MDF MY “Pet Hate!” By Miss K L Slomczynski

 

MDF MY “Pet Hate!”

One item that I always said that I would never work with during my art work is MDF! 

But what is MDF?

(MDF) medium density fibreboard.

What is it Made of?

It is a manufactured (engineered) wood product composed of wood fibres that are mixed with resin and wax and pressed into flat panels under high temperature and pressure. It is used much like plywood as a building material in residential and commercial construction. 

What are the advantages of MDF board?

MDF board has many benefits besides the low cost. For one, it's stronger than particle board (which is made from compressed sawdust) and is often made with a veneer to create the look of a solid wood board. Compared with hardwood, MDF is lighter, the chemicals within repel termites, and it doesn’t warp much in humid weather.

What are the hazards of MDF?

MDF contains a substance called urea formaldehyde, which may be released from the material through cutting and sanding. Urea formaldehyde may cause irritation to the eyes and lungs. Proper ventilation is required when using it and face masks are needed when sanding or cutting MDF with machinery.

The pros and cons of using MDF Wood over solid wood while building your green home - Ecofriend

Why do I hate it so much?

Eco-friendly quotient

MDF can be considered Eco-friendly in the sense that it is made from recycled wood. But the amount of chemicals it holds will disqualify it from being considered as green. The urea-formaldehyde used in its manufacture is poisonous to the respiratory and digestive systems. Especially, if there are toddlers at home, they should be kept away from MDF so that they do not chew at it or lick it.

MDF is definitely a convenient material to make use of for building homes. But if you wish to make a green home, it may be best avoided due to health, cost and durability reasons. It would be a good idea to use MDF for making some parts of the home which does not involve exposure to either water or children.

Is MDF safe for children?

This is my main concern and always been the main reason why I have not wanted to use MDF when making and designing things for children.

Please look at the links below for more information.

https://www.childrensfurniture.co.uk/mdf

https://childrensfurniturecompany.blogspot.com/2009/03/mdf-is-safe-right.htm

Due to MDF being so cheep and a lot of the items are mass-produced overseas in places like China, you know that the Health and Safety Laws have probably to been followed or the same that we would have to abide by in the UK.

Now that the UK is no longer under the EU it is even more important to know what guideline we must follow when selling and product or service to the general public from 2021.

So this is something that I will be looking into so that I can hopefully set up Self Employment in April of 2021.

My aim is to sell finished products where ever possible and not for under 3 years old.

Over the Covid 19 Lock down I have been looking at using up all my art supplies with my family and have brought MDF Precut shapes to achieve this. However this is not what I will be looking at using in the long run I get my business established I will be looking at creating my own library of Computer Aided Designs (CAD) that I can then look at have cut into any type of Materials and not MDF.

Thank you for reading.