laminating film or veneer gives it excellent moisture-resistant characteristics. Even many hours of exposure to puddles of water or other liquids are not dangerous for MDF surfaces. That is why furniture made from this material is recommended for “wet areas” - kitchens, bathrooms, swimming pools, toilets, dressing rooms.
- Dense sheets can be bent if necessary: they do not break or crack, and retain their shape perfectly. This feature is widely used in the manufacture of curved or concave facades and other elements.
- MDF sheets, thanks to their homogeneous structure, make it possible to produce richly decorated furniture facades. They perfectly withstand all types of processing: sawing, shape cutting, milling. The possibilities of milling this material are limited only by the designer’s imagination. Craftsmen form products with relief figures and designs, carve complex recesses and patterns, apply entire pictures to slabs, and make carved platbands and moldings.
- The edges and front part of the products have no joints or seams, as they are covered with one sheet of protective and decorative material. That is why products made from MDF successfully resist moisture and chemicals. The coating is so dense that it is very difficult to scratch or make a dent.
- You can spill water, caustic fruit acids, or soda solution on MDF countertops and kitchen aprons. If you wipe up the resulting puddle in a timely manner, there will be no consequences for the coating.
- Furniture made from MDF perfectly withstands repeated assembly and disassembly when moving and moving to other rooms. In this respect, it is comparable to products made from natural solid wood.
- Consumers are offered a huge number of finishing options: PVC film with the most fantastic shades and textures; glossy, mirror, matte and semi-matte coatings; products with metallic, mother-of-pearl effects, interspersed with sparkles and metal threads, patina; veneer from elite wood species; surfaces that perfectly imitate any type of wood, stone, textiles, leather. Even the most picky buyer will definitely find a product to his liking!
MDF or chipboard. What to choose when we go to order furniture?
Of course, you need to balance your desires with your capabilities.
There can be no clear advice here. You need to thoroughly prepare for a trip to the salon: take at least an approximate measurement of the room; decide on the number of items you plan to purchase; look through pictures of finished interiors on the Internet (there are a great many of them now); indicate the amount you plan to meet and come to the nearest Mr.Doors furniture showroom at a time convenient for you. Our experienced specialists will be happy to show you all the materials and components that we use to create furniture and tell you about the latest innovations in world furniture fashion. You will be able to touch everything, open/close it, and become a participant in the design of your future little cozy world.
CALCULATE THE COST
CALCULATE THE COST
What are the disadvantages of MDF?
- Quite a high price compared to chipboard - 30-50% higher. High-quality MDF boards, coated with natural veneer, elite types of plastic or durable enamel, are close in cost to solid wood. However, they last two to three times longer than products made from chipboard or even solid wood.
- Plates consisting of small, homogeneous particles are prone to burning, even despite special impregnation with fire retardants.
- Dense material has more weight than particle boards, which affects the weight of the finished products. This must be taken into account when transporting and choosing an installation location.
To reduce the final cost of products and increase the number of sales, furniture manufacturers offer compromise options:
- cabinets for kitchens, living rooms, and bedrooms are made from straight, laconic chipboard plates;
- and beautifully decorated, carved facades are made from MDF.
Such furniture is affordable and lasts longer, thanks to durable, high-quality facades that take the brunt of the impact.
Kitchen furniture: features
Quite often, well-known manufacturers prefer to use MDF and laminated chipboard when creating kitchen furniture. At the same time, serious requirements are placed on products installed in premises of this type - they must withstand temperature changes, high humidity and other negative influences. The materials we are considering are believed to have similar properties.
It is worth noting that most consumers consider the quality of furniture last. For many, appearance always comes first. Nevertheless, quality is a very important criterion, because the durability of the kitchen, aesthetics, and the general perception of the room depend on it.
Kitchen furniture must be reliable
In addition, kitchen furniture must remain in its original form, even despite frequent washing with chemicals and the negative effects of temperature and humidity. If the set does not meet these criteria, then in the first year the owners will be disappointed in the purchase, and the question will arise about renovating or buying a new kitchen. Of course, no one would want this, and therefore we recommend that you read this text carefully so as not to make a mistake with your choice.
Painted facades
Painted facades can be ordered in a wide range of colors. They can be:
- matte;
Matte
- chameleon;
Chameleon
- pure color;
- steel metallic.
Steel metallic
The advantage of such facades at a fairly high price category is their long service life.
A high-quality facade cannot contain foreign inclusions or roughness. Visual inspection shows a perfectly mirror surface.
This is achieved by grinding at different levels:
- primer;
- dye;
- varnish
This façade is made using special technology and requires precise execution of all stages. The resulting result will please the owners for a long period of time. It is for this type of MDF that it does not matter whether it is painted on one or both sides. Such panels are not afraid of water, steam, or moisture.
Experts who make furniture do not recommend choosing facades based on chipboard or plastic with its application on one side. Caring for a painted facade requires cleaning approximately every six months. Ease of maintenance depends on the ergonomics of furniture designs. Surface care is simple.
A regular window cleaner will work for this. If any grease stains remain, you can wipe them with a sponge or cloth with detergent.
Surface cleaning
The surfaces are fairly easy to clean and are not susceptible to heavy contamination.
History of origin
MDF was first used in America in the 60s of the last century. This material appeared as a result of improvements in the fiberboard production process and was called Medium Density Fiberboard, which translated means medium-density fiberboard. The expensive and hazardous “wet” process for making fiberboard has been replaced by dry pressing of shredded wood chips. In the USSR, MDF production was not established. In the CIS countries, the production of this unique material was mastered in 1997. Today, China is the world leader in the production of MDF boards.
