Had to choose between plywood and MDF for a built-in project last month

I was building a set of bookcases for a client in Portland and had to decide between using Baltic birch plywood or MDF for the cabinets. The plywood was $89 a sheet but MDF was only $48, so I went with MDF to keep costs down. Big mistake - the humidity has been rough and I can already see some swelling on the bottom edges. Has anyone else had MDF fail on a job like this?

3 comments

3 Comments

elliot_barnes2mo ago

You're acting like the thing swelled up a quarter inch overnight. A little sanding and paint touch up and nobody's gonna notice but you.

the_emery2mo ago

I saw a contractor's blog once that said MDF in humid climates basically turns into particle board sponge cake after a year, no matter how much primer you slather on it. Elliot's acting like a quick sanding fixes that, but the real issue is the stuff absorbs moisture from the air even after you paint it.

bennett.nora2mo ago

Ask Elliot if he's actually seen what MDF swelling looks like after a few months in a damp Portland summer, not just a week. It's not a little puffiness, the edges literally start to crumble and the paint cracks along the seams. How many touch ups does he think you can do before the whole thing looks like a patchwork mess?