It is more common to hear about such material as MDF in the furniture industry. Now you can often find this material in construction, and as a decoration. If the issue of finishing remains unresolved, MDF wall panels should be taken into consideration.

Peculiarities

MDF (fine fraction) is made from the smallest wood particles, which are formed into a board by pressing. The strength of such a connection is provided by lignin, which is released from the wood fibers as a result of high-temperature heating.

These wall panels have valuable features that make them so popular.

  • Safety. Since the particles that make up the panel are derived from wood, and no toxic substances are used to bond them. chemical substances, such material does not pose a threat to human health.
  • Practicality. If all the rules of operation are observed, the panels serve for a very long time. They perform a protective function, and also improve sound insulation.
  • Aesthetics. Different variants decor can be chosen in accordance with the design of the room.
  • Ease of installation and maintenance. Installation does not require a radical change in the walls and is quite fast.
  • Environmental friendliness. Do not require special procedures for disposal, biodegradable.

  • Profitability. More affordable than solid wood products. Do not require costs throughout the entire service life.
  • Masking construction defects of walls, wires and pipes.
  • Variability. Wide the lineup will find suitable option depending on preferences, purpose and budget.

However, if a frame is used as a base, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room decreases. Water, and sometimes even high humidity, can delaminate the internal structure of the plate. A blow to such a surface can cause serious damage up to the appearance of a dent or destruction. Of course, such a mechanical effect on the walls is a rarity, but in order to hang a shelf or cabinet on it, you will need to purchase special fasteners.

Therefore, it is so important to weigh all the pros and cons well before choosing, to foresee the problem situations that you will have to face.

Panel types

The main difference between the panels can be the features of their manufacture. They can be divided into several types.

Ordinary (they are also called all-pressed) - are sheets of wood fiber made by dry hot pressing. The surface of the sheets is untreated, but very smooth due to the fact that the fibers are very small and tightly pressed against each other. But they are completely heterogeneous in color, inclusions of fibers of different colors are visible, since all kinds of residues after wood processing are used for their manufacture. Yes, and the shade of plates from different batches may vary slightly. This type of panels can be processed or used as is for finishing non-residential premises.

Special - differ from the usual ones in that a higher grade of wood is used for their production, and they are pressed longer and at a higher temperature.

These include several types of panels.

  • Moisture resistant - comparable in properties to plastic, since it is in no way affected by a humid environment.
  • Heat-resistant (that is, resistant to fire). Unlike other fire-resistant materials, instead of phenols and resins, they contain paraffin and lignin, which are not toxic. These include products marked KM1 and KM2.
  • Flexible - have greater plasticity for creating curved and arched structures. They can be single layer or double layer.
  • Increased density (such as kronshpan) - withstand heavy loads.

Any MDF panel for wall cladding can have a coating that not only gives it a certain aesthetic appearance, but also serves as protection against environmental factors to varying degrees.

As decorative coating different materials can be used.

  • Film or plastic (melamine, PVC). In fact, plastic is a film of greater thickness. The material laminated in this way can look almost anything: imitate any natural material(stone, wood), be glossy or matte, smooth or textured, plain, colored or with a pattern (pattern). The laminated coating can have a holographic or 3D effect.
  • Veneer– a thin layer of wood, specially processed – a high-quality product made of veneer based on chipboard practically does not differ from a solid wood panel. However, it is this coating that provides the least protection against moisture or scratches. The veneer is painted in almost any wood shade and has the appropriate texture.
  • Enamel or any other suitable look paints- less durable than plastic, but in case of damage, it can be restored locally or the painted layer can be replaced with a new one completely. The coating is monophonic, but the choice of shades is huge.

Scope of application

Furniture, doors, interior partitions are made from MDF boards. Thanks to different ways installation, they can be fixed to almost any base - that is, the wall can be concrete, brick, and the like. Panels of different properties can be sheathed on walls, floors and even ceilings.

Whole-pressed raw panels are used for wall decoration in non-residential, household and business premises. It is important that the room maintains a constant air temperature and is dry. In conditions of high humidity, you need to use a special type of product. The bathroom or toilet can be finished in the same way, laminated sheets can be an alternative to them.

Of course, for the design of an apartment or house, it is important that the walls complement the decoration of the room. In the living room, you can show all the variety of decor of such panels. Veneer or film coating under the tree will perfectly complement classic interior. Matte neutral shades will come in handy here. For modern trends, you can choose more daring solutions. Bright painted surfaces or a glossy film with a pattern will allow you to put accents in the right places. Practical embossed colorful coatings are conveniently placed in the kitchen, corridor, hallway and other common areas where dust and dirt accumulate the most. They are very easy to clean, and small scratches will simply be invisible.

MDF panels can be safely mounted in a nursery or bedroom, since this material fully complies with sanitary and building codes. And with the help of well-chosen colors, you can calm the child or, conversely, create a mood for active educational games.

