Solid Wood vs MDF: Which one?

The question is: Isn`t solid natural wood always the best material to use in the furniture industry? The answer to that is “Not necessarily.”

The good thing about solid wood is that it has many benefits; it’s strong, sturdy and naturally beautiful. However, solid wood contracts when subjected to changes in heat and humidity. Unless these conditions are carefully checked, cabinets, doors or paneling made from solid wood can shrink or even crack.

Medium density fiberboard (MDF) is a high grade, composite material that performs better than solid wood in many areas in the furniture industry. Made from recycled wood fibers and resin, MDF is machine dried and pressed to create dense, stable sheets.

Solid wood is more unstable than the MDF. It also does not stand up better to changes in heat and humidity.  then Solid wood boards typically expand and shrinks both horizontally and vertically when temperatures and humidity rise or fall. Because of this, furniture, doors and paneling made from solid wood require a high level of care and maintenance. And if the care is not taken on time it might cause bigger problems.

MDF is available in much larger sizes than Solid Wood.

Unlike solid wood, there is no visible grain on the surface of an MDF panel. Therefore, the common problem of wood grain and knots bleeding through paint or stain is not a factor when MDF is used.

A very important consideration is cost of course ,, MDF is often a better value. Solid wood is often more expensive and sometimes is not as readily available..