Mdf furniture durability

[kokakolia]

Hello, 

 

I am shopping around on the net for furniture. I will be moving out of my my parents house in a few years (I am very eager LOL). I see that most of the affordable new furniture is built with MDF panels.

 

Since MDF doesn't resist moisture very well, I am wondering how durable an MDF dining table (or coffee table) would be. Can you please share your experiences with MDF furniture (long term wear)? 

[RonnieOP]

theres a reason its cheap. It is very easy to mess up.

 

With that said though. You can make it last if you are careful with it. But its alot more work then just getting something made of real wood.

 

You would be better off looking at local used markets for real furniture if your looking for things that will last.

[Vsin_]

MDF by itself isn't very dura.ble, given its lack of resistance. But when it's protected with the proper finish, it can be very sturdy and durable. I would prefer solid wood for things like tables, but I wouldn't care that much for a TV furniture piece. Also note that MDF needs proper support, else it will bend over time.

[kokakolia]

54 minutes ago, RonnieOP said:

theres a reason its cheap. It is very easy to mess up.

 

With that said though. You can make it last if you are careful with it. But its alot more work then just getting something made of real wood.

 

You would be better off looking at local used markets for real furniture if your looking for things that will last.

So that kinda confirms my suspicion that MDF doesn't last. It's just interesting how MDF tables are all over the net. 

 

Anyways, I think I'll spend more money to avoid MDF. 

[RonnieOP]

1 hour ago, kokakolia said:

So that kinda confirms my suspicion that MDF doesn't last. It's just interesting how MDF tables are all over the net. 

 

Anyways, I think I'll spend more money to avoid MDF. 

they can last. but you have to basically baby them.

 

They are not durable at all. A coffee table made of mdf isnt going to get ruined the first time you dont use a coaster. but over time its going to get ruined.

 

So you kinda got to evaluate what the furniture is going to be used for.

 

in my office I have mdf furniture because it was cheap and for holding books and the like I dont need anything more. I wouldnt use mdf for something that could potentially get abused though. Like my desk or table.

[IkeaGnome]

7 hours ago, kokakolia said:

Hello, 

 

I am shopping around on the net for furniture. I will be moving out of my my parents house in a few years (I am very eager LOL). I see that most of the affordable new furniture is built with MDF panels.

 

Since MDF doesn't resist moisture very well, I am wondering how durable an MDF dining table (or coffee table) would be. Can you please share your experiences with MDF furniture (long term wear)? 

When I had to furnish my house, I bought as much MDF as I could. Now, as it breaks I replace it with nice furniture. Makes the initial furniture purchase shock a lot less then spreads it out over time.

[LankyBastard]

From learning the hard way, if you purchase MDF furniture and end up having to move even once, you'll probably regret it.  I got what looked to be a nice corner table about 5 years ago and within months the finish was rubbing off of it and no longer felt solid.  Even worse, if you ever have to move, no matter how careful you are, you'll likely mess up something with the MDF where the assembly hardware goes, and MDF is easily eaten away by repeated screwing in and out.  Even after removing a screw from MDF, you've probably lost close to a third of the material that the screw is supposed to bite into.

[kokakolia]

12 hours ago, LankyBastard said:

From learning the hard way, if you purchase MDF furniture and end up having to move even once, you'll probably regret it.  I got what looked to be a nice corner table about 5 years ago and within months the finish was rubbing off of it and no longer felt solid.  Even worse, if you ever have to move, no matter how careful you are, you'll likely mess up something with the MDF where the assembly hardware goes, and MDF is easily eaten away by repeated screwing in and out.  Even after removing a screw from MDF, you've probably lost close to a third of the material that the screw is supposed to bite into.

Yeah! MDF doesn't take screws well. I bet that most MDF furniture is glued. 

 

I mean that settles it! I'll avoid MDF as much as possible. There's this site called Vida XL which sells Acacia and Mango wood furniture at suspiciously low prices. They sell an Acacia table under 150€... maybe I'm dreaming and it's just veneered particle wood or MDF 

[PineyCreek]

MDF bookshelves aren't bad if you don't care about things looking worse than they could, and particleboard still works with wood glue in the right places.  Shelves may sag similar to softer woods under weight though.  My corner desk is made of particleboard aside from the top, and it pretty much disintegrated during moving places (really wasn't the mover's fault, but they had a guy come out and rebuild the entire thing with metal L brackets).

 

I personally wouldn't use it for a dining table though.  I think a Fisher-Price plastic table might be more durable.

 

MDF furniture often uses cambolts to lock things together/down, and manufacturers WILL skimp on those if possible (poor metal quality).  If one shears in two while you're tightening it, you might have to go to the hardware store and hope you can find a better quality bolt.

 

You get what you pay for with furniture generally in terms of materials and quality and guarantees/warranties.

[kokakolia]

@PineyCreek

 

With furniture these days you have to be careful. Most furniture out there regardless of price is particle board or MDF core covered in veneer or melamine. You may think that you're buying a wooden shelf, but only the outer layer is "wood". And you'll see these vague descriptions like "WALNUT". 

 

Maybe it isn't so bad if you're not paying too much. In my experience IKEA furniture lasts a really long time (two decades no problem), even after several moves. It's just that the boards flex and the corners chip so it's not pretty.