In public places: educational institutions, hospitals, stations, theaters, as well as corridors for the evacuation of people, in addition to ensuring environmental safety and pleasant appearance, panels

MDF should have properties such as low flammability, flammability and flame propagation and low levels of smoke and toxic products.

Fire-resistant chipboard panels can be fixed directly next to stoves, fireplaces, heating boilers. However, from simple room heating elements(pipes or batteries), even the usual variety of harm will not be.

How to cut?

During the installation process, there are situations when building materials need to be adjusted to the desired size. Yes, and to install the first panel, you need to cut off part of it (comb). According to experts, cutting MDF products is practically no different from cutting wood products.

Some difficulties may still arise during this process.

  • The edge along the cut line may crumble.
  • The film coating under the action of tools can peel off or wrinkle. Especially if the quality of adhesion to the panel itself leaves much to be desired.
  • The glossy surface scratches very easily, so special care is required.

If you are afraid of not coping and spoiling the products, you can purchase products of the desired format or contact a specialized organization (for example, a furniture workshop), where they can help you for a fee.

For cutting with your own hands, you need to make markings. For the calculation to be correct, you will need: a ruler, square, tape measure, level or laser level. We draw the cut line so that it can be easily erased. In this case, the decorated side should not be at the bottom so that there are no scratches on it. We lay it on the workbench, securely fix it and proceed to cutting. To make the cut more even, it can be glued with adhesive tape, or the tool can be led immediately along the pressed bar.

The main controversy concerns tools. You can use any tool used for this purpose in the woodworking industry.

Suitable for this:

  • hand saw (for both wood and metal);
  • jigsaw (regular or electric);
  • a circular saw;
  • milling cutter

A large constant amount of work in order to save time and effort is best done with power tools. One-time work can be done manually. The main thing is that the teeth of the nozzles are small. We start from any side, we saw smoothly, without jerks. Small chips and bumps on the film can be cleaned with sandpaper.

How to install?

There are two main ways to mount MDF wall panels:

  • glue;
  • put on a metal or wooden frame.

In the first case, you need an adhesive suitable for working with wood products. They can not only glue, but also align the recesses in the places where self-tapping screws are screwed. Glue can be colored or transparent.

In the second case, a wooden crate is applied to the wall or metal structure. The advantage of wood is ease of installation, environmental friendliness and the use of fewer hardware and connecting parts. But wood will cost more than metal, so this method is less affordable. Installation metal frame has its own difficulties - it requires a certain skill and the acquisition of special tools.

Let's take a look at the pinning process wall panels from MDF to the frame base in more detail.

  • The work wall needs to be prepared. Remove baseboards and boxes of switches and sockets. Take care of the output of wires for sockets, which will be located on the panels. damaged wall decoration needs to be cleaned to the ground.
  • The wood slats or slats you will be using need to be pre-treated to make them resistant to fungus, mold, or pests.
  • Additionally, you need to take care of the fasteners of the slats to the wall. For wood, you can use self-tapping screws or dowel-nails.
  • We start with the corner vertical rails. They are placed in pairs to form an angle. Having made the markup, we drill holes in the wall for hardware (in increments of an average of about 7 cm) and lay plastic sockets from self-tapping screws in them.

  • We apply the rail to the wall, transfer the markings to it and drill, connect it to the wall.
  • Horizontal parts are attached in the same way.
  • Door and window openings deserve special attention. Reiki are fixed around their perimeter, regardless of whether they have a step mark or not.
  • The evenness of the arrangement of vertical rails and crossbars is checked using a level or plumb line. Irregularities at the joints of the rails must be ground with a planer.

The technology of mounting a metal frame has its own characteristics.

  1. The process itself is similar to the installation of wood. However, for a metal structure, you will need CD profiles and UD guides.
  2. CD profiles are inserted into the uprights (UD) and pushed to the desired location.
  3. Then we drill holes in the wall by analogy with wooden logs. For fastening to the wall surface, long self-tapping screws are used. And between themselves, the profiles are connected short. For the CD profile, connectors are needed (they are also called ears).

After installing the frame, the laying of the panels begins.

  1. You should start from the corner. A panel with a sawn off comb is placed first, and the next one is attached to it with the help of a lock in which the comb of one workpiece is combined with the groove of the other.
  2. The panels are fixed with small nails (if the frame is wooden) or clamps (if the frame is metal).
  3. To attach the last two panels correctly, the last one needs to make the comb less wide. Then connect both at an angle and press them, straightening the connection.
  4. The last blanks should be tightly pushed to each other and fixed with self-tapping screws to the frame.
  5. The gaps in the corner, as well as between the wall and the floor (ceiling) are closed with the help of corners and decorative skirting boards (they can be glued).

To install MDF panels correctly, use the advice of professionals.

