MDF stands for Medium-density fiberboard. MDF is essentially particleboard, made of small bits of wood that are adhered together. You have probably seen MDF countless times in the form of cabinets and other cheaply built furniture.
Strictly speaking, MDF falls somewhere between mere particleboard and so-called high density fiberboard. Particleboard itself is unsuitable for any kind of home renovation project, as it will flake apart at the slightest touch.
MDF is extremely heavy to handle, and it will dull your saw blade. Not only that, but it will chip apart when you attempt to screw into it.
Even worse, MDF will swell and warp as easily as cardboard at the slightest contact with water. Finally, to make things even worse, it contains formaldehyde, which is hazardous to your health. MDF does have some value because it does tend to be cheaper than real wood.
My customer’s have been asking me quite often if is it advisable to use MDF in Kitchen cabinets or is it better to use Plywood? My suggestion would be to choose Plywood over MDF. There is a huge difference between MDF (medium density fiberboard) and plywood. Picture this – MDF is similar to a sponge, as it will soak up moisture, and has no apparent grain strength. That means if you smack a corner of the MDF, there is nothing to hold it together, so it will break off.
Plywood, on the other hand, doesn’t soak up moisture as much, and derives much of it’s strength from the fact that it’s comprised of an odd number of plies of wood, all stacked in perpendicular layers. I say it’s an odd number, because the top and bottom layer of wood are parallel (middle layer comprises the core), so that the grain matches on the top and bottom of a sheet of plywood.
It’s true that MDF will damage far more easily than plywood, and I’m not so sure that I believe that MDF gives you a better finish than plywood. Yes, it might give you a better painted surface, but that’s debatable. It really depends on the finish you use, but I feel that plywood is more versatile – you can paint it or stain it, whereas you can’t really stain MDF and get nice results. Plywood holds fasteners better than MDF, and glues, better, also.
If I were advising someone about which material to use (or choose) – I would definitely choose plywood over MDF for it’s superiority in all of these areas. Looking at the current scenario though I have advised not to go for MDF for your furniture, in the long run due to Global warming and depletion of natural resources one can think of Medium Density Fiberboard’s as the future of furniture/woodworking industry.
I hope this helps, feel free to write back if you have any other questions. Good luck in making your choice.
Chennai Plywoods 