IS MDF Safe

With the fumes MDF gives off over time is it safe to use indoors left unsealed? I am using it as a subdeck for granite coutnertops.

The majority of MDF is rated as low formaldihide, if you are really worried then it is possible to buy zero formaldihide boards.(at least it is in the UK)

You would be better off using ply for what you propose or at the very least Moisture Resistant MDF which has a green core or is solid green all the way through.

Jason

Once sealed it will outgass very little. Do you have chipboard or bonded/glued timber products in your house? They all outgas to an extent. The only time to worry is if you have poor ventilation and are known to be sensitised to formaldehyde - in which case you can pay the primium and get hold of Medex 0% board (Medite Corporation/Weyerhauser - an American company) which was originally developed for the Smithsonian I believe

Scrit

Im a little concerned by MDF and storing it untreated but i maybe worrying about nothing. the MDF will have cut edges. Its only that i have a baby in the house and just concerned about this off gassing thing. I plan to get some Medite standard and store in the cellar which is just under the lounge so seperate room. The Zero Formaldehyde medex is pretty expensive so not really an option. i do plan on priming the wood and painting it over time but it will be an ongoing project so might have to store it untreated for a few months until its made into an arcade cabinet. Just after some opinions really.

It would have been better to start a new thread rather than resurrect 6 years old post, as for mdf it presents no real threat, a lot a ill informed scare mongering out there though.

ok sorry was just trying to be good and use an old thread lol. There is a lot of info out there and ive probably read to much .

There is a lot of information out there, but very little in the way of documented cases of health issues, the only ones I am aware of are not due to MDF but ****ty Chinese crap that isn't made to standards.

New curtains or carpets will off gas more formaldehyde than decent quality MDF.

djcla said:

Im a little concerned by MDF and storing it untreated but i maybe worrying about nothing. the MDF will have cut edges. Its only that i have a baby in the house and just concerned about this off gassing thing. I plan to get some Medite standard and store in the cellar which is just under the lounge so seperate room.

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Don't be - there is more formaldehyde in chipboard flooring or even pine timber than MDF. Medite is made to EU cat E1 standard - see the HSE Site for info - or follow up vioa this thread for the links (because I don't want to repeat myself)

foxhole said:

as for mdf it presents no real threat, a lot a ill informed scare mongering out there though.

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Hear! Hear! I do wish that the Daily Mail (or was it Express?) who started this particular hare running years ago would print a counter story, this time with a bit more research.

As has been previously said, any MDF produced in the UK is manufactured to E1 standard for formaldehyde emissions. This basically means it is safe to us in just about all situations, and also to repeat what has been said there is more formaldehyde in carpet than in E1 MDF.

The overwhelming majority of MDF traded in the UK is domestically produced and with the odd exception of Chinese MDF you shouldnt have any problems (Chinese MDF is generally a lot darker, denser and more smelly of fish than domestic board). Formaldehyde though is a VOC contained within trees and is found in all wood products without exception, regardless of the country of origin.

In certain specific circumstances (usually either in manufacture of material for use in museums, or when you get an over zelous architect) then zero added formaldehyde MDF is used - "Medite Ecologique" for reasonable money but only generally available readily in 18mm 8 x 4. Exterior MDF "Medex" is also zero added formaldehyde but is much, much more expensive but generally available in many more permutations commercially.

I got some medite standard in the end the majority of it cut to size prior to collection too