  • For reliability, the panels along their length must be fixed along vertical rails or profiles.
  • Additionally, when installing panels on a frame, you can insulate the walls with mounting foam or sheet foam materials, and increase the level of sound insulation. They can be fixed in the cells between the slats. Such sizing reduces heat exchange with the external environment and reduces the cost of maintaining heat in the room and its air conditioning.
  • If pipes are hidden behind the panels. The height of the profile must be calculated based on the thickness plus the margin. It is better to place the wiring in special protective pipes, since ordinary MDF does not protect against water ingress.

  • Since laminated panels are vapor-tight, fungus or mold often develops behind them. The material of the walls also affects this. The brick passes moisture, so it is necessary to apply a primer on it. And the gaps between the wall and the panel in the bathroom or kitchen are best treated with a sealant.
  • With the adhesive installation method, the wall surface must be perfectly flat. If this is not the case, the wall panel will, of course, hide them, but there will be gaps between it and the wall.
  • When distributing panels, the pattern must be taken into account. For example, the direction of the wood fiber. Perhaps the alternation of vertical and horizontal pattern looks creative, but in most cases it is better to select the details more carefully.

Wall decoration with natural materials, such as solid wood panels, gives nobility and style to the interior, but it is expensive and impractical. The perfect solution in this case is to choose a material that combines decorative look natural wood and the durability and strength of artificial binders. MDF panels have gained well-deserved popularity among builders; they are used to decorate both living rooms and commercial and public premises. They are easy to attach to the wall, and they look neat and stylish.

Advantages and disadvantages of MDF wall panels

MDF is obtained from wood fibers processed with high pressure and temperature, pressed into a plate.

Binders and useful additives give MDF special properties and advantages that are indispensable for wall cladding:

Material disadvantages:

  • low elasticity;
  • in conditions of high humidity, dampness penetrates through the raw ends of the plate, which deforms and destroys the MDF structure;
  • fire hazard.

How to fix MDF to the wall

Several types of MDF are produced, which are suitable for use in various operating conditions:

  • all-pressed products have a smooth front surface, medium density, furniture is made from these sheets;
  • laminated panels are covered with a protective film on top, they are distinguished by increased strength and decorative effects;
  • moisture-resistant boards are more expensive than regular boards, they are denser and can be used in wet areas: bathrooms and kitchens.

By evaluating the features of each type, you can make optimal choice to create a durable finish. Before starting repairs, you need to make a drawing of the room with the layout of the sheets and calculate the consumption of materials and fasteners.


To make it more convenient to work, make a drawing of the room and calculate the amount of consumables

For a correct calculation, it is necessary to subtract the area of ​​window and door openings from the total area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe walls. To the result should be added 10% for possible trimming.

There are several ways to attach MDF panels to the wall, each of them has its own technological features, after studying which you can choose the most suitable option.

Fastening to a wooden frame

This method has many advantages:

  • the frame hides defects and differences in the height of the base, does not require careful preparation of the walls;
  • space is formed for laying communications and wiring;
  • insulation can be placed under the panels;
  • simplifies the replacement of a separate MDF board.

There are also disadvantages:

  • the space of the room is reduced, which is especially important for small rooms;
  • fixing hanging elements of decor and furniture will require long anchors and mortgages.

The surface under the finish in damp rooms can accumulate condensation and become a favorable environment for the development of mold and mildew that are harmful to health. To solve this problem, it is necessary to treat the surface of the wall with a fungicidal antifungal impregnation, and to reduce the possibility of fire, with a flame retardant. For the crate, a bar measuring 30x30 mm is suitable.


MDF panels - a modern and environmentally friendly material

In addition to the MDF panels themselves, you will need the following list of tools and materials for work:

  • level, plumb line, ruler and pencil;
  • ladder, wooden bars for crates;
  • drill, puncher, screwdriver;
  • dowels or self-tapping screws, you can use kleimers, carnations with a reduced hat;
  • flame retardant and fungicidal impregnation;
  • liquid nails for fixing corner trim elements;
  • brush, spatula, bars, hacksaw with a large tooth or saw.

Preparatory work:


The frame is ready, now you can mount the MDF panels:


For thin slabs, you can make a secure fastening to the battens with glue. Liquid nails are perfect for this purpose.

On the metal profile

This method uses a special aluminum or galvanized metal profile. Such a frame is more expensive, but it is devoid of the disadvantages of wood and will last much longer. This method is optimal for finishing rooms with high humidity.

The following materials and tools should be prepared:

  • profile guides and support bars, suspensions, small self-tapping screws "seeds" for connecting profiles to each other;
  • screwdriver and self-tapping screws, puncher and dowels;
  • ruler and level, marker;
  • stairs, skirting boards and corners;
  • nozzle for puncher chisel;
  • kleimers, one box of 100 pieces is enough;
  • plaster and putty.

