In any given week we can have joinery in our factories from as many as
30-40 different cabinet makers and shopfitters. We can have as much as 1000
square meters of joinery on site at any one time from our clients. At least
half will be MDF joinery and the other half is made up of timber, aluminium,
glass, etc.
So its safe to say we see a lot of MDF from one week to the next.
We have noticed over the last twelve months that the quality of MDF is becoming
more and more varied. From the very best quality to the poorest of qualities.
Generally speaking, this variation in MDF quality does not cause us too
much drama. We apply a heavy undercoat to the face and the edges and away we
go.
Where we run into trouble is when we receive routed doors and panels
using cheaper quality MDF board. The MDF is less dense and when routed it tends
to tear out and leave us with a porous uneven surface to deal with.
This issue is often exacerbated by poor routing using blunt blades and
slow rotation speeds. What we get is centre panels routed out with
porous/fluffy MDF and both tear outs and uneven rout lines. This is not at all
easy to repair.
When the MDF is porous and less dense it will continually move as the
moisture in the timber moves around. This in turn can create ripples and
movement in the paint surface. An issue that continues well after the joinery
leaves our factory. And an issue that we cannot rectify by just applying more
paint.
The quickest and easiest remedy is to always use the densest and highest
quality MDF you can buy and insist that your door manufacturer does the same.
