Jason TiltonDescription
Our T&G Shiplap Ceiling & Wall Planks are an environmentally friendly and economically savvy alternative to solid wood planks when a smooth painted finish is desired. They’re also an excellent alternative to drywall.
Milled from premium-grade Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) to precise tolerances, each plank is then double coated and sealed on the face and edges using a 10-step priming process to provide a super smooth surface.
Unlike conventional rabbeted shiplap planks that simply overlap one another and must be face nailed when installed, our interlocking Tongue and Groove (T&G) profile provides for a Quick & Easy, Tight Fitting, Low-Waste installation that can be blind nailed to conceal all fasteners.
WHAT IS MDF?
About 65 to 70 percent of a tree can be used for solid lumber, but what about the rest? In the past the answer was simple: It was burned or dumped into landfills. Today more than 95 percent of a harvested tree can be put to good use thanks in great part to the increased use of engineered wood products. Among these, Medium Density Fiberboard, or “MDF” for short, has enjoyed remarkable success over recent years.
MDF is typically made from sawdust, planer shavings and other wood waste that remains after a tree is milled into lumber. The wood waste is then cleaned and mechanically refined in a process that reduces it into fine, uniform fibers. Excess moisture is removed and an adhesive resin is added to hold the fibers together. This mix is then formed into a long, thick, homogeneous mat, which is compressed under intense heat and pressure. The resulting MDF panel is sanded to a fine, even smoothness, and cut to various sizes. Computer-controlled sensors monitor the entire manufacturing process to measure slight variations that even the human eye cannot detect. Finished panels are tested for uniformity, strength and other structural soundness.
Like other engineered wood products, MDF has a distinctively flat, smooth and dense surface that holds paint well, making it ideal for paint-grade planks. It doesn’t move like solid wood, so joints stay tight and paint doesn’t crack, but the glory of MDF is in its uniformity; it can be machined into every conceivable shape to create various architectural details from balusters to moldings. Unlike solid wood, MDF has no knots, grain and will not cup or warp. While solid wood is better suited to structural applications such as floor joists and wall studs, MDF is a more cost effective material choice so it’s well suited for interior moldings, millwork, cabinetry and of course, our Ceiling & Wall Planks.