Base preparation:

  1. For this method, it is not necessary to level or carefully prepare the wall, it is enough to remove old tiles or wallpaper and walk with a fire-retardant compound so that mold and fungus do not grow under the finish in conditions of increased dampness.
  2. Mark the wall, place the planks in 45-50 cm increments. Mark the lines on the floor, walls and ceiling. Before installation, you can stick foil foam for thermal insulation.
    Correctly installed crate will allow it to last for a long time, and MDF panels will not warp over time
  3. Attach straight hangers, which are subsequently bent to strengthen the frame structure and set the finishing plane at the desired distance from the main wall.
    Hang hangers on the wall
  4. Fix the guide rails to the ceiling, floor and side walls with dowels. Insert the supporting main strips into the suspensions and guides, fasten the structure with small self-tapping screws, called “seeds” by the craftsmen. It is convenient to use a screwdriver with a magnetic nozzle for this work. Fastening is carried out in increments of 15–25 cm.
    Fix the rails on the floor, ceiling, walls
  5. Check the level of the correct position of the slats, lay the necessary communications. Remove the wiring into the corrugated pipe and fill the gaps with insulation, bend the protruding edges of the hangers outward.
    Fill gaps between profiles with insulation

Stages of installation of MDF panels:


Without frame

If the base is even and has no defects, then fastening can be carried out without installing the frame.

This method has its advantages:

  • work time is significantly reduced;
  • the precious centimeters of the room do not decrease, the wall protrudes by only 10 mm.

For fastening you will need:

  • adhesive composition liquid nails, mounting gun;
  • a hacksaw with a small tooth, a brush;
  • ladder for working at height;
  • universal corners made of fiberboard, plinth, insulation;
  • fire-retardant impregnation, primer.

Stages of preparatory work:


After the walls have completely dried, we proceed to the installation of MDF boards:


Video: mounting MDF panels on the wall

Competent installation of MDF panels is not difficult at all, they do not require special care, and the walls look like they are finished with natural exotic wood or leather, granite. Practical and inexpensive cladding will give the interior a gloss and neat fresh look.

How to fix the MDF panels to the wall, and on what basis - the decision must be made taking into account the features of the wall geometry, the size of the room, the presence of communications and constant heating. Despite the huge popularity, MDF wallboards are quite picky about operating conditions, so you should not fix it in the first way that comes to hand, so as not to re-lay the finish a second time.

Dimensions of MDF - panels

Often, consultants of trading companies present MDF boards as a lightweight version of chipboard, especially if you decipher the English abbreviation. Accordingly, it is recommended to fix them in the same way as in the case of using chipboard. In fact, MDF panels are significantly different in structure and production method from particle board, which allows you to fix the material at a lower cost and faster.

There are only three main differences:

  • Thin MDF boards are made from recycled cellulose fiber, which contains virtually no polysaccharides - a staple food for bacteria, fungus and rodents. Chipboard uses ordinary chips filled with phenol-formaldehyde resin, so it is fixed with special tongues;
  • Boards are made by pressing wood-fiber pulp with the addition of hydrogen peroxide. At a temperature of 250 ° C, lignin and part of the cellulose are welded with the remains of caramelized polysaccharides into a dense fiber mass. In thick slabs, the MDF core is additionally impregnated with polymer resin, which makes it possible to fasten without the risk of delamination of the material;
  • The bending strength of the panel is only slightly inferior to plywood with greater plasticity and resistance to moisture. Most brands of MDF can be mounted on walls even in rooms with low ventilation.

The difference, at first glance, is insignificant, but it is the strength and elasticity of the cellulose fiber base of the MDF panel that makes it possible to fasten the cladding plates using end locks.

Even with a strong temperature difference, the MDF panel shows an expansion level much less than that of plastic or ordinary wooden lining, so the material can be fastened with smaller gaps, which is especially important for medium and large thickness boards.

What sizes are the most popular

For wall cladding, three size groups are used:

  • Thin slabs, size group 5-9 mm thick, 153, 198, 200.325 and 2070 mm wide;
  • Medium MDF panels, thickness 10-18 mm, width 2070 mm;
  • Oversized slabs, thickness 19-38 mm, width 2070 mm.

There are no restrictions on external dimensions, and the maximum thickness of the plates is limited by the pressing capabilities to 40 mm. Two-layer MDF panels with a maximum thickness of up to 60 mm are also produced, used for the manufacture of reusable formwork and roofing filing. But the quality of the outer surface of such plates is quite low, so they are not used for wall decoration.

Installation of MDF panels

Pressed cellulose fibers retain heat and absorb noise much better than plastic or wood. In addition, the MDF panel has a certain anisotropy of properties, it can be cut and processed in almost any order. Mounting the panels is easy and quite within the power of even a novice tiler.

