What is MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard)?

I have a dining table with two extensions. They were in storage and have bowed in the middle when I recently took them out. Is there a method I could DIY to correct this problem?

So---is mdf safe or not? Too many people die of horrible cancers to not ask serious questions about such products.

I just bought a little dresser, nightstand and headboard for my three year old's small room. It is made of MDF and when it arrived it was labeled formaldehyde phase 2. The smell is strong and burns my throat. One piece seemed strong but we can't use the drawers. With all three in there, the room smelled toxic.

Is this safe for a small child? Will the smell ever go away? We moved the dresser and nightstand into the living room with the drawers out.

@anon743: if it looks bumpy, you can sand it with a very fine wet/dry sandpaper and it will make it smooth. --LC

looking at water bed rails. They are made of MDF. Sleeping next to this material sounds like a not so good idea. We have a humidifier in the room. also a bad combination?

MDF needs to bear a prominent and clear warning about its vulnerability to water damage. I was given furniture that (unknown to me) had been sitting in a garage where a water-pipe burst in the recent cold-weather. When I hauled it to its new home, the legs had disintegrated! Water had been taken in by the fibrous board and ruined the piece of furniture.

MDF would warp, why? Does anyone know how to solve this problem?

I love MDF, it is job security in the water damage industry. Looks good and has to be replaced if it gets wet even a little wet. Ditto for particle board.

Why do the wood materials need to be as thin as possible for making into wood composites?

The time taken to put on safety masks and gloves will likely cramp your creativity. Most people have a low immune system, and so always reach out for all kinds protective gear in any situation.

MDF brings out the artist in us. MDF was just waiting to happen, for the artistic-minded who are always groping for user-friendly, (and conservation-activists-friendly) materials. Only it is not advertised enough. Just a useful tip to counteract all fears about moisture fears: coat it (a brush will do) with clear PU coating and you seal in your fears and could even spill hot coffee over it.

MDF: "Friendly on the environment"? Not really. Folks, real wood will naturally decay over time into valuable nutrients for organisms on the forest floor. MDF is made using a synthetic chemical concoction including formaldehyde, a carcinogen.

All of the inappropriate chemicals introduced into the atmosphere may be the leading cause of cancers. Off-gassing of products in homes and buildings is only hitting the radar in N.America of recent time.

Plastics, formaldehyde, toxins in paint and carpeting will off-gas (mix with your indoor air) and bring a risk to you.

Be careful what you purchase and install in your living space. Think twice about MDF.

I have just been diagnosed with lower-respiratory lung disease, asthma, sleep apnea, rhinosinusitis, sinusitis,and am under doctors care right now.

I have to get a c-pap machine, use two inhalers, nose spray. I have been classed as totally disabled since October 2008.

I worked for Rails Plus, Inc., from denver, on a brinkmann constructors job site in broomfield,co. OSHA issued an overexposure citation. If you have been exposed to this crap, you can go to concentra medical for diagnosis and treatment, and possibly legal action as far as workers comp., and social security disability.

is Hardboard as dangerous as MDF when cutting it?

Would MDF board be suitable to make a bathroom door?

Yes, there are published safety concerns with MDF dust and fumes.

Where is this wood available? What is the cost of this wood ? On which bases they will sell this wood (i mean weight or length)

Please, i have recycled MDF but it is so fragile. is there any chemical that can be painted on it to strengthen it?

would i be able to make a phone holder out of one?

Are there special precautions for cutting MDF with a laser?

Just one question. Is MDF good material for glass show cases? Are they reliable and sturdy enough for glass? Thanks.

I recently had cabinets made in a 12x 15 upstairs bedroom for crafts and sewing. I also have recently struggled with a skin rash.

Four days ago, I left the door closed when I was out of town. The smell is so strong that I can taste it when I opened the door.

Does anyone think that the smell will die down after sealing the ends of raw MDF? Is my rash connected to this MDF?

It's a shame to have to rip out all the cabinets. I wish I had known about this earlier. Is there a warning label at Home Depot?

can MDF be used in a bookshelf?

can I use it for my woofer box?

MDF is garbage. It does warp if you don't store it correctly (i.e. level and straight on a rack). Water and moisture destroy it unless you take the types of steps to protect it that most people don't. It has a nasty chemical odor when you cut it that you know can't be good (formaldehyde!). This is something to be used for desperate homeowners on a budget as a short term (read: less than 20 years) remodel, or developers that are churning out McMansions for the ignorant to ogle at.

I love it. my whole house is made out of it.

it's toxic and should not be inhaled.

