MDF vs Plywood vs Particle Board—What’s The Difference?
Q: Most furniture I see sold in stores is cheap, poor quality and so far from the actual hardwood our grandparents owned. It’s also too expensive, can you help with how to find quality furniture I can afford?
A: Great question! It seems like everything produced today has a short shelf-life furniture included. Yes solid wood is beautiful and expensive, but it isn’t always the best choice for furniture and cabinets. Most are made with these 3 types of wood: MDF (medium density fiber), particle board, and plywood. The best quality for cabinets and furniture is Plywood & MDF, the lowest quality being particle board.
Here’s a more detailed overview—
Particle Board:
made from tiny pieces of wood, sawmill shavings or sawdust, which are glued together and pressed into sheets. (Think, the sausage version of manufactured wood.)
—Uses: furniture, underlayment, substrate for countertops
—can be milled with all power tools
—low cost & lightweight
—when exposed to moisture or water, it can swell and become unstable
—can’t support heavy loads
—not the most eco-friendly furniture choice
MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard):
waste-wood product that is made with wood fibers that are glued and pressed together.
—Uses: good material for furniture, shelving, cabinetry and molding
—easy to paint, easy to cut with all power tools
—low cost, lightweight, very smooth (no splinters)
—resists tear-out
—good strength and stiffness characteristic
—very heavy, can’t be stained and dulls blades quickly
Plywood:
layers are glued together, each adjacent pile with wood grains running perpendicular (at right angles) to each other for greater strength. Plywood comes in 3, 5, or 7 piles.
—Uses: high grades- cabinets, shelving and furniture; low grades- great for sub flooring
—more resistant to shrinking, twisting, warping and cracking.
—available in many thicknesses, finishes and species of wood
—very strong material, stainable & paintable
—less susceptible to water damage
—holds screws well
—often splinters & layers show and need to be finished
—more expensive
Summary:
MDF & Plywood are the best options for furniture or cabinets and both are dependent on the look and situation. Particleboard is the cheapest and there is a reason; it’s poorest quality for furniture, it chips, doesn’t do well with moisture, and does not do well with supporting heavy loads.
#designerqanda #askdayna #mdf #plywood #particleboard #engineeredwood #solidhardwood #affordable #affordablefurniture #affordablecabinets #furniture #cabinets #qualityfurniture #qualitycabinets #interiordesign #remodel #transformation #coastal #chic #cozy #clean #classic #ckb #dnlhomes #coastal #cravencounty #newbernnc #enc #newbern #encdesigner #easternnc #designer #localbusiness #smallbusiness #familybusiness