For domestic purposes, panels can be mounted in three ways:

  • Lay the plates on the glue;
  • Mount the cladding on a wooden or metal frame;
  • Installation of MDF panels by hanging.

The latter case is used as an exceptional way of cladding walls in a house made of timber or logs. It is necessary to fix the MDF boards on the ceiling suspension profile with a small gap between the floor and the bottom edge of the board. The cladding is suspended on the profile, and as the walls shrink, the MDF sags along with the timber material.

It is clear that for a wooden house it will be more preferable to use narrow slabs, 190-200 mm wide, while it is better to fix MDF in a vertical direction. If it is not known exactly about the planned amount of shrinkage of the wall, then it is best to fix the decorative finish with a gap increased by 2-3 cm. Firstly, this ensures that the floor will not tear the slabs off the walls in case of excessive shrinkage, and secondly, the slots will provide a normal level of ventilation and airflow between the panels and the wall.

Mounting on a metal frame

Installation of panels on a supporting frame made of galvanized profiles is recognized by experts as the most rational and reliable way to fasten any pulp and fiber materials. Even heavy plates with a density of up to 1.5-1.8 g / cm 3 can be attached to the metal frame without any problems. The metal will not lead to condensation or blocking of the walls as a result of pipe breaks, water leaks in the apartment on the floor above or roof breaks.

The assembly of the frame begins with the installation of the starting profile and side rails. MDF panels are lightweight, so it is enough to install a number of vertical profiles No. 50 with a step of 40-50 cm. Using a galvanized U-profile makes it possible to fix MDF to the walls of the room about two to three times faster than in any other way.

Two or three drops of silicone applied to the profile will even out the load on the wall and avoid the slamming of the cladding in strong winds if there is a ventilation gap behind the decorative MDF lamellas.

Mounting on a wooden frame

The easiest way is to mount MDF panels on a wooden frame. There are two options for wall cladding using cellulose fiber panels. It all depends on the size of the room and the condition of the walls.

If a small reduction in space due to the crate is not critical, the wooden slat frame is sewn onto the walls using metal hanger holders. For small and small rooms, most often it is necessary to partially cut and knock down a layer of plaster in order to level the surface along a vertical plumb line, to make it as even as possible.

In any case, the starting bar is initially laid on the floor and under the ceiling. With the help of a long building level, the installation points of the suspensions are marked on the wall and the minimum required overhang of the side lobes of the fasteners is determined.

In the event that it is planned to install horizontal MDF lamellas, the bearing strips are mounted vertically. For the installation of full-size panels with a width of more than 200 mm, the walls are sewn up in both directions. Each wooden plank of the crate is aligned with the starting guides and fixed with suspension petals using self-tapping screws and a screwdriver.

For relatively even and dry brick, concrete or block walls, the batten can be fixed directly to the wall using dowels. In this case, the work is added, since each plank before fastening has to be adjusted for a long time with the help of washers in order to maintain a single vertical plane. But on the other hand, you can save 3-4 cm of internal space, which can be very useful, for example, when decorating the walls of a small bathroom or corridor.

Glue installation

Using a sheathing or supporting frame always eats up an additional 3-7 cm of space on each wall. The use of a frame system is considered a good solution, but it is not at all necessary to fence the frame jungle if the walls of the room for future MDF paneling turn out to be even, without serious defects and deviations from the vertical.

In this case, it is enough to clean the walls, prime them with an acrylic primer and apply a thin layer of insulating putty. The lime underlayer will help to further level the walls and improve the applicability of the MDF boards to the supporting surface.

Laying panels on the walls with glue is carried out in two versions:

  • Each MDF is glued to the wall with one lamella, from ceiling to floor, with fixation along the end edge using self-tapping screws and plastic plugs;
  • The material is placed on the wall horizontal stripes from corner to corner after assembly and pasting of corner and edge parts.

If the lamellas are glued directly to the wall, then the end joints are not glued or treated with sealing materials. Most often, with the help of glue, rather large panels are laid on the walls, 40-60 cm wide. This method is more advantageous from a technological point of view, since the load from the rather large weight of the MDF panel is distributed not over several clamps or brackets, but over the entire surface of the plate and walls. What does it give? Greater reliability, if the upper row of MDF lamellas breaks, the middle and lower rows will hold the entire structure.

Before fixing the MDF panels to the wall, the reverse side is covered with small portions of glue. It can be dots, spirals, short stripes. The main thing is that the adhesive material is evenly distributed over the surface of the wall.

As an adhesive, it is best to use automotive sealant, polyurethane adhesives and home-made adhesive masses based on a mixture of acetone and foam. Acrylic and polyvinyl acetate adhesives hold MDF panels rather weakly.

Note! The MDF sticker on the sealant provides the ability to cut and remove the panel from the wall if necessary without damaging the surface. Tougher alkyd, polystyrene and acrylic adhesives can tear off some of the wrong side.

