Which is better - MDF or laminated chipboard and the differences in materials, what is the difference

Features of finishing materials

For different types of furniture, a separate material is suitable, be it laminated chipboard or MDF. It all depends on the purpose of using the finished furniture.

MDF

This type of material, whose name stands for “medium density fibreboard”, provides good product quality and the possibility of milling finishing. They usually cover the front parts of furniture. MDF is less susceptible to the negative effects of moisture, while manufacturers do not use this material in furniture that will be located near heat sources.

When choosing furniture of this type, you should focus on the following qualities:

1. The material is environmentally friendly.
2. Easy to wipe clean.
3. Less susceptible to the influence of humid air.
4. Has a variety of design solutions.

It is also necessary to keep in mind the following disadvantages:

1. Relatively expensive.
2. Poor tolerance to high temperatures.
3. Loss of original shine due to frequent wiping.

laminated chipboard

The laminated chipboard material, whose abbreviation translates as “laminated chipboard,” is known primarily for its low price and, if used properly, can also show sufficient wear resistance. It is used in finishing the side parts of furniture or for places where external features do not have to stand out.

The use of this material began in the mid-twentieth century, and chipboards have been known on the Russian market since the nineties. Since then, the material has attracted attention for its external qualities and reasonable price, especially noticeable in comparison with arrays made from solid pieces of wood.

Treatment with resin to increase density does not allow laminated chipboard to be classified as an environmentally friendly material, but the costs for it will not be significant.

Decorative characteristics

The use of laminated film as a coating for laminated chipboard panels makes the choice of textures and shades almost unlimited. You can choose furniture that will organically fit into the design of any space. The external coating can have any shade or imitate the texture of elite types of wood. For example, the coplanar wardrobe “Millennium” is not inferior in appearance to products made using natural wood.

MDF has a leaner design. That is why choosing a suitable piece of furniture from MDF can be quite difficult. As an alternative, you can use film or paint for cladding, but this will increase the cost of an already expensive product several times.

Main Differences

Laminated chipboard differs from MDF in the subtleties of its composition and production features. Unlike MDF, laminated chipboards are affordable; this material is specially designed for the manufacture of budget furniture.

MDF, in turn, can boast of a detailed finish that is not available for furniture made from laminated chipboard. But medium-resistant fiberboard also costs an order of magnitude more. Either way, MDF is more affordable than solid wood furniture.

Compound

Both materials include remnants of the wood industry, such as sawdust and shavings, but are completed with chipboard and MDF with some differences. Approaches to production vary depending on the needs of customers, that is, on the specific purpose for which they require the material.

Expert opinion

Karnaukh Ekaterina Vladimirovna

Graduated from the National University of Shipbuilding, majoring in Enterprise Economics

When creating furniture from chipboard, formaldehyde resin is used, thus giving the material density, and subsequently the furniture is laminated.

MDF is based on a finely dispersed fraction of wood; particles of shavings and sawdust are much smaller in size than in laminated chipboard, and the material itself does not emit toxic substances, while being much denser than its competitor.

External differences

Laminated chipboard slabs are loose and chaotic in appearance, especially on the scar side, thanks to which it is possible to distinguish one material from another. Despite the limitations in decorative finishing, laminated chipboard can be covered with a finishing film that can impart visual qualities to various surfaces: stone, wood.

In turn, MDF allows customers to give free rein to their imagination and order in-depth patterns and designs on the surface of the slab that imitate wood carving. MDF boards are scratch-free and easier to cut during production, making the material look more solid, nicer and richer.

Density and strength

The materials laminated chipboard and MDF differ both in wear resistance and in such parameters as density and strength. Therefore, it is very important to understand for what room and use this or that material is selected.

Laminated chipboard is loose in composition; often lower-quality wood chips are used for its production. Processing the material with resin increases the strength of laminated chipboards, but the material becomes less environmentally friendly.

