More kitchen advice please MFC or MDF...

Woody39

What is the difference between MFC plinths, end panels, cornices, trims etc... in gloss white and MDF wrapped in gloss white?

By having MFC my kitchen quote is so much cheaper. But is it worth it?

Leif

I fear I will be writing the obvious, but MFC is Melamine Faced Chipboard. Melamine is the thin plastic layer. It can contain paper printed with a photograph to give a wood effect, although the colours can fade. Chipboard is stable i.e. does not warp, but has poor water resistance although there is moisture resistant chipboard. Chipboard is I think the cheapest form of board - apart perhaps from fibreboard - hence its use in kitchens.

MDF is Medium Density Fibreboard, and is heavier than chipboard. It is basically wood pulp mixed with glue then compressed, possibly heated, and allowed to set. It does not have good water resistance but possibly better than chipboard.

I suspect there is not that much difference between the two, but hopefully a kitchen designer will pop up and give you a correct answer since I am guessing.

Steve_the_fitter

ask to have a look at a sample of both. Normally the MFC isnt quite as nice on the finish. Yopu get more of an orange peel effect

keystone

The only item I would contemplate using MFC as the substrate would be the plinths.

Cheers

Woody39

I managed to look at some MFC today and basically it is the same as the shelfs inside a carcass. The kitchen im ordering is a high gloss one and the MFC isn't so glossy. Will this look as nice as an end panel on wall units or oven housing. As in time the edges will lift! I have looked inside my current kitchen carcass and they have lifted and so have the end panels (must be MFC). Maybe I need to dig deep into my pockets and pay for the vinyl wrapped end panels. Or am I just spending money out!

Leif

My guess is that MDF would be harder wearing. I've seen MFC peel, possibly because there is less area of contact between the surface layer and the substrate. MDF is solid, whereas chipboard has a lot of airspaces.

That said, I am sure manufacturing quality is very important. A lot of tables are made from MFC, and I've never seen the melamine peel, and that is because tables use thick melamine on the ends, and probably applied with lots of glue and high pressure. The kitchens I've seen are made to a much lower quality, with very thin melamine on the ends.

Woody39

I was just thinking about all the wiping you give a kitchen. Especially if the end panels are near an oven or hob. Which is the case with me. They get all greasy and surly the constant wiping down would weaken the edges and cause the melamine to come away around the edge. Then fibres from the clothes get caught on them. Where with a vinyl wrapped end panel it is sealed on the edges to a certain degree! Or am I just being a bit "silly"?

ryder72

MFC as already mentioned is Melamine faced chipboard. While melamine is technically a 'plastic' its an advanced compound so rather than peel off, its possible that it could chip on impact. It offer pretty good scratch and stain resistance. Gloss laminates are polished MFC to give it the shiny look. Like all things, there are grades of MFC so the better ones are denser with higher moisture resistance and a higher quality and thickness of melamine coating. A better gloss laminate (door/panel/plinth) with be an HPL (high pressure laminate). There are thicker and harder than MFC's and look nicer too. They show little or no orange peel so by far the better product to buy.

Durability of panels is down to the quality of edging on it among other things. A good quality edging properly applied will last the life of the kitchen and day to day wiping with a damp cloth will have no effect.

MDF is denser and heavier but unless its moisture resistant MDF (very heavy and expensive) IMHO good quality MFC is better than MDF for kitchens.

Woody39

The problem is I wouldn't know a good quality MFC if i saw it! It was suggested to me by an independent kitchen designer as it reduced my kitchen costs by about £1200.00. This is a big saving but the end panels dont look as glossy as the doors and I am worried that the edging may well deteriorate. I could go to a DIY shed and get the same style kitchen with wrapped end panels in gloss to match the doors and stil pay less than the independent kitchen. I have done a comparison on both kitchens carcass is 18mm both have Blum hinges. one is flat pack the other is rigid (glue and dowel) and both have vinyl wrapped doors.

Do I go for the DIY shed which is cheaper and flat pack or independent with the MFC end panels which is rigid. Also I will have to pay another £££ to my builder as he has quoted me to fit rigid units.

I cant decide.

cddc

If it was me, I would always go for the clad on end panels. Every time I looked at the shade difference on the replacement ends and plinths it would annoy me and I would notice it more for knowing it was there.

If you are planning to move on soon then dont worry, but otherwise I suspect that you will be looking at that kitchen for years and kicking yourself every time you do.

Yes it takes a maybe an extra half day to build flatpack units (maybe more for a large kitchen) but rather that than pay more money for something that will look less good and irritate you on a daily basis.

Leif

cddc wrote: »

If it was me, I would always go for the clad on end panels.

What does that mean? Sorry, no idea what 'clad on' means.