Fastening MDF - panels to the wall

The process of installing cellulose fiber panels is relatively simple and straightforward even for a beginner. If a horizontal laying method is used, then the bottom panel or lamella is installed first, directly resting on the starting bar of the frame. It must be laid on glue, aligned with the building level and fixed with a stapler or self-tapping screw.

Before laying the next panel on the wall, it is necessary to install the corner or edge elements of the cladding, fix them on the wall, and only then proceed with laying the next parts of the MDF.

How to fasten MDF panels to a bar or profile is selected individually in each case, based on the fastening conditions and the dimensions of the material. Relatively thin, 6-9 mm lamellae are snapped into place with tongue-and-groove locks, after which the free end is sewn to the beam with staples with self-tapping screws. If it is supposed to be possible to periodically remove the MDF lining from the wall to revise the communications or wiring laid behind the decorative finish, then the panels are placed on the clamps.

Thick plates are mounted directly on the walls with glue and dowels, sealing the joints with acrylic putty and then gluing wallpaper or PVC film.

A difficult option, how to mount MDF on walls with insulation

MDF boards are much simpler and easier to handle than heavy drywall, plywood or plastic, while the strength of the panels is enough to build two and even three-layer cladding options from a fiber composite with insulation as an intermediate layer.

For example, cold exterior walls made of profiles, siding or concrete blocks are hemmed from the inside with MDF boards of HDF class, with a density of 800-1800 kg / m 3. The thickness of the plates is 25-40 mm. The laid panels are sewn together at the joints with oblique self-tapping screws and staplers, the seam itself is rubbed with polymer mastic.

The material is treated with impregnation, which provides good vapor transmission with high resistance to surface condensate. Plates are attached to the outer walls "on the cold" - with the help of steel dowels and joiner's screws. From the inside of the slab sheathing, wooden or trimmed slats are sewn.

A steam membrane is pulled over the laid thermal insulation and clogged with horizontal slats with a section of 20x20 mm. The last step is to sew the lungs onto the lath crate decorative panels MDF class LDF with wood texture, natural stone or veneered.

Due to the low density of LDF, 200-600 kg/m 3, MDF panels perfectly pass steam, which is removed through the ventilation gap and the ceiling ventilation joint. In this way, the walls are sheathed in summer kitchens, balconies, verandas, any premises with frame-type walls.

Features of finishing MDF - panels

Most professional finishers prefer to work with MDF as there is no dust or dirt like drywall, installation is faster and there are far fewer problems.

The assembly and installation of MDF on walls is in many ways similar to laying laminate floors, with the only difference being that more possibilities to select schemes decorative design premises and a much more complex arrangement of the corner and slope sectors of the walls.

slopes

The scheme for arranging door or window slopes is no different from drywall options. If the lamellas were laid vertically on the walls, then to design a window or doorway, it is enough to cut a panel of the required height and width and stick it on the slope plane with mounting foam or sealant.

If the walls in the protection room are horizontal panels, then the slopes will have to be collected from segments on self-tapping screws and plastic plugs.

corners and cracks

Slots and gaps are always formed between the laid additional elements and the main part of the cladding. They have to be eliminated with the help of special decorative corner plates and decorative skirting boards.

All auxiliary decor is glued to Titanium or Mounting Moment for MDF, a small amount of glue is applied to the edge along the gap, after which a corner strip is installed on the joint. To prevent the decor from moving away, the corner is temporarily fixed with tape.

Sockets and switches

Every room has at least a couple of outlets and one switch. In order not to dismantle them during the installation of MDF, proceed as follows: measure the coordinates of the location of the outlet on the wall, after which a hole of the appropriate shape and size is cut out with an annular drill or a jigsaw. When installing the MDF panel, the size and position of the hole is specified and cut with a sharp knife.

It remains to install the panel, fix it on the wall, and close the remaining gap with a decorative frame.

Conclusion

The details of the process, how to fix the MDF panels to the wall, must be thought through and planned in advance, before starting work on decorative trim premises. The process itself is not particularly difficult, but in any room there are many problem areas where you have to almost invent the method of fastening on your own. In this case, it is better to draw the details and the fixing method on the diagram so that you don’t have to rack your brains and waste time in the process.

691 10/09/2019 7 min.

World modern construction it is hard to imagine without an affordable, durable and environmentally friendly material, which is MDF panels.

In addition, their installation can be carried out even by non-professional specialists; at the same time, the master, in his work, must be as accurate and accurate as possible. It is not difficult to finish the walls with MDF panels with your own hands, the skills of an ordinary carpenter are enough.

Required inventory

In addition to the classic home tools that almost everyone has, you should buy plumb lines (you can easily make them yourself using nuts, fishing line or thread).

Also make sure that you have a tape measure at hand, a tool for determining deviations of the surface from the vertical or horizontal, and special nozzle on a drill, with which self-tapping screws are wrapped, a locksmith's square will also be needed.

