Expert: Jamie Yocono - 11/22/2008

Question
I want to buy a vanity for my daughter and found one that said it was made of "solid wood."  I then found the same vanity on another site and it said it was made from MDF.  I've been researching the differences between MDF and wood and am wondering if a vanity made of MDF will be of high quality and, just as an aside (before I decide where to buy it), is calling MDF "solid wood" deceiving?

Answer
Leslie,

Manufacturers that label MDF as solid wood make me want to scream.

MDF is (as you probably learned from your research) medium density fiberboard. That means is a glorified version of particle board. Now MDF is slightly different - they use different glues and a different compression system to make it, so it's better than the particleboard that most people know. It's harder, a little less prone to absorbing moisture, but it basically has no real strength or grain to it. So it doesn't hold fasteners (screws, nails, etc) that well, nor will it be strong enough absorb a blow. Smack a corner of a piece of MDF with a hammer, and it will break off. Solid wood won't.

That said, there are many custom furniture makers like me who use MFD all the time. If you know what you're doing and you use MDF for it's good points, like stability as a veneered surface, it's a fine material. Many pieces of nice veneered furniture have a core of MDF, and it's perfectly acceptable. It all depends on if it's used wisely.

I would look at the two pieces in question, comparing the design, the hardware, the finish, the joinery, and try to decide which is one is designed better. A nicely made piece of MDF furniture might be a better purchase than a poorly made one of solid wood.  It's hard for me to say which is better without actually seeing them in person.

But - to answer your question - yes, calling MDF is deceiving, and makes me wonder what else they're keeping from you. As a rule, a piece of furniture made of solid wood is going to be superior to an MDF piece, so I would lean toward that one.

I hope this helps, write back if you need more information or just someone to complain to.... I really get ticked off with deception in furnture, and your dilemma is a perfect example of that.

Good luck,

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com