Polyurethane Coated MDF

[Mike Shields]

What is polyurethane coated MDF?

I'm looking on the internet for garage cabinet ideas, and polyurethane coated MDF is showing up quite a bit. Surely it isn't just poly from our finishing lockers applied to MDF. Most of the cabinets I saw look pretty darn good. I never would have thought MDF would have such appeal!

Does anyone have knowledge of this product combination, and able to provide some feedback on their experience?

I'm wondering from the manufacturers perspective, is this a combination that allows great profit, hence the reason it seems to be so popular.

Thanks,

Mike

[Jerome Hanby]

Not familiar with that product, but it's pretty easy to make MDF stuff look good when it's fresh from the shop. My experience is that it doesn't hold up as well to real world wear and tear (based on building my daughter's "doll-house" bed form the stuff.

[Prashun Patel]

I'd never do a cabinet with MDF. It's heavy, swells with moisture, sags under load, and doesn't hold screws well. Putting heavy things on would scare me. For lightweight stuff, perhaps, but who wants light duty garage shelves?

I imagine MDF is used for cost.

If the product yr saying is wood veneers over an MDF core, then it's marginally better, but still, for structural members of a cabinet, I'd use plywood.

Full disclosure: I DID make a couple of my home's closet systems with MDF, but the spans are short, dry, and the loads are light. Even with that, my shelves are cleated.

[Jerome Stanek]

I used to install Drugs store fixtures and they used MDF cabinets in the Pharmacy. They held up really well and looked great. Just white paint on them.

[Chris Tsutsui]

My guess would be that offshore factories cut the MDF with production CNCs, then the factory coats the doors with polyurethane paint.

With a good quality coating, even MDF can withstand marine applications... heh

[Bill White]

Gotta remember that there are several types of MDF. Nomenclature can be misleading. I've used exterior grade MDF with great results. So what if it has a coating?????
What are ya tryin' to build? That's the BURNING question.
Bill

[Myk Rian]

What are ya tryin' to build? That's the BURNING question.
Bill

He said cabinets for the garage.

How about using MDO, which is outdoor ply? I use it for all kinds of things. Comes single and double faced.
As far as Poly coated MDF, I just thin poly with mineral spirits, and let it soak into the MDF real good. That's how I did my router table.
No sense paying them to do it for you.