It used to be a common practice in construction to waste nearly one third of a tree’s wood when converting it to solid lumber, using only 70 percent of a tree's material. However, in 1966, an entrepreneurial plant in New York began using leftover wood scraps to create composite, wood-like products, and today about 95 percent of a tree is used. Medium density fiberboard, or MDF, is one of these wood products, and with it carpenters have perfected created a cheap and effective product for your home: MDF interior doors.
The Basics of MDF Interior Doors
MDF interior doors are constructed with medium density fiberboard, an engineered wood product. MDF is created using the remains of a tree not used in constructing solid lumber, including sawdust and planer shavings. In recent years, some manufacturers have begun incorporating other organic materials, such as wheat and post-consumer recycled wood. The doors are refined in order to achieve a uniformly smooth surface. Often, the whole process can be completed in a few days, and then the MDF is ready for many different uses, especially for MDF interior doors.
MDF boards that may turn into interior doors. | @ fotolia.com / eyalg_115
Benefits of MDF Interior Doors
MDF is easy to shape and, unlike wood, has no knots, making its surface uniform and blemish-free. In fact, MDF interior doors are guaranteed to have a smooth, even surface, making them easy to paint and finish. If, for instance, you crave the look of real wood without the hassle, it’s easy to apply a faux wood finish to MDF interior doors to make an elegant statement.
Other benefits include the fact that MDF interior doors are strong and sturdy, and they resolutely resist warping, denting, rotting, and other forms of damage to which real wood is susceptible. MDF interior doors act as a great sound barrier, giving you plenty of privacy wherever you are in your house. Additionally, MDF interior doors are much cheaper than solid wood or solid core doors, and are a sustainable product, as they are crafted with leftover wood products that would otherwise be burned or scrapped. As such, MDF interior doors are not only good news for your wallet, but also for the environment.
Maintenance for MDF Interior Doors
MDF interior doors are much easier to maintain than solid wood doors, as they are less prone to warping, rotting, and other problems. However, MDF interior doors aren’t perfect, so they’ll still need some upkeep from time to time. Luckily, because of MDF interior doors’ solid build, this maintenance is likely to be nothing more than the occasional fresh paint job or new coat of finish.
Bottom Line: A Cheap and Sustainable Choice for your Home
MDF interior doors are cheap, sustainably crafted, effective choices for your home. Nearly maintenance free, these workhorses can prove reliable over the course of many years. Even better, they’re easy to paint and finish in order to achieve an elegant and sophisticated look. To find contractors who can install MDF interior doors in your home, check out our helpful database today.