I don't think I've ever seen a more contradictory set of comments. MDF is environmentally friendly. MDF is not environmentally friendly. MDF is toxic. MDF is not toxic. MDF is better than real wood. MDF is not better than real wood. MDF warps. MDF doesn't warp. The earth is rectangular. The earth is square. I don't know what I'm talking about. Neither do I.

this is just awesome. :)

mdf is not as toxic as it is reported, it lets off the same toxic fumes as pine, because that's what it is. the urea formaldehyde only makes up 10 percent of the board; the other 90 is pine. it isn't made out of scraps as stated they specifically cut trees down to use for mdf. the worst kinds of dusts are hardwoods, i.e iroko sapele and meranti. the urea part is the adhesive, the formaldehyde is the substance which stops the adhesive setting, therefore when the resin is applied the formaldehyde evaporates and the urea sets. therefore it doesn't let off deathly quantities of toxic fumes people claim when cut. the report that the dust is the same as asbestos sharp which sticks to the walls of your lungs is rubbish as well. it's simple ignorance of the facts, just because it creates a lot of dust doesn't mean it's more toxic, but it still isn't good for you. wear ppe.

is mdf safe to make kids' furniture? I'm going to make the kids a bed like a car.

would the same size of an mdf board and the same size of a board of pine used for shelving have the same weight bearing strength, both being 3/4 inch thick x 72 x 17? thank you

I suspect any recycled material in MDF would largely be accidental. Wikipedia says they chip whole debarked logs. I can't imagine a mill producing 100s of tons of composite products like MDF fooling around with sticks and twigs. They don't want bark and they don't want nails.

how can you put a slight compound curve in a 30"x36" sheet of MDF board?

Currently am working now with a marble flooring on top of MDF wood substrate. Do you think MDF wood substrate will not swell after it totally got wet from the volume of water we mixed with the tile glue? *Is it water resistant?*

Of course it is toxic tool, it has formaldehyde resin in it which is in the dust. So no, you shouldn't breathe it in.

im an industrial design student and i was wondering what kinds of furniture specifically that i can use MDF on?

Would MDF make for a suitable Table top for an outside picnic/Patio table. If not, then what would be suitable, a hardwood?.

Can mdf ever be used in an exterior situation? Like using as a platform or anchor winch mounting in a boat if it is covered with marine carpeting?

hello all, i am working in a factory which generates a significant amount of MDF dust (milldust),which sent to landfills. my question is : if there is a specific material (like a: resin, glue...) which mixed together with the mdf dust, and thus making a mixture for pouring in a mold ? Where i can get like this material ? thank you all

Hello all. I had a question about MDF. I'm working for a company trying to get to the bottom of some bowing issues in furniture that's made of MDF. We're seeing it happen on a lot of tops and shelves where the large flat MDF surface is starting to droop and/or bow. It looks like this is a normal issue with MDF, but my question is whether or not there are common ways to fix this or improve it?

First, never trust rubberband masks. Aren't your lungs are worth more than that? 27 USD will get you something you can fit to your face and you will definitely feel the difference. Enough to know you're doing yourself a favor.

as to the worth of MDF, to me, it's like that old (blues) saying about the older woman, Old women don't tell, they don't' swell, and they're grateful as h*ll."

MDF covers nicely, edges too!, it don't swell, or move or split (the metaphor may break a bit here ;)) and it will thank you by lookin' good for less $$$

And I have made a LOT of mdf dust.

As far as the formaldehyde, I used some of this around say, 1980's. I remember when it got hot, LOTS of the formaldehyde smell. Last year, and very soon this year, I am going to/have cut up several 49x97's into many many chunks and glue it up with TitebondII into many cool useful things. I don't get anywhere near the smell these days.

Just my $0.02+ =8^>

very useful information

MDF contains formaldehyde so yes it can be toxic and yes it can give off gas. I've heard that the amount of gas given off is actually large, not small as one poster on this discussion said. Also, there are more cons to MDF. It can snap like dry twigs, which properly cured wood never does. It is also not true that it is more environmentally safe. Yes it uses scrap lumber, but it binds it with resin, which has formaldehyde in it. Give me wood any day.

To try and answer the third question: MDF is made by attrition milling wood scraps, then applying a resin to the fibers, then consolidating the fibers with heat and pressure into a panel product. There are two main resins that are used to adhere the particles: urea formaldehyde and phenol formaldehyde. There is a limit placed on the formaldehyde emission of the MDF by ANSI (American National Standards Institute) of .3 parts per million. The MDF that you purchase should have a tag or stamp on it somewhere that says that it conforms to ANSI A208.2-1994. The amount of formaldehyde in typical MDF is not significant enough to be toxic. To put it in perspective, OSHA allows an exposure of .75 ppm during an 8-hour work day.

That being said, if you are cutting MDF, you should always take safety precautions: one of those dentist masks should be fine for your mouth and nose, and safety glasses and gloves. Hope this answered your question.

Does anyone know if I should be concerned about off-gassing from a desk which is made from MDF and coated with a few layers of varnish? Please advise.

Is there a difference between MDF and standard untempered hardboard (masonite)?

Is exposed or particles of MDF released into the air toxic? And how much do they give off gas?

I just used mdf as wainscoting in the dining room. I primed it with oil based primer and used a semi-gloss paint, but now it looks bumpy like an orange peel. What can we do?

Does MDF used as interior moulding need to be primed before painting?