While buying furniture, buyers often find it difficult to choose between MDF vs solid wood. Generally, wood furniture is considered to be stronger and more reliable than MDF. But the truth is that both have their respective pros and cons which the homeowners need to take into account before they buy furniture online or in person. In this post, we will discuss different features of both solid wood and MDF to help you decide which one you should prefer to improve the look of your place.
Solid wood has been the primary source of furniture for many years. While solid wood is basically the natural wood, MDF is an engineered product comprising a mixture of redwood, fibers, veneers, resin, and adhesives. Solid wood is mainly used in the construction of cabinets while MDF makes up door center panels and specific furniture products.
There are many compelling reasons which make solid wood the primary choice for furniture manufacturing. Here are the most common ones:
The strong and sturdy nature of solid wood makes it an excellent material for furniture manufacturing. People love to buy wood furniture because it can last for decades with ease. However, one thing you should remember here is that different types of solid wood offer different strengths – for example, oak furniture is sturdier than cedar furniture and will last longer.
Solid wood is not only durable but offers great aesthetics as well – thanks to its beautiful grains and patterns. If style and aesthetics are your major priorities, then solid wood will be an ideal choice for you. But just like strength and durability, solid wood differs in aesthetics too. For example, among those who prefer style over durability, white oak is more popular than red oak despite being less durable in quality.
Another excellent advantage of solid wood is that it offers ease of customization. The fact that it’s available in different sizes, shapes, finishes, and colors, enables furniture manufacturers to create items that are both sturdy and beautiful.
Solid wood furniture is considered to be more valuable than MDF furniture. If you’re a homeowner looking to boost up the price tag of your place, adding solid wood furniture to it will perfectly do the job for you.
Despite having a long list of advantages, solid wood has many downsides as well. In fact, in some cases, buying MDF Furniture Lahore can be a better option than buying solid wood furniture. Here are some reasons why:
Most solid wood items without quality waterproofing are prone to moisture damage. However, red oak, which is an extremely strong wood does not have this weakness. Therefore, if you are buying wood furniture that is not made of red oak, waterproof finishing is a must for it to avoid moisture damage.
Solid wood is vulnerable to bug infections. Unless maintained frequently, pest attacks will damage your solid wood furniture. On the other hand, MDF is less vulnerable and can ward off bugs without requiring extra maintenance.
The variations in your kitchen’s temperature and humidity level can cause solid wood furniture to expand and contract, making it a poor choice for cabinet door panels. Some solid woods may even warp or crack under hostile temperature. And sometimes, even a new paint job will be unable to cover those cracks, making the whole thing unappealing to the eye. For this reason, furniture manufacturers use MDF in cabinet door panels.
MDF is a cheap alternative to the sturdiness and resistance that comes with solid wood. If you are looking to buy cheap furniture online, MDF will be an ideal choice for you. Let’s take a look at the most compelling reasons which make MDF a better option than other engineered woods.
Unlike solid wood, MDF doesn’t have any noticeable grains. It is made from fine particles which give it a better and a smoother finish. The finish can become even more attractive after getting a fresh paint job.
MDF is an excellent water resistant and performs really well under humid or moist conditions. In fact, some manufacturers specifically use MDF in bath cabinets because of its exceptional ability to resist water and keep the moisture away.
MDF boards are flexible due to which they can be easily customized. As a result, you will see that there is a vast variety of MDF doors such as flat paneled doors, inset doors, raised doors, and more.
Finally, MDF is cheaper and easy to maintain than solid wood. With proper care, MDF furniture can last quite long without losing quality.
Despite having many advantages, MDF furniture isn’t ideal for certain situations and carries the following weaknesses:
Both types have several pros and cons. Therefore, declaring any one of them as the ultimate winner is quite difficult. However, there are certain situations where one performs better than the other. For instance, if you are looking to upgrade bath cabinets, we highly recommend MDF. But when it comes to buying stronger and sturdier furniture, solid wood will be the better option. The choice is yours!
Both types have several pros and cons. However, if you are looking to upgrade bath cabinets, MDF is highly recommended. But when it comes to buying sturdier furniture, solid wood is the better option.
Stronger and sturdier
Great aesthetics
Ease of customization
More valuable
Prone to moisture damage
Pest attack vulnerability
Prone to warping and cracking
Better and smoother finish
Excellent water resistance
Easy to customize
Cheaper than wood
Not ideal for high temperatures.
Less strong compared to solid wood furniture.
Prone to moisture damage.
Scratches on MDF furniture are very difficult to repair.
