<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div>Brian,</div><div><br></div><div>I run a green building cabinet shop. Here's my take.</div><div><br></div><div>We use ply materials in our shop and tend to stay away from particle board and MDF. Particle board tends to swell with moisture. Just does. Ply materials preserve the cell structure of wood and transmits moisture along the cell structure. Particle board just swells. There's no transmission. It's not a good design in that manner.</div><div><br></div><div>MDF doesn't hold fasteners well and is not well suited for box construction using screws and staples.</div><div><br></div><div>Both use more glues than ply materials. Adding chemicals to the home environment doesn't seem like a good thing.</div><div><br></div><div>Final cup of wet water to toss
in your direction--- I'm not convinced NAUF glues are superior to urea formaldehyde glues. Urea Formaldehyde glues are listed as a carcinogenic material based on a 35 year old study of several thousand workers at two plants. 19 workers at only one plant had a rare nasal cancer. No studies have been done on the new glues.</div><div><br></div><div>The old urea formaldehyde glues have otherwise been around since the 30's and use natural organic materials.</div><div><br></div><div>The glues used in MDF are different than ply glues and are all chemically derived. Some of the glues used in ply materials cross link soy with Kymene (a chemical and the material used in paper towels that keep paper towels from falling apart). This ply glue replacement seems less toxic than the MDF glues. </div><div><br></div><div>Ply seems like a better way to go all the way around.</div><div><br></div><div>My take is the NAUF labeling is a bit
misleading as greener/safer--- it's just different and we don't know if different is better, the same, or worse.</div><div><br></div><div>My two cents,</div><div><br></div><div>Jeff Mitzel</div><div>Greenaward Custom Woodworking</div><div><br></div><div style="font-family:verdana, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><br><div style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px"><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Brian Milani <bmilani@web.ca><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> greenbuilding@lists.bioenergylists.org<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Sat, October 23, 2010 12:02:23 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [Greenbuilding] MDF vs Particleboard vs Whatever<br></font><br>
Hello,<br><br>We have some built-in shelving and cabinetry to do in our kitchen--at both ends of the room but not near the sink or water.<br>We're having trouble finding green cabinetmakers with time available soon, so it looks like I will have to be doing it myself.<br>I'm finally having some luck sourcing materials, but am still unsure as to what to use. Everything will be painted white, so the issue seems to be choosing among plywood, particleboard or MDF. There seem to be local suppliers of FSC-certified and NAUF particleboard and MDF, as well as plywood, but I am unsure of the ideal material. I've heard pros and cons on PBD and MDF. When working as a carpenter last century, I never liked particleboard much, but I hear there are many good grades of it now. I used a bit of MDF (Medite II) back then, just as it was coming into the mainstream. The latter seemed awfully heavy, though, and one green cabinetmaker said he
doesn't use it for that reason.<br><br>Any suggestions? If anyone has suggestions about inexpensive but ecological countertop material too, that would be appreciated. Paperstone, Icestone, etc. look good but seem very pricey.<br>Thanks in advance.<br><br> yours,<br> Brian M., Toronto<br><br>-- Brian Milani<br><a target="_blank" href="http://www.GreenEconomics.net">www.GreenEconomics.net</a><br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>Greenbuilding mailing list<br>to Send a Message to the list, use the email address<br><a ymailto="mailto:Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org" href="mailto:Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org">Greenbuilding@bioenergylists.org</a><br><br>to UNSUBSCRIBE or Change your List Settings use the web page<br><span><a target="_blank"
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