Menu
Madera

MDF or wood – which should you choose?

When it comes to including carpentry in the home, we can choose between different options, with the dilemma of traditional wood or MDF leading the way. Both alternatives are winning bets, but it is worth taking a look at each of them.

Wooden carpentry has been the traditional carpentry for decades, with trees such as oak, beech, walnut, cherry and tropical species being the most resistant, while pine became the king of the home, although it is a much softer material. In fact, we could say that this carpentry is the reference and the one that the rest of the modalities try to imitate.

On the other hand, MDF joinery, also known as melamine, is hard and resistant. It consists of a mixture of wood particles covered by a layer of synthetic resin, although it is true that we can also find bare MDF, that is, without any finish, either because the lacquering is to be painted later or because it is not necessary as it is in a non-visible part.

Madera

The natural option

The wood option tends to be more expensive, although it is true that if we carry out adequate maintenance, its useful life is longer than that of DM. In addition, it is a natural, reusable, recoverable and recyclable option and tolerates humidity conditions better.

 

The versatile choice

It is important not to confuse MDF with chipboard, which is basically sawdust, dust and other wood waste pressed with resin and glue, giving a less smooth and uniform finish.

This type of wood is coated with a plastic resin, usually also for decorative purposes, which is called melamine (from which it takes its name). This resin is the one that gives the material greater strength and durability properties, leaving a surface free of pores, although it is necessary that the edges of the wood are also protected.

Because of its durability and strength, this type of joinery is widely used in furniture that is subject to heavy use, with considerable wear and tear. A good example of this is kitchen furniture, although nowadays it can be found in all rooms, including the living room and bedrooms. MDF is easy to work with, as it can be planed, milled and cut to the required dimensions.

Who reigns supreme?

Given the spread of MDF, partly driven by its lower cost, solid wood furniture is no longer so common and, when it is available, it is generally in more rustic settings. However, solid wood has not disappeared from the scene, as it is used for parts of furniture that require great resistance to weight, such as chairs or upholstery skeletons, for example.

In this sense, advances in the treatment of wood have advanced so much that sometimes, even professionals find it difficult to distinguish at a glance between MDF and wood joinery. Not only that, but it is not uncommon to find both materials in the same piece of furniture, with the backs and drawer bottoms in melamine boards and the rest in wood.

Related Posts