The difference between particle board, pressed board, MDF, plywood, engineered wood, and other common names of “not solid wood” that are used in common household furniture and shelving these days?

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The difference between particle board, pressed board, MDF, plywood, engineered wood, and other common names of “not solid wood” that are used in common household furniture and shelving these days?

In: Engineering

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The difference is in the ingredients, glue, and pressure.

Have a lot of sawdust, but low pressure? You can make MDF. More pressure and glue? HDF! Have big shards of wood handy? Lay them in opposing directions before adding glue and pressure and you have OSB!

Like a chef would use different ingredients to make different meals, each of these products is suited for different purposes.

MDF is without wood grain — so it preforms uniformly in all three directions. These sheets are good for cabinets, because the have a small distance to span, but look the same no matter which direction you cut. In contrast, OSB uses wood that retains a grain — so it is strong enough to span flooring and roofing distances. GluLam retains the largest chunks of wood grain: it can usually span the furthest. That glue is strong, go GluLam can span further than lumber, and is a nice alternative to steel!

Bonus! Most of these products UP-cycle industrial waste! The ingredients would be thrown in the garbage (or furnace) if not reused like this. So! Using MDF in you next cabinet potentially diverts sawdust from being burned, and sequesters that carbon in a building – not the atmosphere.