Shelving - Wood or MDF?

I'M planning to put up quite a lot of shelving (25 metres) throughout our house and am trying to decide whether to use wood or MDF. The areas I'm shelving are between chimney breasts and the adjacent walls. The depth is about 32 cm and the width is either 50 cm or 100cm.

The only suitable wood at my local timber yard is only 27cm deep (27mm thick) and costs =A37 per metre. I can get a 4 foot * 8 foot sheet of MDF(15mm thick) cut into four strips for =A311 so that is much cheaper, approx =A31 per metre.

I want the shelves to look neat and clean and not sag. I want to use a

20mm baton screwed to the wall to support the shelves instead of brackets as I think it gives a neater finish.

I'm worried that if I use MDF the 1metre shelves will sag.

I'm also worried that I won't be able to get the sawn edge of the MDF smooth by sanding and painting and I will be left with a rough edge facing out.

If I decide to spend the moneyand use the wood I'm worried that the fact that the depth 27mm which is 5mm short of the depth of the alcove will look odd (or is this my imagination)?

Any thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated.

Reply to
jgkgolf
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MDF no good for shelves unless very light load or temporary.

cheers

Jacob

Reply to
owdman

The only suitable wood at my local timber yard is only 27cm deep (27mm thick) and costs £7 per metre. I can get a 4 foot * 8 foot sheet of MDF(15mm thick) cut into four strips for £11 so that is much cheaper, approx £1 per metre.

I want the shelves to look neat and clean and not sag. I want to use a

20mm baton screwed to the wall to support the shelves instead of brackets as I think it gives a neater finish.

I'm worried that if I use MDF the 1metre shelves will sag.

I'm also worried that I won't be able to get the sawn edge of the MDF smooth by sanding and painting and I will be left with a rough edge facing out.

If I decide to spend the moneyand use the wood I'm worried that the fact that the depth 27mm which is 5mm short of the depth of the alcove will look odd (or is this my imagination)?

Any thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated.

looking at the mdf loft floor in my garage it does seem to sag much more then the chipboard floor

Reply to
Mr Fixit

Screw a strip of wood along what will become the back of the shelf at right angles to the shelf. This will stiffen it (reduce sagging) and incidentally bring the shelf forward as required. You can make the strip flush with the bottom of the shelf (and stop books from touching the wall) or flush with the top of the shelf (and hide the wall in the space above the books on the shelf below).

Reply to
John Cartmell

Use ply, and stick a "nose" of timber strip to the cut front edge.

Reply to
Chris Bacon
270mm is a very wide board, I would look for a widely used stock item that could serve - such as tongue & groove (t&g) floorboard - say 25mm thick by 150mm wide. Then you can phone around on price.

You don't say if you working entirely with a handheld circular saw (I assume you are).

You will need to trim the width on half the boards to get rid of the tongue, make these your front edge boards - you'll be getting them exactly to your required width at the same time - much quicker if you know someone with a tablesaw to do this. Otherwise clamp a guide along the edge.

Cut them to a little over the required length, glue the two together with the remaining tongue and groove, then trim exactly to length - remember your wall recesses will all be different and far from square.

Fit wall battens around three sides for max support. Leaving the shelves lift-outable makes future decorating easier.

But why make the shelves exactly to depth? A more common look is to have them recessed by about 50mm - hiding any irregularities in depth of the wall recesses.

If you go with MDF, screw and glue real timber (could be same size as battens) to the front underside edge of each shelf to add extra rigidity (set them a few mm back from the front edge to neaten the appearance - and/or glue/screw a real timber trim to the front edge of the mdf). This will also hide the butt ends of the side battens.

