Choosing a style for your skirting board can be really difficult because of the variety of styles that are available these days. Deciding on the type of skirting material to use is even more difficult due to the advantages and disadvantages of each material. People use MDF for almost every kind of skirting but what exactly is MDF? Why do people prefer it to other types of skirting materials? Keep reading to find out.

What is MDF?

To start with, MDF means Medium Density Fiberboard. It is an artificial material that is usually found in items such as home furniture. MDF is produced using fibers from wood that are collected from softwoods and hardwoods that have been disintegrated.

High pressures and temperatures are used alongside resins and waxes to bind the fibers in order to produce the MDF sheets which manufacturers use to make skirting boards.

You may want to read more about MDF here: https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/a34305202/what-is-mdf/.

Types of MDF Wood

The types of MDF wood are:

1. Particle Board

Particle board is made of wooden particles that are bound with a type of resin, usually glue, because it is reliable, safe, and quite cheap. People often mistake it for chipboard due to the texture of its surface. Additionally, it is environmentally friendly. This is because you can make it with wood remnants like shavings, chippings, and sawdust that would have gone to waste when cut from the parent log.

The remnants will pass through a wood chipper to make the sizes equal such that when they bond together with resin, the fiberboard will have an even size. Particle board can be used in producing small-scale furniture like cupboards and cabinets.

2. Fiber Board

Manufacturers produce this type of MDF wood at a very low temperature and in a dry process. The process uses various types of bonding agents and resins. The bonding agents used are formaldehyde resins (phenol formaldehyde or urea). They can irritate the mucous membranes, throat, nose, and eyes, even at low levels.

Also, the wood dust from the fiber board is carcinogenic. However, there are regulations on the material that reduces exposure to the least possible level.

3. Laminated Board

You can use this type of MDF for different building projects. It involves the use of various wood grains in its production process. The different layers of the wood are glued, giving the board a stiff surface. There are different types of laminated wood, but the common types are blackboard and plywood. The high density of blackboard can convert it into chalkboards.

Why Do People Prefer MDF Skirting Boards?

Skirting boards are traditionally made from wood such as oak. However, because of their increasing popularity, more people now prefer MDF skirting boards to wood. You can take a look at skirting boards from Metres Direct or sites like it to check out some medium density fiberboards.

Here are the advantages of using them:

1. They Do Not Warp or Crack Easily

One of the major advantages of medium density fiberboard is that is it artificial. Hence, it is less likely to warp or crack when there is a change in the room temperature and humidity, unlike real woods.

Natural woods can react to weather conditions by contracting and expanding, depending on the location of the building. This can be quite annoying especially when it happens where two pieces of skirting boards join. If the shape of the material changes or moves slightly due to a change in weather elements, it can ruin the joined area.

MDF provides a form of consistency when used as a skirting board. This implies that even when it contracts and expands like the natural wood, the materials move together, and it will not ruin the joins on the board.

2. Durability

Medium density fiberboard consists of panels of resin, wood fiber, and wood wax. This makes it stronger and denser than wood. As a result, MDF is very durable, making it suitable for various parts of the home especially in those areas where more protection from moisture is needed.

Additionally, the board is durable because its structure moves as a single unit, even when there is an extreme change in weather conditions. This implies that you do not have to be worried about damaging your skirting boards as well as any furniture that is made with MDF. So, you will have no need to replace or repair skirting boards very often like you would if they were the wooden type.

You can watch this video to see how to repair a wooden skirting board.

3. Easy to Customize

MDF does not show imperfections such as splinters or knots like in natural woods and this makes it easy to paint the material. Some types of wood do not have a consistent color on their surfaces. You will have to add extra paint coats in order to have a consistent color. But because the knots usually appear darker than the general tone of the wood, the knots still show even after adding extra coats of paint.

Furthermore, medium density fiberboard skirting boards are easy to customize due to their structure. You can drill the board or cut it into various shapes without damaging the entire structure. Therefore, you can design it to suit your preference, whether you need a modern or a traditional appearance.

4. It is a Less Expensive Option

MDF is cheaper than wood and other types of skirting board materials. If you are comparing the price of plywood and MDF, you will need to consider the plywood grade and the type of wood it was made from. For instance, if you want to use high-grade plywood, it would be more expensive due to the fact that it has more aesthetic values than the lower grades that are cheaper.

Medium density fiberboard is mostly preferred by homeowners because it provides a less expensive alternative to wood. Of course, we know that owning or building and maintaining a property is not cheap. So is very important to go for an option that helps you to save some money while maintaining your preferred style.

Conclusion

Taking a closer look at medium density fiberboard skirting boards, we can see that it offers an ideal alternative to natural woods. This means that you can always make your house feel not just complete, but more like home.

What Makes MDF Skirting Boards Perfect For Your Home?