Shutters made from Medium Density Fibreboard or MDF, which is also called LDF or Craftwood, look similar to hardwood shutters but they don't feel the same or work as well. They are heavier, look as if they are made from plastic and have a number of suggested restrictions on their use.
The core details
MDF is made from wood fibres and resin that is mixed together to form large blocks of material which is then cut and machined into the sizes and shapes needed. It cannot be painted and so it is finished with a plastic coating which restricts the colours it is available in. This makes touching up almost impossible in the event of a problem.
It’s a heavyweight
MDF is heavy, really heavy, it tips the scales at around 850kg per m3. Compare that to the 450kg for Basswood or 380kg for Basswood with PV louvres, and it is obvious why natural wood is superior for shutters. This is particularly true if you plan to open your shutter panels regularly as the strain on the hinges is far lower with hardwood, resulting in a more stable installation that will not pull on the hinges.
Industry wide recommendations
There is also a highly restricted colour choice available in MDF as they are polymer coated and not painted like both our hardwood or Polyvinyl (PV) shutters. While there are industry wide recommendations that MDF is never used for doors or for Tier on Tier applications and that only a maximum of two panels are hinged together, some suppliers ignore the advice of The British Blinds and Shutters Association and as a result, the consumer gets an inferior shutter installation.
Our FSC certified Basswood and Polyvinyl shutters come in dozens of standard colours and wood stains and can be painted in any colour you like, that's any colour at all.
A better product for less
To recap, hardwood is a far better base product to make shutters from in terms of the environment, build quality, material weight, colour options, performance levels and longevity. When you consider that you get all of this from Buzzard Shutters, at a price very similar to MDF shutters from other suppliers, you can see that we offer the best shutters, at affordable prices.