Water repellent properties

A small amount of water getting on the laminated chipboard is not critical, but it is better to promptly wipe the wetted surface with a dry cloth. Laminated chipboard and MDF materials equally do not withstand contact with water very well, causing them to swell and become irreparably deformed. In this regard, MDF is superior to laminated chipboard, but both coatings are not completely protected from the harmful effects of moisture.

When using chipboards, it is very important to take care of the processing of the end parts of the components so that ingress of water does not cause significant damage. The most important places are cuts at corners, where the action of water can be critical. The material easily swells and changes shape, therefore, to slow down the negative effect, you can glue such places with melamine or a substance with similar characteristics. The optimal solution for protecting laminated chipboards from moisture is to treat the end parts with sealing substances.

Expert opinion

Karnaukh Ekaterina Vladimirovna

Graduated from the National University of Shipbuilding, majoring in Enterprise Economics

MDF is often used for finishing furniture facades. This approach is used due to the increased water-repellent properties achieved through paraffin treatment. Hence the safety of this type of material, which is optimal for use in kitchen areas.

Production technology and environmental friendliness

Laminated chipboard is made from recycled wood waste and coated with a special bonding resin. Because of this, it is better to buy furniture made from chipboard for utility rooms, since this type of surface emits harmful resin fumes, which makes it undesirable for use in bedrooms.

Furniture made from MDF benefits from its competitors in many ways, for example, being more environmentally friendly. Therefore, MDF is most suitable for finishing bedrooms, children's rooms, and living rooms. It makes beautiful looking bedside tables, cabinets and various finishing elements. In addition, during production, MDF can be bent to give it various decorative shapes, which cannot be done with laminated chipboard.

Durability of the coating

If we talk about wear resistance, then, as has been noted, furniture made from MDF wins in this regard unconditionally. Such material will last longer and will be less susceptible to adverse external effects. Meeting the demands of hygiene, this furniture is significantly less susceptible to the harmful effects of fungi and microorganisms, and facades made from such a coating always look presentable.

The laminated chipboard material has a number of its own specific features that distinguish the rules for its long-term use. In case of frequent exposure to water, laminated chipboard, even with the necessary treatment with protective agents, gets wet and loses its shape much faster than MDF surfaces.

Material price

The main feature of laminated chipboard finishing materials is their budget price. This aspect determines the popularity of laminated chipboards in furniture production.

MDF, at the same time, is somewhat more expensive, but the decorating effect is impressive. Such furniture will be better finished, and thanks to the treatment with high-quality substances, it is environmentally friendly and safe.

MDF or chipboard. What's best for children?

When choosing a children's room, we are, of course, concerned about the safety and environmental friendliness of future furniture.
Of course, a lot depends on the character of the child and the period for which you purchase furniture. For a long time or, for example, until the moment when the child goes to gnaw on the granite of science. If you have a hooligan boy growing up who conducts experiments on everything he sees, then MDF is your option. And if you have a gentle and neat excellent student growing up, then you may well make a choice in favor of chipboard.

Visit any of our Mr.Doors furniture showrooms with your children! We guarantee that you will experience a lot of positive emotions and get an answer to every question you have! You will be pleasantly pleased with professionalism, willingness to help, individual approach and high-quality service.

Pros and cons of MDF and chipboard

For each room and application, both materials are good in their own way. But, if we talk about water tolerance, then MDF material is more suitable. In addition, MDF is environmentally friendly and safe, does not emit a specific odor.

Laminated chipboard is cheaper, but less resistant to moisture and does not have flexible properties, which does not allow such furniture to be given a special shape. MDF, in turn, is moisture resistant and has a wide range of design solutions, but it deteriorates near interior elements such as kitchen stoves and near other heat sources.

MDF or chipboard. What's best for the kitchen?

The kitchen is without a doubt the most important room in the house.
The most significant events of our lives take place on it. With all this, this is not the best place for furniture. Judge for yourself: water, high temperature, greasy dust, hot steam and cleaning products are quite an aggressive living environment. The frame of kitchen furniture is usually made of chipboard. This is due to the fact that the facades take the entire blow. They get all of the above.

