Introduction to the top ten home improvement panels

    1. Concept: MDF is divided into medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and hardboard (HDF). MDF has a density between 450 and 800 kg/m³, while hardboard has a density above 800 kg/m³. MDF is primarily made from plant wood fiber through processes such as hot grinding, paving, and hot pressing.

    2. Characteristics: MDF has a smooth surface, fine material, stable performance, strong edges, and good decorative surface. However, MDF has poor moisture resistance and, compared to particleboard, has a weaker nail holding force. If a screw becomes loose after tightening, it is difficult to fix it again due to the MDF's low strength.

   3. Application: Mainly used for laminate flooring, door panels, partition walls, furniture, etc. MDF is mainly used for surface treatment of mixed oil process in home decoration.

4. Selection: Density board (MDF) is primarily tested for formaldehyde emission and structural strength. It is classified into E1 and E2 grades based on formaldehyde emission. Formaldehyde emissions exceeding 30mg/100g are disqualified. Generally speaking, most MDF produced by large-scale manufacturers pass the test. The majority of MDF on the market is E2 grade, with E1 grade being rare.

2. Blockboard
 

    1. Definition: Blockboard (commonly known as core board or wood panel) is plywood with a solid wood core. Its vertical bending strength (determined by the direction of the core) is relatively poor, but its transverse bending strength is relatively high. Currently, the majority of blockboard on the market is solid, glued, double-sided sanded, five-ply, with a standard size of 1220 mm x 2440 mm.

    2. Characteristics: Blockboard has good screw holding force, high strength, and is solid, sound-absorbing, and heat-insulating. It also has a low moisture content, between 10% and 13%, is easy to process, and has the widest range of uses.

Blockboard is more stable than solid wood board, but it is afraid of moisture, so care should be taken to avoid using it in kitchens and bathrooms during construction.

Blockboard can be manufactured using either machine-assembled or hand-assembled methods. Hand-assembled boards are made by manually inserting wooden strips into the plywood. This results in poor compression and cannot be cut and processed, making them suitable only for sub-projects in renovations, such as underlayment for solid wood floors. Machine-assembled boards, on the other hand, experience greater compression, resulting in minimal gaps, smooth joints, uniform load-bearing capacity, and resistance to deformation over time. High-quality blockboard costs between 70 and 140 yuan per sheet, while lower-quality boards cost between 40 and 60 yuan. Blockboard cores are made from a variety of materials, including poplar, birch, pine, and paulownia. Poplar and birch are considered the best, with a dense texture, a medium-softness, strong nail-holding properties, and resistance to deformation. However, paulownia is softer and absorbs water, making it difficult to dry. As moisture evaporates over time, the boards can crack and deform. Hardwood, on the other hand, is hard and difficult to press, resulting in poor joint structure, good nail-holding properties, and a high deformation coefficient.

    3. Application: furniture, doors and windows and covers, partitions, false walls, radiator covers, curtain boxes, etc.

    4. Selection: The surface of the blockboard should be flat, free of warping, deformation, blistering, or dents. The core strips should be evenly spaced, with small gaps, and free of decay, cracks, insect holes, or knots. Some blockboards cut corners, with large gaps between the solid wood strips. If nails are driven through these gaps, there will be little to no holding power. When selecting, hold the blockboard up to the sun; the gaps between the solid wood strips will show through white. If the glue strength of the blockboard is poor, there will be a "squeaking" sound of the glue coming apart. If the core board emits a pleasant wood odor, it indicates low formaldehyde emissions; if the odor is pungent, it indicates high formaldehyde emissions.

The quality of blockboard varies greatly, so careful inspection is crucial when purchasing. First, check the core material for density and the presence of visible seams and rotten or deteriorated wood strips. Rotten wood strips may harbor insect eggs, making them susceptible to future infestation. Also, check for any fillers or putty applied to the surrounding area, typically to address internal cracks or voids. Finally, tap the board surface with a pointed object to hear if the sound differs significantly. A change in sound suggests internal voids. These changes can weaken the board's overall load-bearing capacity. Long-term uneven stress can cause the board's structure to distort and deform, affecting its appearance and performance.
 

