Sheet Materials

(Wood Based)

Wood-based panel products are sheet materials in which wood is predominant in the form of strips, veneers, chips, strands or fibres. The main categories are:

• Plywood (including blockboard)
• Chipboard
• Oriented strand board (OSB)
• Fibreboards, including medium density fibreboard (MDF)

Wood-based panels are versatile products with a wide variety of end-uses. Their use continues to expand because of:

• their good strength/weight ratio
• their good strength/cost ratio
• their ease of working/finishing/fixing
• the range of sizes and thicknesses available
• the range of types and special products available
• their good environmental credentials (made from a renewable raw material, recyclable, low life-cycle costs)
• their long, proven history of successful use

MDF

Medium-density fiberboard is an engineered wood product formed by breaking down softwood into wood fibers, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure.
 

From stock it is available in the following sizes:
• 2440 x 1220mm in eight thicknesses from 2mm to 25mm.
• 2440 x 1220mm - Moisture Resistant in three thicknesses from 12mm to 25mm.
• 3050 x 1220mm - Moisture Resistant in 18mm and 25mm.

Benefits of MDF:

• Some varieties are less expensive than many natural woods
• Isotropic (no grain), so no tendency to split
• Consistent in strength and size
• Flexible. Can be used for curved walls or surfaces.
• Shapes well.

Drawbacks of MDF:

• Heavier than plywood or chipboard (the resins are heavy)
• Swells and breaks when waterlogged
• May warp or expand if not sealed
• Contains urea-formaldehyde which may cause eye and lung irritation when cutting and sanding
• Dulls blades more quickly than many woods
• Though it doesn't have a grain in the plane of the board, it does have one into the board. Screwing into the edge of a board will generally cause it to split in a fashion similar to delaminating.
• Subject to significant shrinkage in low humidity environments.

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