Expert: Jamie Yocono - 9/9/2008

Question
I am getting some quotes on constructing a 9' wall (white) of bookshelves for my Florida home.  There is a 3' window in the middle so the middle section will only be about 3.5' high.  It was suggested with I use melamine instead of wood to save costs. My best quotes are $3600 for wood (Painting additional) and $2500 for melamine. My concerns:
Will melamine support a 3' span of heavy books?
If I top the bookshelves with crown molding then go around the rest of the room with the crown molding will it look good next to the melamine?
Is MDF a good alternative? Will it have a more wood-like appearance than melamine?  Is it about the same price as melamine?  Does it come primed?
Of the three products which is least likely to bow under the strain of heavy books over a 3' span using 1" thick material, esp. given a humidity level of as must as 65% (we control humidity to not exceed that level when we are gone).


Answer
Hi Kathy,

I've designed and built many a built-in bookshelf, so I am quite familiar with the questions you've asked. I'll try to help, and possibly add an opinion at the end.

As to your questions - melamine itself won't support a 3' span of books. But since you have to cover up the edges of that melamine, I'm assuming that your builder is going to use solid wood as an edging. Usually, one uses 1 x 2 turned up on it's edge, so you see the 2" (1.5" actually) showing toward you. This solid wood edging adds quite a bit of strength to the melamine panel, and should beef it up enough, especially if the 1 x 2 is added both on the front and back of the shelf. Now - remember that if you add this solid wood edging, you're losing a bit of capacity in the bookshelf. It's a necessary tradeoff.

Wrapping the whole room with crown molding (on top of the bookshelves and then the other walls) will really tie everything together. It's a cohesive design feature, and should look fine. I've done it a couple of times with good results. Wood crown molding looks fine next to melamine, but I'm sure there are some purists out there who don't feel that way.

Your next question about MDF vs. melamine sort of puzzles me. I'm not sure I understand. MDF is medium density fiberboard, which is just another word for particleboard on steroids. It's not like the particle board of yesteryear, that soaked up moisture and turned into a giant sponge. Today, MDF is made with better base components, it's harder and doesn't wick moisture nearly as bad as it used to. Melamine is a plastic covering on MDF, almost like a plastic laminate, only not as thick. Melamine MDF panels can be ordered in a variety of colors, anything from black, white, grays, greens, blues.... you name it. I once bought 30 sheets of hunter green melamine MDF for a dollar a sheet at my wholesaler, someone had ordered it and didn't like the color once they saw it. I built hunter green cabinets for my woodshop, it was quite nice looking!

There are also MDF moldings available  -  like crown molding, baseboards, casing, etc.  Both melamine and MDF will not resemble wood in any way.  They are synthetic - melamine will resemble plastic, and MDF will look like particle board, unless it's painted or coated with something. MDF can come primed, I think that's how you purchase it in Home Depot or Lowes.  It's quite popular as a "wood trim" material.

There is a website I often use : http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm  that will calculate the amount of sag on any given material. You simply plug in your information, and it tells you how much a shelf will sag. I love that name, by the way - the sagulator. Someone has a sense of humor.

Your last question - about the three products, and which is least likely to bow under the strain of heavy books - first, you mentioned using 1" thick material. I don't think your builder is going to use 1" thick stock. I think it's more likely he/she is going to be using 3/4" stock.

And of the three materials - you want to know which is strongest? I would say wood will work best.

Here are your choices:

Wood (is it solid wood or plywood?)

MDF (remember this is just particle board, so it needs to be painted)  

Melamine (this is just plastic sheeting, so it's going to be on top of something - probably MDF.)

Finally, I hope I haven't lost you so far!  I think it depends on the look you want. If you want that light, airy look that is common in many Florida homes, then I would use a light colored melamine material. It's clean, easy to maintain (no painting necessary) and looks lovely. The edges will have to be addressed, and if you have a wood that's common in your home, you might use that wood to cover the edges of the bookcases, as well as the shelves.  Solid wood will add strength to the bookshelves, reducing the sag.

Plywood would be my second choice - your builder could find a nice cabinet grade plywood that matches the wood in your home, and it would look fine. Plywood is strong, but it will need to be varnished/oiled in the beginning to seal it.

Plain MDF would be my last choice. It's just particleboard. No matter how much you paint it or put lipstick on that pig, it is what it is.  It's not particularly strong, nor attractive.

Here's my opinion of your price, if it matters. If I understand your unit correctly, you're talking about 2 outside units that are 3' wide and 9' tall. And then in the center, where the window is, you're talking about a 3' wide by 3.5' high unit below, and (I'm assuming) a similar unit above. So basically, you're talking about two tall units, and two short units. Let's just say that, for the sake of simplicity, all of these units will take roughly 6(4X8) sheets of panel stock - be it plywood, MDF or melamine covered MDF.  All of these panels will have to be edged, that is - covered in solid wood to conceal what they are made of.

So the difference in price is $1100.  

But - the labor is going to basically be the same (except for painting the MDF) whether these units are built of plywood or MDF or melamine. So that means the $1100 difference reflects the costs of the materials, rather than the labor.  Well, the difference in cost between 6 sheets of plywood vs. 6 sheets of melamine isn't $1100. I just bought some nice walnut plywood last week, it was about $65 a sheet. And melamine is about $35 a sheet. So the difference isn't nearly enough to justify that difference.  Now I know there are a few factors that play into this, I'm simplifying it for you.

My best suggestion - use melamine covered MDF, with 1 x 2 solid wood edging on the casework and shelves.

OK, I hope this helps and I haven't added to your confusion. Write back if you have more questions. Good luck,

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com
My woodworking blog: www.wooditis.blogspot.com