Reply to
dom

Suggestion above of thick ply and nosing is very good. Look at "red ply" or "birch ply"

Reply to
dom

|I'M planning to put up quite a lot of shelving (25 metres) throughout |our house and am trying to decide whether to use wood or MDF. |The areas I'm shelving are between chimney breasts and the adjacent |walls. The depth is about 32 cm and the width is either 50 cm or 100cm. | |The only suitable wood at my local timber yard is only 27cm deep (27mm |thick) and costs ?7 per metre. |I can get a 4 foot * 8 foot sheet of MDF(15mm thick) cut into four |strips for ?11 so that is much cheaper, approx ?1 per metre. | |I want the shelves to look neat and clean and not sag. I want to use a |20mm baton screwed to the wall to support the shelves instead of |brackets as I think it gives a neater finish. | |I'm worried that if I use MDF the 1metre shelves will sag. | |I'm also worried that I won't be able to get the sawn edge of the MDF |smooth by sanding and painting and I will be left with a rough edge |facing out. | |If I decide to spend the moneyand use the wood I'm worried that the |fact that the depth 27mm which is 5mm short of the depth of the alcove |will look odd (or is this my imagination)? | |Any thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated.

My shelving, for June's *heavy* books has lasted for *years* without sagging. Also in the Office where a row of A4 binders and more books reside. They are 15mm contiboard supported with standard shelf brackets[1] at not more than 500mm centres, with 150 to 200mm overhang at each end. The key is lots of support

[1]The sheds sell many variations on the theme a long vertical metal bit with holes/slots every inch or so in which you hook horizontal things roughly the width of the shelves. You can change the height of each shelf with ease.
Reply to
Dave Fawthrop

The message from "Mr Fixit" contains these words:

My shelves are 2' long and supported only at the ends by shelving wires (Woodfit sell 'em). They've not sagged yet after nearly five years of having heavy loads on 'em.

As for the edges - mine have been rounded over on the top edge and chamfered on the bottom edge. Well sanded and painted there's no indication that they're MDF except where one has been scraped.

Reply to
Guy King

The message from snipped-for-privacy@googlemail.com contains these words:

No trouble here - 2' wide, a foot deep. Paperbacks stacked two-deep on most of 'em, bigger books on others. No sagging.

Reply to
Guy King

The message from Dave Fawthrop contains these words:

But what are they made of?

Reply to
Guy King

|The message |from Dave Fawthrop contains these words: | |> My shelving, for June's *heavy* books has lasted for *years* without |> sagging. | |But what are they made of?

Like I said and you *snipped*. Contiboard, which is 15mm chipboard veneered with wood or plastic, more or less what OP is suggesting. You also snipped the support method which is *very* important.

Reply to
Dave Fawthrop

The message from Dave Fawthrop contains these words:

Ooops, so you did. I really looked, too. I must shoot the kids - they're too distracting.

Reply to
Guy King

I dislike mdf but it would work, as long as enough support is there. The big problem with mdf is if you put cups/mugs/glasses on it, the drops of water soon turn it into a mess. But as long as you dont do that with bookshelves, it'll work. I'd still choose wood if poss though, much nicer, and you know it'll last.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

Batten

They will sag. You will need a bit at right angles.

It sands well, but the dust makes you pretty ill. You need to double prime and sand the edge grain.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

I used contiboard for my 12" LP'S and they sagged like a bitch. A lot depends on loads. books are not as heavy as records by a long chalk.

Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

Contiboard isn't mdf. Its much poorer quality.

I would grove the edge of the MDF and spline a piece of real wood in the long edge(s). If it sags add a stretched piece of wire and a central bridge piece (like an upside down bridge) to keep it straight. It should look quite modern.

Reply to
dennis

Take a look at

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. This has an applet which calculates sag for differanr materials and sizes.

There is a health hazard with the formaldehyde glues used in MDF. But it is only a problem when you are cutting it. Work in a well ventilated area or outdoors and wear a mask

dave

Reply to
dcbwhaley

By far the best choice is blockboard (solid core plywood). Shop around for price as it certainly varies - a specialist plywood dealer can be up to 50% cheaper than "retail" (for my local prices). Blockboard is lighter and stiffer than typical veneer core ply.

MDF is no use for shelves that carry any real weight, especially books. It will sag slightly when first loaded, but it will also creep maybe twice as much more over long-term loads. If you do use MDF for light shelves, it really must be mounted against a solid backboard for continual support.

Google up the "Sagulator" for some design guidance with real numbers.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

I'd always recommend calculating for woodwork sizes, it ensures consistently good results and eliminates waste. Experience is good but by no means perfect.

I used to recommend sagulator but was told it produced the wrong answers. How far wrong I dont know though. I calcualted a load of stuff here using sagulator and its all been ok.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

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