3. Plywood
 

    1. Concept: Plywood is made of three or more layers of solid wood veneers or thin sheets about one millimeter thick, glued together and hot-pressed. Common ones include three-ply plywood, five-ply plywood, nine-ply plywood and twelve-ply plywood (commonly known as three-ply board, five-centimeter board, nine-centimeter board, and twelve-centimeter board).

    2. Characteristics: Good structural strength and stability. Plywood contains a large amount of glue, so edge sealing should be done during construction to reduce pollution during the day.

    3. Application: Plywood is mainly used for the base of decorative panels, the back of panel furniture and other wood products.

    4. Selection: When choosing plywood, consider its formaldehyde emissions and bond strength. If the bond strength of the plywood is poor, it will easily fall apart. When choosing, pay attention to whether the nominal thickness of the plywood matches the actual thickness.

When choosing plywood, pay attention to the following points:

① Plywood has a front and back. When selecting, the plywood should have clear wood grain, a smooth and shiny front, no roughness, and a smooth feel.

② The plywood should not have defects such as damage, bruises, hard spots, knots, etc.

③ There is no degumming phenomenon on the entire board.

④ Some plywood is made by sticking two veneers with different textures together, so when choosing, you should pay attention to the tight joints between the plywood and there should be no unevenness.

⑤ When selecting plywood, be sure to choose one that does not loose glue. If the plywood makes a crisp sound when you tap on it, it indicates good quality. If it makes a dull sound, it indicates that the glue has loosened.
 

4. Decorative panels
 

   1. Concept: Decorative veneer plywood (decorative panel, veneer) is a decorative board with single-sided decorative effect made by precisely planing solid wood into thin veneers with a thickness of more than 0.2 mm, using plywood as the base material and through a gluing process.

   2. Characteristics: Decorative panels are generally used for clear oil decoration. The surface is thin, and the board is made of precious wood species, with natural and beautiful texture. The base material is generally plywood, which has stable and reliable performance.

   3. Use: Decorative panels are commonly used decorative materials in home decoration nowadays.

   4. Selection: Some unscrupulous merchants make a fuss on the surface panels. The surface panels are too thin, only about 0.1 in thickness. To prevent the color of the base plate from showing through, they first paint the base plate with a layer of paint of the same color as the surface panel, and then attach the surface panel. Due to the poor adhesion between the paint and the glue, the bonding strength of the surface panel is poor and it is easy to bulge. Consumers can use a blade to scrape the surface. If the color paint is scraped off, most of the surface panels do not meet the thickness standards.

High-quality decorative panels will make your room sparkle. Poor-quality decorative panels will develop bulges and cracks after a period of use. When purchasing decorative panels, you should pay attention to the following points:

①Understand the difference between artificial veneer and natural wood veneer. The former has a generally straight grain with a regular pattern, while the latter has a natural wood pattern with a large and irregular grain.

② Good decorative properties. The decorative panel should have a good appearance, with fine and uniform material, clear color, and beautiful wood grain. The grain of the matching board and the parquet should be arranged in a certain pattern, with similar natural colors, and the joints should be nearly parallel to the board edges.

③ The surface should be free of obvious defects. The surface of the decorative board should be smooth, free of burrs, grooves, and planer marks. There should be no glue seepage or surface contamination (such as localized yellowing or blackening). Try to choose boards with no cracks, fissures, knots, bark, resin sacs, or gum lines. The natural warping of the entire board should be minimized to avoid sanding through caused by improper sanding.

④ No debonding. Care should be taken to ensure that there are no bulging or delamination between the surface veneer and the substrate, or between the layers within the substrate.

⑤ The knife prying method is the most intuitive way to test the bonding strength. Use a sharp flat blade to pry along the glue layer. If the glue layer is damaged but the wood is not damaged, it means that the bonding strength is poor.

