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.