I'm not that experienced (although generally fit in DIY things), and I'm about to embark on putting together a simple built-in wardrobe. In our case this means blocking off the end of the room (wall-to-wall) with 2 sliding doors and erecting shelving behind that (ca. 50 - 55 cm deep).
I'm going to use the the sliding door gear as pictured below, and the size of one door ca. 1 m wide x 2.6 m high.
I have several questions and hope that you experts would be able to give an opinion.
Material
Could/should I consider an alternative to MDF? There are a couple of considerations:
- I think I would want to paint the interior MDF shelving to make it presentable. However, I may be able to save time and effort by not painting a nicer looking material
- MDF is said to formaldehyde emissions and the room will be used for a baby. I'd have to paint every sheet from all sides to seal the MDF.
Would I be able to address the above by using plywood? Is this equally suited? My wife's wondering whether solid wood could be used... Any other thoughts on material?
I'm thinking of having all the parts pre-cut and delivered to my flat, e.g. with www.wrightscarpentry.com or www.mdfcuttosize.com
Light/ultra light MDF
Is this just as stable as normal MDF?
Board thickness
I am thinking of using 18mm thick MDF for the door panels. Would I be able to go thinner in order to make them lighter? But obviously they are quite high, and I don't want them to warp and need enough substance to screw on the rollers etc.
I imagine that 18mm would also be a good thickness for the interior walls and shelfs. I don't want shelfs to bow easily. Am I right using 18mm?
Would be great to get some opinions on the above. Many thanks.
I'm going to use the the sliding door gear as pictured below, and the size of one door ca. 1 m wide x 2.6 m high.
I have several questions and hope that you experts would be able to give an opinion.
Material
Could/should I consider an alternative to MDF? There are a couple of considerations:
- I think I would want to paint the interior MDF shelving to make it presentable. However, I may be able to save time and effort by not painting a nicer looking material
- MDF is said to formaldehyde emissions and the room will be used for a baby. I'd have to paint every sheet from all sides to seal the MDF.
Would I be able to address the above by using plywood? Is this equally suited? My wife's wondering whether solid wood could be used... Any other thoughts on material?
I'm thinking of having all the parts pre-cut and delivered to my flat, e.g. with www.wrightscarpentry.com or www.mdfcuttosize.com
Light/ultra light MDF
Is this just as stable as normal MDF?
Board thickness
I am thinking of using 18mm thick MDF for the door panels. Would I be able to go thinner in order to make them lighter? But obviously they are quite high, and I don't want them to warp and need enough substance to screw on the rollers etc.
I imagine that 18mm would also be a good thickness for the interior walls and shelfs. I don't want shelfs to bow easily. Am I right using 18mm?
Would be great to get some opinions on the above. Many thanks.