⑥ Choose boards with low formaldehyde emissions. Avoid decorative boards with pungent odors.

⑦ Choose good products with clear manufacturers. Most products with clear factory names, addresses, and trademarks have good performance.
 

5. Glued wood
 

    1. Concept: Glulam is an emerging solid wood material that uses large-diameter logs and is processed into planks that are interlaced like fingers.

    2. Characteristics: Due to the different craftsmanship, this type of board has superior environmental performance. The price is about 200 yuan per sheet, which is slightly more expensive than high-end blockboard. Glulam can be directly colored and painted, saving a step compared to blockboard.

    3. Application: Glued wood is not easy to deform and is mainly used for wooden doors, high-end furniture, etc.
 

6. Particleboard
 

     1. Concept: Particleboard is made by crushing natural wood into particles and then gluing and pressing them together. It is called particleboard because its cross-section is similar to a honeycomb.

     2. Characteristics: Particleboard is heat-insulating and sound-absorbing. Due to its easy manufacturing method, the quality varies greatly and is difficult to distinguish. It has poor bending and tensile strength, and is loose in density and easy to loosen.

     3. Applications: Primarily used for insulation, sound absorption, ceiling construction, and furniture production. Currently, many furniture manufacturers use particleboard, which is also the primary material for cabinets. Particleboard is often laminated on both sides with a melamine finish. After edge banding, it resembles medium-density fiberboard (MDF). It is assembled using specialized connectors and is removable.
 

7. Fireproof board
 

     1. Concept: Fireproof board is a decorative board made of siliceous material or calcareous material as the main raw material, mixed with a certain proportion of fiber material, lightweight aggregate, adhesive and chemical additives, and made by autoclaving technology. The thickness is generally 0.6-1.2mm.

     2. Characteristics: Fireproof board is economical, high in strength, fire-resistant and moisture-proof.

     3. Application: Fireproof board is mainly used in cabinets, display cabinets, etc. The construction of fireproof board has high requirements for glue. It is necessary to master the thickness of glue and the drying time of glue, and to paste it in one go.

8. Aluminum gusset plate
 

    1. Concept: Aluminum gusset plate is an aluminum product. It is called aluminum gusset plate because it is installed by buckling it on the keel. Aluminum gusset plate is generally 0.4mm-0.8mm thick and has strip, square, diamond and other shapes.

    2. Application: There are generally two places to consider installing aluminum buckle ceilings when decorating your home: the bathroom and the kitchen. For bathrooms, choose a hollow pattern ceiling. For kitchens, choose a flat pattern ceiling.

    3. Selection: When purchasing aluminum gussets, be careful of counterfeits made of stainless steel. You can use a magnet to verify.

9. Aluminum-plastic panels
 

     1. Concept: Aluminum-plastic panels are composed of thin aluminum layers and plastic layers. They are divided into single-sided aluminum-plastic panels and double-sided aluminum-plastic panels. The thickness is generally around 3-5mm.

     2. Application: Aluminum-plastic panels have good decorative properties and are used for image walls, display cabinets, kitchen and bathroom ceilings, etc.

     3. Selection: When purchasing aluminum-plastic panels, use a vernier caliper to measure whether the thickness meets the requirements, and then prepare a magnet to check whether it is iron or aluminum.

10. Gypsum board
 

     1. Concept: Made primarily from gypsum plaster, it's mixed with additives and fibers. Gypsum board combined with a lightweight steel keel (made from pressed galvanized thin steel) creates lightweight steel keel gypsum board. Lightweight steel keel gypsum board ceilings come in a variety of styles, including paper-faced gypsum board, decorative gypsum board, fiber gypsum board, and hollow gypsum strips, in a variety of sizes.

     2. Characteristics: Lightweight, heat-insulating, sound-absorbing, non-flammable and sawable.

     3. Use: In home decoration, the lamp pool in the living room and the partial shape of the restaurant are mostly made of gypsum board. Gypsum board is light, low-priced and easy to construct, but has poor moisture resistance.