If you are for durability, then you definitely need to choose MDF for your kitchen. It is highly moisture resistant, fireproof and easy to clean. You will be offered a wide choice of colors and finishes, however, it will cost more.

If you are short on funds, then choose chipboard. With careful use and careful care, it will also serve you faithfully. Don't forget to pay attention to the edges and find out what class the chipboard belongs to.

What is better to choose

MDF is suitable for making an impression and creating a rich and luxurious environment in a room. With its help, you can believably imitate real wood, decorate chests of drawers, beds, doors and much more.

Laminated chipboard will be very good for all internal furniture elements that make up the frame. If you look at the market prices of laminated chipboard material, you can come to the conclusion that it is very profitable and affordable.

For the bathroom

The materials in question will not last too long when used to decorate a bath space. Both laminated chipboard and MDF are quite sensitive to water getting on the surface, which is why they lose their original appearance. But, if laminated chipboard lasts in contact with water for up to a year, then MDF will last for several years without any problems.

MDF is a win-win option in this regard. If slabs made from this material are properly processed and installed in the bathroom, they will correspond to their presentation much longer. Although it is impossible to achieve absolute protection from water for these materials.

For the living room and hallway

The materials in question are quite suitable for use in such parts of the home as the living room and hallway. Although it is quite difficult to find furniture consisting exclusively of one material. Laminated chipboard and MDF furniture is often composite, containing an adjacent base. Thus, the price also becomes cheaper.

One way or another, MDF is also a leader in this regard. It is often impossible to create furniture from laminated chipboard of the beauty that MDF allows you to achieve due to its properties. Density and flexibility make MDF the most optimal material for creating cabinets and cabinets, thereby ensuring demand for it.

For children's

Since when choosing furniture for children it is most important to focus on environmental friendliness and wear resistance, the optimal solution for a children's room would be to use furniture only from MDF. The laminated chipboard material is not so stable at the joints, which can lead to its breakage, and is less safe for health.

As was noted earlier, manufacturers create furniture from composite materials, which means that with a limited budget it is possible to assemble furniture partially from MDF and laminated chipboard. In such cases, medium-resistant fiberboard (MDF) is used on visible furniture surfaces, and laminated chipboard is used for frame and interior structures.

For dining kitchen

As for the kitchen, both materials are equally applicable here, although MDF is preferred. If laminated chipboards are used to create the base elements of kitchen furniture, then MDF is ideal for creating countertops due to its greater resistance to moisture.

However, being a substitute for real solid wood, MDF countertops tend to lose their original shine over time and become rough. This is also due to the frequent need to wipe down kitchen counters to maintain cleanliness.

Expert opinion

Karnaukh Ekaterina Vladimirovna

Graduated from the National University of Shipbuilding, majoring in Enterprise Economics

Laminated chipboard may be an appropriate option for a kitchen unit if you have a small budget. Marking E1 is an acceptable type of chipboard, with less formaldehyde resin. And the E2 marking, in turn, is a less expensive option, but also more toxic.

For sleeping areas

As in the case of a children's room, when choosing furniture for the bedroom, the best option would be furniture made from MDF. This material does not emit formaldehyde fumes, but is more expensive. If desired, you can find furniture from related components, so you can purchase a safe and beautiful bed with bedside tables at a reasonable price.

It is worth remembering that it is furniture made from MDF that is as close as possible to products made from real wood, due to its flexibility to change shape. The appearance of such furniture will tirelessly delight the owners, and will last longer than budget competitors.

General requirements for care and operation

When choosing a place for furniture made of MDF or laminated chipboard in the kitchen, you must take into account that both materials are resistant to temperatures above 75 ℃. When exposed to high heat, the coating begins to peel off. For this reason, heating devices should not be placed in close proximity to furniture.

If a furniture set is constantly illuminated by the bright sun, then it may simply fade and lose its attractiveness. Chipboard lamination is especially susceptible to fading.

