Why we use MDF for Nurseries and Children’s rooms

At Blue Almonds we believe in giving our customers the very best quality product we can. Some people may wonder which is best for nursery furniture, solid wood or MDF?

What is MDF and is it better than wood?

MDF is not like pressboard or chipboard. Pressboards are made of rough wooden pieces which are pressed and glued together. So in between these wooden parts is a lot of space where air and moisture can collect and destroy the product over time. 

MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) is made of tiny wooden elements (like dust) pressed together under high pressure. It becomes more dense than real wood which explains why MDF is heavier than solid wood.

Advantages of MDF

• MDF is better for furniture construction compared to solid wood, due to its durability, moulding capability which is good for complicated and elegant designs. MDF boards can be more easily customised than solid wood and offer much higher strength.

• It has a smooth surface without any kinks and knots like wood can. The branches on a tree grow in a different direction than the tree trunk. When wood undergoes changes, it loses moisture and shrinks slightly. As branch attachments shrink, cracks form in the wood due to the different growth directions, altering the surface structure.

• MDF is very consistent throughout, so cut edges appear smooth and won't have voids or splinters.

• MDF is hard to both flex or crack. Although MDF is technically made out of wood, its structure is absolutely different. If you try to bend a MDF board it would rather snap than warp. This is why engineered wood has the advantage of being resilient to moisture unlike solid wood. Of course, if you sink it in water, sooner or later the board will succumb to damage. But if you expose it to airborne moisture, the piece will expand and shrink as a whole while keeping the overall integrity and shape intact.

• Due to its strength it is very durable

• MDF does not get worn out like wood can and even after many years, furniture made of MDF will look like it did when it was new.