I live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and will start rebuilding soon. I’m trying to decide between tile and bamboo floors. Any advice appreciated. And how about cabinets? A sales rep told me MDF (medium density fiberboard) resisted humidity better than solid wood. Does that make sense to anyone?
Edited 1/17/2007 1:50 pm ET by bayouelton
Replies
No. MDF can come right apart when exposed to moisture. There is an exterior grade called Medex than can handle occasional spray or moisture, but not immersion. Standard MDF would be a waste to use in a damp area.
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Maybe he meant MDO?
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"A sales rep told me MDF (medium density fiberboard) resisted humidity "are my reading skills that much better than yours?;)
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"A sales rep told me MDF (medium density fiberboard) resisted humidity "
are my reading skills that much better than yours?
I seriously doubt it but from my experience, I've seen people confuse the terms even while they are trying to make the distinction between them.
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People do confuse the terms MDF and MDO, but when he takes the trouble to spell it out, I doubt he has any confusion which he is referring to.
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Yes, I've forgotten how few mistakes are posted on Breaktime. Silly me.
BUT in real life, I see people confuse the two terms in serious ways. I don't particularly understand it but it happens.
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Most cabinet shops have optional upgrades available, and usually one is for real plywood. If you can affor it, that would be best. However, almost all cabinets in new non-custom homes are mdf.
Ceramic would be better, but it's colder and harder and there are grout lines to clean. However, if you get flooded, it doesn't make much difference because the subfloor will get soaked anyway.
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slab on grade? i'd do stained/scored concrete...
what the rep told you about MDF is only kinda true.... it doesn't move, warp or split ... but it will swell and turn back to mush...
p
When discussing MDF vs Solid wood in the context of cabs, I assume you are talking about the doors. The cases are usually particle board or plywood with plywood being the superior option.
MDF is more stable than wood, in that it stays "flat". MDF cab doors are usually coated with something akin to a solid skin - I've heard terms like "thermofoil" as well as the more common "melamine". I personally don't like the look of simulated raised panels in MDF doors, but some doors with that look and some of those fancy coatings are considered "good stuff" by others.
In any event, those coatings should address any basic interior humidity concerns for MDF doors used in a bathroom, for example.
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Here is an extreme example... I built a utility MDF cabinet for a minivan that i used as a second work truck. Long story to short... engine quit, cabinet sat in the back yard for two months until i had time to pull the hard ware off. 3/4" MDF expanded to 1-3/4" thick while the cheap pine face frame stayed relatively stable.
With that said i say that even interior ply would be better.
Best to you and yours, Chris.
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Thanks a bunch to all you guys who wrote in. Just for your entertainment, and to show you why forums like this are so helpful, below is a copy of the same info request I sent to an actual manufacturer.
Please contact your local Merillat dealer for pricing, specificationsand design information. Cabinet options will depend on the product lineand style that you are interested in. None of our products (exceptthose sold in our Shop section) are available direct. A dealer willprovide a price quote for the cabinetry of your choice. If you save yourproduct preferences in an online workbook, you will be able to print aconvenient list of products you are interested in. This will allow yourdealer to help you in the most efficient manner. To locate a dealer,please go to the following link:http://www.merillat.com/buy/index.aspx-----Original Message-----From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2007 8:44 PMTo: Merillat ConsumerSubject: Merillat.com -- ContactElton Hartzler9728 Marina DrOcean Springs,MS 39564-9765USAPhone: 228-875-0664Fax: E-mail: [email protected] Reason: I have a general question or comment about MerillatIndustriesQuestion / Request: A sales designer here in Ocean Springs was promotingyour cabinets to me by saying they resisted moisture because they weremade of MDF, which she said was better for this area that solid wood. Iasked her what MDF stood for and she said "medium density fiberboard."Well then, if that's true then why not make them out of HDF (highdensity fiberboard). That should be even better. And why is MDF betterthan solid wood in the first place? Thanks for any info you can shine onthis matter. Elton HartzlerKatrina home re builderI am: buildingI am a: consumerMay We Contact You Via E-mail: yesLanguage: English
VERY FRUSTRATING !!! So frustrating I printed the e-mail response and mailed it in to the company's corporate office and explained it was the company rep who told me to write them in the first place !! I'll double check my info with that sales rep again and give you an update in case you might be interested. But to be perfectly honest, I sort of got the impression she was more "artsy crafty" oriented than "engineering-technical." So now - where th' Hell is my bamboo floor advice? yuk, yuk.
Edited 1/20/2007 7:17 pm ET by bayouelton
Edited 1/20/2007 7:20 pm ET by bayouelton
no