Is MDF okay for floorboards?

[Deadly Ferret]

I've got a floorboarded room which I'm going to carpet with underlay. Two or three of the smaller floorboards, each no longer than 4', need replacing really as the sides have been mullered when pulling them up to lay new cabling. Gaps as wide as an inch in some places!

I have a lot of large MDF off-cuts, 18mm thickness, which I want to use. It seems more than strong enough, but I was wondering if there might be any problems due to the properties of the material, such as warping or being affected by heat etc.? I know it's ugly stuff, but as I say it's going to be carpeted so that doesn't matter.

Thanks for any help.

 

[breezer]

if you could would not floorboards be made from mdf?

 

[DAZB]

How helpful is that comment Breezer ? not very !! He is not wanting to relay his entire floor with the stuff, just a few small pieces.

I think you would be quite alright using the MDF instead of T & G floorboards if it is only a few small ones but make sure you get two screws in each joist . In general MDF isn't used for flooring because it doesn't have a tongue or groove which helps to lock floors together and give them more strength but , like I said above, for such a small area it would do.

 

[breezer]

i understand what you are saying, but there must be a reason no one uses mdf for floors, i cant see it being because its not T & G my floor boards are not t & G

 

[Deadly Ferret]

They're traditional rectangular floorboards secured to the joist, no tongue & groove or other type of joint between the boards themselves.

I was thinking about it before, and the only reason I could come up with was the ugliness of MDF. DAZB brought up lack of T&G, and I can see that would be a problem for a laminate floor but is T&G used for normal floorboards? I didn't know that, and have never seen normal floorboards with joints, but I'm certainly no expert on any type of flooring.

Well I'm only after one or two people who think it would be safe for me to go ahead. I have a strong feeling it should be okay, but wanted to check because there might be some dodgy property of MDF I'm unaware of.

DAZB, did you know I was talking about a normal set of floorboards, or think I was talking about a laminate floor? If the former, then I'll go ahead and try it out. Ta.

Breezer, can you think of any reason not to give it a try?


/Oh yeah, just to clarify something. When I said in the first post "I've got a floorboarded room which I'm going to carpet with underlay" I meant I'll be putting some underlay on top of it, and then some carpet. Thinking about it, I'm not sure if I was clear or whether it sounded like I was talking about underlay for a laminate floor.

 

[breezer]

i am concerned as to why no one else ever mentioned it, not here, not on tv, as you said there might be some dodgy property of MDF I'm unaware of.
perhaps i am being over cautious

 

[salem2000]

The main problem with MDF is that it moves more than normal flooring, and over a period of time will flex more & more.

If I was going to recommend any-man made board for flooring it would not be MDF, and it would be thicker than 18mm. Use timber, its stronger and it's not that expensive.

What I would say is cut a piece to the required width, put on two blocks the same distance apart as the floor joists, then stand on it. You can then judge its properties for yourself.

 

[DAZB]

I knew you were talking about a normal floor and not laminate and I would still think it would be okay to use in your case.
The vast majority of floorboards made and laid today are T & G because like anything, over time , products evolve and somebody finds a better and stronger alternative to it's predecessor. That's not to say flooring, be it timber or MDF or even chipboard, needs a tongue and groove (you only have to follow a Plumber or a Sparky round a job to realise that) so that is why I think in this case for such a small area and if fixed properly you won't have a problem.

Somebody please agree with me and let the lad get on with it !!!

 

[David P]

dodgy quality of mdf = contains formaldehyde in large doses, only bad for those who breath its dust though.

regarding floorboards and replacing them with mdf - dont do it.

for one floorboards make up a structural element of the floor in combination with joists - that is why you should use B.S. grade floorboards.

second reason, mdf creeps over fairly short timespan so what may look flat now will become a dip as the fibres realign themselves.

 

[Deadly Ferret]

Ah, didn't know about that. I'll go and buy some timber then, to be on the safe side.

Thanks for the help and input everybody.