Severe wetting of the slabs is undesirable, although they can withstand short-term exposure to water well, which is why they are used for sinks and other kitchen furniture. Much depends on the quality of the material. There are often cases when laminated chipboard sheets begin to become saturated with water, swell, and crumble. Such furniture takes on a terrible appearance, is destroyed, and becomes completely unusable.

General rules of care are:

• wipe the dust with a dry cloth or a special compound for plastic;
• promptly remove moisture from the surface with an absorbent sponge;
• do not overload hooks and shelves so that fasteners do not break off;
• Do not use waxes and mastics intended for polished wood.

The last point is worth focusing on. Polishing agents intended for wood are not suitable for MDF and laminated chipboard. The laminated film may change color under their influence and even peel off. You should also not use acids, alkalis, or abrasives.

Both types of slabs are resistant to pests and mold. In a dry room, they can stand for decades without any additional treatment without collapsing. They are used to make beds, tables, cabinets, chests of drawers, bookcases, shelves, and all kinds of kitchen cabinets.

Final table

To finally decide on the choice of the right material, you need to understand the key differences between MDF and laminated chipboard, and weigh the pros and cons.

Material safety classification (formaldehyde emission classes)

Regardless of price and other factors, the safety of children's furniture is still a priority. The main indicator of the safety of materials from which children's room furniture is made is the formaldehyde content in chipboard and laminated chipboard panels.

The formaldehyde content coefficient is divided into classes:

● E0 - up to 0.03 mg/100 g slab;

● E0.5 - up to 4 mg/100 g slab.

● E1 - up to 10 mg/100 g slab;

● E2 - up to 30 mg/100 g slab;

● EZ - up to 60 mg/100 g slab;

Classes E1 and E2 are considered acceptable for the production of children's furniture; E3 is not used or is completely prohibited for production in Russia.

Classes E0 and E0.5 are the best options for the production of children's furniture, since they contain practically no formaldehyde, or it is present in very small quantities. It is from these materials that the furniture presented on our website is made.

The coefficient must be specified in the technical documentation for the products. In addition, modern methods of processing chipboard and laminated chipboard make it possible to minimize the emission of formaldehyde. This makes furniture made from these materials safe for the health of people and animals.

How MDF is used for wardrobes in manufacturing

To make the body of sliding wardrobes, laminated chipboard is mainly used - chipboard with a decorative surface. MDF is also a sheet material, but much denser than chipboard. Roughly speaking, if chipboard is pressed wood chips, then MDF is pressed wood dust. The “dust” pressing technology itself involves “sintering” without formaldehyde resins and any additives (lignin and other binding components are produced naturally under high pressure during the sintering process). That is, the output is an absolutely environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic material, which can be compared with solid wood in many qualitative characteristics.

Just like “bare” chipboard, MDF sheet requires additional cladding. Without coating, it looks like thick cardboard, grayish in color. In the production of sliding wardrobes and other cabinet furniture, MDF sheets with a thickness of 8, 10, 18 and 25 mm are mainly used.

MDF with various coatings

The most inexpensive coating for MDF is double-sided lamination, similar to chipboard. Laminated MDF is the cheapest in white; it is mainly used for making bathroom furniture, since the material has better moisture resistance than chipboard. You can buy laminated MDF sheets and other colors, with wood-like decors.

The main advantage of MDF over chipboard is the possibility of surface milling and additional chamfering of the edges of parts. After surface treatment, MDF can be lined with:

• PVC film . Using a vacuum press, the PVC film is literally “stretched” onto the part. PVC film can be glossy, matte, with a structured surface of various colors, imitations of wood, metal, textiles, leather, etc. To create an additional effect, the film can be painted - to create a so-called “patina” of different shades or to shade the relief in a contrasting tone.

• Veneer, eco leather and plastic . Smooth MDF surfaces are covered with veneer (cut from a solid wood species), fabric, eco-leather or laminated paper with various decors.

• Prime and paint. The so-called painted MDF is also widely used in the manufacture of sliding wardrobes. Mainly for facades and front parts, since the technology of painting with enamel in any shade according to the RAL palette is quite expensive.

