If you are setting up a new kitchen or renovating an old one you might be confused between cabinets made of solid wood or medium density fiberboard mdf.
Mdf or solid wood cabinets.
Mdf board is usually found on the doors and interior paneling for the reasons stated above easier to paint easier to clean does not warp and so on.
Mdf is an abbreviation for medium density fiberboard.
But it is not just the kitchen where mdf finds its use.
Let the battle begin.
The common perception is also that solid wood is the best for cabinets and other uses but that is not always necessary.
Mdf vs solid wood.
Solid wood boards typically expand and contract both horizontally and vertically when temperatures and humidity rise and fall.
While buying kitchen cabinets or any cabinet for that matter homeowners often find it perplexing to choose between mdf vs wood.
In the bathroom where there is a lot of moisture mdf is the.
It s strong sturdy and features a beautiful natural look to it with grain patterns.
What some critics call a real wood cabinet is very likely a cabinet made from cabinet grade ac plywood not solid wood.
Mdf is wood to the same degree that plywood is which is made with glues and resins that bond thin plies of wood into structural sheets for a variety of uses in construction and furniture making.
The benefits of solid wood.
Kitchen cabinets consist of many different materials.
Most kitchen cabinets comprise of both solid wood and mdf elements.
Wood or even a hybrid door wood framing with a mdf center panel.
In the construction of cabinet doors that will get painted mdf definitely outperforms solid wood.
This has been discussed and debated online in articles and forums with no clear cut winner that i can tell.
Because of this cabinets doors and paneling made from solid wood require care and maintenance.
Mdf is a medium dense fiberboard.
Of course solid wood like anything has its pros and cons.
First of all i am talking about the doors and drawer fronts not the cabinet box.
All of these woods have very different characteristics so it s important to know what you are buying and to be educated on the different types of materials.
The common perception is that solid wood is stronger and sturdier than mdf which many consider being a cheaper and flimsier alternative to solid wood.
Particleboard mdf plywood and solid wood are the most common.
Mdf cabinet doors or solid wood cabinet doors.
So which is better mdf vs.
Although it s more expensive than mdf initially the quality reflects the price and you won t have the big expense of replacements or completely redoing your kitchen in 5 10 years.
People tend to look down on mdf and automatically assume solid wood is the better choice.