High-quality material for kitchen furniture is a guarantee of quality and long service life, so you need to choose it carefully. Today, manufacturers offer furniture made from MDF or laminated chipboard for the kitchen: which is better to purchase and install should be decided based on the characteristics of both materials.
The main advantage of film-laminated chipboard material is its affordable price combined with quality and decorative characteristics. Thanks to its increased density, it perfectly holds the tightening fittings. However, the material cannot be called environmentally friendly, since it is capable of releasing formaldehyde compounds. MDF is more expensive and is very similar to wood, as it has a fibrous structure that allows you to mill furniture facades without restrictions.
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.
The surface of the plates can be sanded, covered with PVC film, painted with glossy or matte enamel of any color. When pasted with natural veneer, the material is difficult to distinguish from solid wood; in appearance it is very similar to it, and even superior in strength.
Furniture made from MDF can be installed in rooms with humidity reaching 70%. There are also more moisture-resistant modifications with special impregnation; slabs with fire-resistant properties are produced. Furniture made from this material is great for the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, and children's room.
Let's sum it up
So, we have assessed all the main advantages and disadvantages of MDF and laminated chipboard. We can conclude that MDF boards are more environmentally friendly, and if your financial capabilities allow, then do not skimp on purchasing such furniture.
If you only have a limited budget for furnishing your kitchen, then it is advisable to buy furniture made from chipboard. However, you should avoid purchasing hazardous material marked E2 - it is absolutely not suitable for making kitchen furniture.
Video – MDF or chipboard: which is better?
Properties of laminated chipboard
Laminated chipboards (LDSP) are characterized by low cost, resistance to temperature changes and a wide range.
The laminated coating can be made in almost any color and texture, which allows you to choose laminated chipboard furniture for the interior in any style. It belongs to the economy class because it has an affordable price.
Furniture made entirely of laminated chipboard has straight lines and looks more laconic even with a beautiful image on the film.
It should be noted that chipboard is used to make a durable material lined with plastic, which is called postforming. It goes into the production of countertops. However, this is not laminated chipboard in the usual sense.
Among the disadvantages of laminated particle boards are the tendency to chip on the surface and the impossibility of milling. The latter property makes it impossible to obtain smooth angles and bevels, or a relief surface.
LDSP differs from MDF for the worse in that it is less resistant to moisture. Although there are also moisture-resistant types of panels, their price is much higher.
If part of the laminate breaks off from the chipboard, the board may emit harmful fumes. This is also a disadvantage, since we should not forget that formaldehyde glue is used to adhere the chips in the slabs. Melamine film can protect against fumes of toxic formaldehyde. It is from this that lamination is made. Manufacturers make sure that the film adheres to the surface as firmly as possible, completely covering it. The safety of laminated chipboard largely depends on its quality.
Note! If the question arises about what is better to choose for the bedroom: laminated chipboard or MDF, then you should opt for the second one or prefer a combined option.
However, certified products that meet European standards (class E1, indicated in official documents) are quite safe to use in any residential area. It is best to choose (if possible) products made in Austria and Germany. At the same time, it is important to properly care for it, avoiding damage.
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.
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.
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.
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External differences in materials
Many people are interested in how MDF differs from laminated chipboard in appearance, and how to identify them? The difference is clearly visible in the cut. In MDF it is dense, fine-grained, in chipboard or laminated chipboard it is more heterogeneous, rough, and shavings are visible. On the surface of chipboard without lamination, fibers and shavings are clearly visible, while MDF is more uniform.
If you take MDF and laminated chipboard boards of the same size (in area and thickness), then the weight of the particle board will be less than that of fine particle board.
If there is a milled, carved surface on the material, we can definitely say that it is not laminated chipboard, since nothing can be cut on it. You can’t make small parts from it either, since the material will crumble.
Is there an alternative?
Manufacturers of kitchen furniture offer sets with another façade option. It's called frame. Only the frame is made of MDF, which is covered with veneer or PVC film on top. The profile is filled with various materials. These are glass, metal and chipboard.
The advantage of a frame facade is a very low price and unlimited possibilities in creating design options for kitchen furniture. The cheapness of the product is overshadowed by the difficulty of care and fragility. Often the frames have a rather weak connection and quickly become loose.
Advantages of MDF over laminated chipboard
So, after comparing two types of wood-based boards, we can come to the conclusion that, in general, MDF differs from chipboard for the better. The advantages of MDF are as follows:
- no chips are formed on the edges, in places where screws are tightened;
- is characterized by high density and strength;
- the material is environmentally friendly;
- more resistant to moisture than laminated chipboard;
- MDF can be bent, milled, and therefore create beautiful shapes and designs.
The advantages affect the price. Typically, the cost of fibreboards is higher than that of particle boards. If MDF is combined with metal, glass, made in accordance with the original design solution, and decorated, then its price increases even more. At the same time, such furniture, whether it is in the kitchen or in the bedroom, requires more careful care.
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.