MDF panels for wardrobes

On sale you can find so-called MDF panels. For sliding wardrobes, you can use MDF panels in the design of doors - as decorative inserts. The thickness of the material should be 8-10mm.

MDF panels for sliding wardrobes are sheet material with an interesting decorative surface.

Among their advantages, we can note the possibility of using other cabinet furniture in decoration and even wall decoration. This will make the interior design more harmonious, and the wardrobe itself with inserts from MDF panels will look like an integral part of it.

Features of MDF countertops

• Resistant to high temperatures - you can place a pot of boiling water on them.
• When exposed to light, the color of the surface does not change.
• Furniture on which the film is correctly installed does not absorb water vapor and water, and the material does not delaminate over time.
• Resistant to mild household detergents, as well as stains from milk, coffee, tea, wine - they are not absorbed due to lamination.
• Quite resistant to scratches and dents.
• May fade due to direct exposure to steam.

These features relate to the working surface of the tabletop. You should know that if you install appliances under the countertops, sheet metal or plastic must be additionally secured to the underside, which will create additional strengthening of the structure.

conclusions

MDF and chipboard are one group of materials, but different in properties and different in manufacturing methods. Professionals claim that MDF will very soon displace other materials that seek to replace natural wood. Since MDF is a natural, environmentally friendly and reliable material.

This means that it can be used to make cabinet furniture for both children and adults. Chipboard is an inexpensive, weaker material that some people consider toxic.

Properties of MDF

First, it is worth considering the most important properties of each material separately. As for MDF, it is a board made from fine wood fraction. It is dense, resistant to mechanical stress, thickness varies from 2 to 60 mm. The name MDF comes from the English abbreviation MDF, which means “medium density wood board”.

Note! MDF is absolutely safe for health, does not emit toxic fumes, and is similar to natural wood.

A distinctive feature of MDF is its plasticity and the ability to be processed with cutting and drilling tools. It is easy to make holes and grooves in the slabs, cut out patterns on the surface, and chamfer them with a router. The sheets can be bent to obtain radius facades. This allows you to make furniture of very different configurations.

Differences

What is the difference? A facade based on chipboard for a kitchen is less profitable than MDF.

MDF facades are:

• painted;

• with plastic coating.

A veneered façade is an MDF base coated with a thin layer of wood from the catalog and coated with varnish, matte or glossy.

In terms of technical characteristics, it is inferior to a painted facade, but at the same cost. It is necessary to apply veneer on both sides. In this case, its technical dimensions are preserved.

Applying veneer on one side is cheaper. But then, during operation, after 1-2 years the facade may bend. A well-painted façade is not cheap. Can be painted on either one or both sides . This does not affect its functionality and technical characteristics.

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Plastic application of a millimeter layer in a variety of colors is the most common type of order. Plastic must also be applied on both sides. This façade can be mounted in different aluminum frames and with rounded ends. It is convenient and beautiful to cover MDF with PVC film.

If you apply plastic to MDF on only one side, the panel may also become deformed over time. The aluminum frame protects the inside of the MDF from water and moisture. This significantly increases the life of the furniture. In addition, such coatings are easy to clean and last a long time.

The most reliable facades made of MDF are those with plastic applied in an aluminum frame facade . Here about the MDF profile for frame facades. There is a wide range of color solutions - up to 500.

For more information about the differences between MDF and chipboard, watch the video:

Fastener retention

Chipboard has long gained the reputation of a “disposable” material - furniture assembled from it is very difficult to disassemble without loss, transport to another place and reassemble. This is due to the fastenings, which, even if the screws are screwed in and out perfectly evenly during reassembly, at best will hold much weaker. The worst is also the more likely outcome - the attachment point will simply crumble and you will have to additionally treat it with glue or use screws of larger diameter.

As a result, if you have a choice, then you should take furniture made of chipboard, in which not screws are used as fasteners, but bolted connections with wide washers. If they break, then you won’t have to worry about the possibility of restoring the fasteners.

MDF, due to its density, easily tolerates repeated assembly and disassembly - in this, again, it is not very different from natural wood.