It is desirable that it be metal, with legs of different thicknesses. With a square, you can easily cut material for slopes, a more massive leg is used as a stop. A special screwdriver also does not hurt, but you should not buy it specifically.

For an internal supporting structure consisting of a combination of linear elements, purchase profiles yud and sd. The two options considered in their shape resemble the letter P and are distinguished only by configuration dimensions.

The companies produce fasteners (“ears”) and connectors for the SD profile, which are rational to use for large volumes of work, the period of their installation is strictly limited.

If the sheathing will be carried out by the master with his own hands, the video of the work, which can be found in the vastness of the worldwide network, will not be specially purchased on purpose.

For more information about decorating walls with mdf panels, see the video:

If you are constructing walls from MDF panels with your own hands, think about warming them up, in which the voids are filled with foam, construction foam or silicone.

The second considered insulation can be applied unevenly, and this will entail the presence of protrusions that are easily removed with a special construction knife.

It is the humid environment that is the most optimal for the development of various pests. about bathroom furniture. In addition to an additional insulating layer, foam, foam or silicone will additionally protect the room from the formation of possible condensate, which most often appears in voids.

Do not forget that MDF is a sawdust panel, so it is recommended to follow them, along with real wood.

Thermal insulation of the room will additionally help to cool it in hot weather. summer days. When the room warms up, the influx of heat from the street will decrease significantly.

It's just that the MDF on the frame acts as a heat shield that can reflect the elements. If a ball of material, which is foamed plastics, is also added to the MDF, together they create a double protection.

In this case, the reflection coefficient of the material exceeds 0.7 units of heat. By doing some minor calculations, you can understand that no more than a few units of heat will enter the room. How will the rates of their outflow through the surface change in the winter months?

Given that the process of heat exchange through the walls is about 0.15 percent of the total heat flow, we can confidently count on a significant reduction in all funds spent on heating, as well as air conditioning - by no less than ten percent.

At high tariffs, this fact will significantly affect the savings in the budget.

Lattice construction

If you are interested in: “How to sheathe walls with MDF panels with your own hands?”, First, take care of the design in question. A variation made of wood is attached to the supporting structures with curly nails or professional dowels.

The latter are similar to self-tapping screws, only with a smooth and asymmetric thread profile. It is driven into a special plastic hole with an ordinary hammer. On the head of the dowel there is a recess for a tool for screwing in and unscrewing screws. The metal crate is mounted exclusively with curly nails.

To attach it, use special fasteners with a diameter of 0.4-0.6 cm. The stronger the base, the lower the indicator. You will purchase each curly nail or dowel at the same time as a plastic fastener.

Holes in the surface under it should be drilled according to the diameter of the nest body. The body of the fastener, whether it be a nail or a self-tapping screw, must be driven into the wall by at least 4 cm.

For example, if the plaster ball is 1.2 cm and the lattice structure is constructed with slats or a profile 4 cm thick, and the panel thickness is 1.6 cm, then the length of the metal product will be equal to the sum of all the described indicators: 6.8 cm.

That is, when purchasing, pay attention to parts with a length of 7-8 cm. The distance from the surface to the bottom should be identical to the length of the nest. Please allow 1.2-2 cm error. When buying a longer drill, it must be equipped with a limiter tube.

Lathing with wooden bars

If you are interested in the visual question of the described, find a video on the Internet: “Do-it-yourself wall decoration with MDF panels.” Lattice structure made of wood always installed, starting with vertical racks, which are placed in all corners in pairs.

Visually, this should look in such a way that the result is a right angle, which is visually visible from the edge of the window opening, door and base to the top cover. A stand is applied to the surface, the boundaries of which are drawn along the surface.

Then, a mounting hole is drilled through the material with a step of 70 cm, elements for fasteners are driven into it. Their border is marked on the rack, then a hole is drilled in two-thirds of the diameter of the fastener.

More professional repairers can pre-drill the holes, while their marking on the surface can be carried out directly through them. The horizontal wooden beams are then installed using the same step.

Beams must be installed along the upper part of the opening, under the board or stone slab of the window. Opening slopes are formed along the two edges with slats, the use of crossbars is not allowed.

When carried out, MDF panels should be located along a vertical or inclined structure and across the beams. mdf for ceiling

Lathing made of metal elements

This type of lattice structure is carried out in a similar way: beams at the corners and openings, then crossbars. The step of the lattice structure is used similar to the wooden one. Beams should be constructed from a yud profile, sd profiles are mounted and installed in them to the place.

After checking horizontally with a device for determining deviations, the surfaces are attached to the first, then to the surface, in zones previously created for this.

Parts must be attached to each other. For this, small self-tapping screws are used.

SDs are mounted to the wall with curly pointed rods. It is irrational to use a plug-in spike for this purpose: you will either not finish the element you need, or you will deform the profile. Profile elements sd must be fastened with each other in advance to the selected length.

