Hardboard/HDF

HARDBOARD, FREQUENTLY PRODUCED AS HIGH-DENSITY FIBERBOARD (HDF), IS AN ENGINEERED WOOD PRODUCT USED PRIMARILY IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND FURNITURE-MAKING INDUSTRIES. PEGBOARD IS A TYPE OF PERFORATED HARDBOARD.

Hardboard, also called high-density fiberboard (HDF), is an engineered wood product used primarily in the construction and furniture-making industries.

As its name suggests, it is harder, stronger and more dense than related particleboard and medium density fiberboard (MDF), but does not require any additional adhesive in its production, as the lignin present in the wood fibers bonds the materials together. Some manufacturers today also add resin to their production of HDF, to increase its durability and versatility.

It can be produced in a wet (HDF) or dry process. The dry process results in a smooth texture on both sides, while the wet process—the Mason Method—results in one finished smooth side and one textured side.

The first hardboard products can be traced to England in 1898, when a manufacturer hot pressed waste paper into a usable board. Manufacturers continued to manipulate the process and materials and by the 1920s, a high-density product was created by compressing wet wood pulp at high temperatures.

The most popular applications of HDF can be found in the construction, flooring, furniture and cabinetry industries, but it is also used in automobile production and in the art world as a painter’s canvas or in creating scenery for the theater.

Pegboard is a type of perforated hardboard and is very popular in shops and design for its flexible usage for organization.

Coating hardboard with linseed oil and baking it creates “tempered hardboard,” which offers more water and impact resistance and makes for a stronger end product than regular HDF. Tempered hardboard is often used in construction siding. n

HARDBOARD/HDF MANUFACTURERS

CalPlant 1, LLC

www.eurekamdf.com Willows, CA (530) 361-0003

D&M Lumber Products

www.dmlumber.com Brooklyn, NY (718) 386-6119

Decorative Panels International

www.decpanels.com Toledo, OH (800) 529-4301

Kronospan LLC

www.kronospan-express.com UK (256) 741-8755

Premwood

www.premwoodllc.com Grand Rapids, MI (616) 667-9500

Stimson Lumber Co.

www.stimsonlumber.com Portland, OR (503) 295-0951

Uniboard

www.uniboard.com Montreal, QC (877) 864-8641

West Wood Products

www.west-wood.net Rancho Dominguez, CA (310) 631-8978