MDF offers alternative choice for laboratory casework click the image to enlarge Combination finishes are easily achievable with MDF casework. Photo: Bruce Hogg Photography. Over the past 25 years, the use of MDF (medium density fiberboard) in lab casework construction has grown dramatically, for a number of very good reasons. MDF is becoming increasingly recognized for its performance characteristics in casework and as a substrate for plastic laminate tops. MDF is an engineered wood panel product primarily developed for furniture, fixtures, and finish carpentry. Very fine fibers of softwood and hardwood are combined with a resin and formed under great pressure to make a flat panel. Panels are readily available in thicknesses ranging from 3/8 in. to 11/8 in MDF is well-suited for labs and other high-use environments. Compared with products like veneer core plywood or particleboard, MDF has physical properties that make it stand out. Its exceptional hardness provides an extremely durable surface that can tolerate the daily rigors of lab environments. MDF’s strength also makes it a good choice for quality casework construction. Some casework manufacturers have been using MDF without face veneers, applying a laboratory-grade finish directly onto the MDF surface. Installations of this type of product go back as far as 1979 and remain in excellent condition. MDF was chosen for the casework at the Chernoff Hall Chemistry facility at Queen’s Univ. in Kingston, Ontario—the High Honors winner in R&D Magazine’s 2003 Lab of the Year competition. It is providing excellent service in this heavily used lab building. click the image to enlarge MDF as a core for casework MDF cores are much more consistent in thickness than the traditional veneer core plywood used in lab casework manufacturing. The plywood industry standard (HPVA) thickness tolerance for 3/4 in. (19 mm) veneer core plywood is ±1.5 mm. MDF is manufactured to thickness tolerances as low as 0.003 to 0.005 mm. This tight tolerance offers casework manufacturers a number of benefits, including more consistent sanding (and therefore better finishing), more consistent cut part sizes, and more accurate assembly, translating into a better finished product. Compared with both veneer cores and particleboard cores, MDF offers increased surface hardness, superior screw-holding ability, and excellent core density. Because of these physical properties, MDF can be used in virtually any application for which plywood or particleboard core plywood is used, including casework, service chases, and reagent shelving. click the image to enlarge MDF casework in an installation at a Toronto-area biotech lab. Photo courtesy of CiF Furniture. MDF as a finished material MDF combines a great range of characteristics to make it an interesting option for lab casework. Lab casework needs to be protected with the most durable lab-grade finishes available. MDF is an ideal substrate for this type of finish. Its omnidirectional, grainless surface accepts finish more consistently and evenly than veneers. It is flat, smooth, and does not have the porosity inconsistencies of wood veneers and solids. The same laboratory-grade finishes that are applied to wood laboratory casework, such as catalyzed vinyl, are applied to MDF. Manufacturers can provide an almost endless range of transparent or opaque finishes. If neutral finishes are not for you, a very warm, rich effect can be created with deep red tones that give the appearance of an expensive veneered product—at a cost that is appreciably less. MDF provides the designer a great deal of flexibility. Exposed edges on MDF casework can feature half-round, quarter-round, or beveled edges—treatments that would likely be cost prohibitive with plywood. click the image to enlarge MDF casework in Building A5 at the Univ. of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Ontario (Diamond + Schmitt Architects Inc., Toronto). Photo courtesy of CiF Furniture. Cost impact of MDF casework MDF can be used to provide a very high-end look for lab casework for less expense than high-end veneers. The greatest impact on cost can be found when MDF is selected without face veneers. MDF can offer excellent value to a budget-stretched project without sacrificing aesthetics. Typically, high-end wood casework calls for AA-grade veneers, matched vertically, often on a veneer-core plywood. MDF cabinets with a custom finish and custom-selected hardware can be provided with similar construction quality but less cost. MDF can be used selectively or for more specific finish applications. An opaque finish on a cabinet body can highlight a high-quality veneer face, providing a great look at a very reasonable cost. Since the range of colors is extensive, the cabinet box can be designed to either complement or contrast with the cabinet face. MDF and sustainability MDF is available in many types, each formulated to address specific applications. For LEED-registered buildings, or other projects with a sustainable focus, MDF can provide a great solution to one of the most challenging issues: delivering cost-effective solutions with proven, reliable, sustainable building products. It can be specified as “low emission” or as “NAF” (no added formaldehyde) for compliance with LEED credit EQ 4.4: Low-Emitting Materials—Composite Wood. MDF can also be specified as 100% recycled/recovered to comply with the LEED credit MR 4.1: Recycled Content. MDF boasts a long history of performance in virtually all interior applications. Adding this track record to the aesthetic quality, cost effectiveness, and optional LEED-compliant features makes MDF a high-value component in a well-planned lab design. Dave Ross is VP/sales and marketing with CiF Furniture Ltd., Concord, Ontario, Canada (www.ciffurniture.com). The company manufactures specialty casework for laboratory and educational markets, including wood, laminate, and MDF products.