I'M planning to put up quite a lot of shelving (25 metres) throughoutour house and am trying to decide whether to use wood or MDF.The areas I'm shelving are between chimney breasts and the adjacentwalls. 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 (27mmthick) and costs =A37 per metre.I can get a 4 foot * 8 foot sheet of MDF(15mm thick) cut into fourstrips 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 a20mm baton screwed to the wall to support the shelves instead ofbrackets 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 MDFsmooth by sanding and painting and I will be left with a rough edgefacing out.If I decide to spend the moneyand use the wood I'm worried that thefact that the depth 27mm which is 5mm short of the depth of the alcovewill look odd (or is this my imagination)?Any thoughts or suggestions greatly appreciated.

I'M planning to put up quite a lot of shelving (25 metres) throughoutour house and am trying to decide whether to use wood or MDF.The areas I'm shelving are between chimney breasts and the adjacentwalls. 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 (27mmthick) and costs £7 per metre.I can get a 4 foot * 8 foot sheet of MDF(15mm thick) cut into fourstrips 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 a20mm baton screwed to the wall to support the shelves instead ofbrackets 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 MDFsmooth by sanding and painting and I will be left with a rough edgefacing out.If I decide to spend the moneyand use the wood I'm worried that thefact that the depth 27mm which is 5mm short of the...

Shelving - Wood or MDF?

Apr 25, 2006 21 Replies

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Stuart Noble 20 years ago

Is that for your tubs of lime putty?

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meow2222 20 years ago

No, we talked of putting a human in there, but in the end thought better of it

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