Work on the crate with metal elements should be carried out by the smallest grinder in terms of size and functional features.

You can also purchase a hand saw. With an electric jigsaw, even if it is equipped with a metal saw, the installation will be significantly delayed and a lot of defective panels will turn out.

DIY wall cladding

You can always find the video of the material described in the article on the worldwide web. The process itself mdf installations panels on a trellis structure or continuous decking is much easier than all the preparatory work described earlier.

  • start from the corners. Cut a given amount of MDF material according to dimensions in order to sheathe the required plane to the nearest beam. Corner cuts must be treated with sandpaper;

  • take the first panel on which you need to cut off the crest of the longitudinal ledge. The panel is attached to the corner with a fastener or a small cumulus rod. how to fix mdf to the wall. The groove of the lock is also important. Its sides are fastened with nails or a metal perforated plate (clip);
  • another panel is added. The comb slides into the groove, where it is attached, and so on, until you see the last couple of panels;
  • the last element is cut to length according to the given dimensions. Only it is worth considering the sticking of 0.2-0.5 cm;
  • the crest of the last part should be cut in half and rounded off;
  • the two penultimate fasteners are mounted in place with a “house”. Press down on the fasteners to hear a special "snap" sound;
  • last fastener moves to the end on the one that was installed earlier; fasten the free edge with a curly nail.

conclusions

Finishing slopes should be carried out in a similar way. In this case, the master can install MDF panels along or across. If wide slopes are used, choose any sheathing method. The plane between the wall and the window itself will look harmonious if it is sheathed with elements of dark and light colors.

In general, everything is as the master and other residents of the house wish. Installing MDF panels, if you understand in detail all the stages described, will not be difficult. Remember that you can always call a specialist, and for a moderate fee, he will do all the work for you.

MDF panels are widely used not only due to their low cost and environmental friendliness. Do-it-yourself installation of MDF panels is simple; it requires only elementary accuracy and precision. It is possible to create an MDF coating with good decorative qualities without being a carpenter or finisher; the skills of a home craftsman are enough.

What is MDF?

MDF (MDF - Medium Density Fibreboard - English, HDF - German) is made from wood waste. But they should not be confused with fiberboard or chipboard. MDF is made by dry hot pressing of wood, without a binder. The essence of this method is that the microscopic tubes and fibers of lignin, which make up wood, become plastic under high pressure and temperature, as when steaming, interlock and stick together. The structure of MDF is similar to felt, but not from wool, but from wood fibers.

MDF does not differ in special mechanical properties, but, due to the absence of a chemical binder, it is absolutely environmentally friendly. For interior decoration MDF - perfect option. Techniques for working with MDF are the same as for wood. MDF is glued with any wood glue. Especially for MDF, the Liquid Nails adhesive was developed - a construction adhesive with sawdust filler, which allows both gluing and puttying gaps and sealing holes with self-tapping screws.

Note: MDF panels are produced with a decorative outer coating. When buying liquid nails, make sure that the tone of the hardened composition matches the tone of the MDF panels used. Sample - a frozen drop on the lid of the jar, or from the seller.

Tool for the job

Beyond the usual home instrument you will need a plumb line (it is easy to make it yourself from a nut not a fishing line or thread), a tape measure, building level and a nozzle for a drill for wrapping self-tapping screws. You can do without a special screwdriver. You also need a locksmith square (metal, with legs of different thicknesses). It will be convenient to cut pieces for slopes along it: a thick leg is used as an emphasis, and relying on a thin one, they cut.

To cut MDF, you need a jigsaw or a hand saw. The saw is good for its compactness, convenience - it is similar in size and shape to a hair clipper - and versatility. By changing the complete circles, you can cut wood, metal, stone. But a saw with a cutting depth of more than 12 mm or more costs more than a jigsaw; the thickness of MDF is 16 mm.

Mounting technologies

Important: if the room for MDF finishing has ever dampened at least once, if traces of midges, swelling or peeling of the plaster are noticeable, if the plaster is bumpy, uneven or its layer is more than 12 mm, then before finishing the MDF, the plaster must be removed to the main wall. In any case, it is desirable to remove the plaster - this will reduce the cost of fasteners and will reveal hidden wall defects. Of course, you need to remove the baseboards.

Two technologies for mounting MDF wall panels are used:

  1. On the wooden crate;
  2. On a frame made of special galvanized profiles.

It is easier to make a wooden crate, it requires fewer hardware for fasteners, but wooden slats, or even slabs, are more expensive than a metal frame. In addition, the wooden crate requires pre-impregnation against fungus, rot and mold. In damp areas and brick houses it is definitely not recommended to use a wooden crate: moisture and fungal spores can penetrate from the outside simply through the pores of the brick, and the cavities between the cladding and the wall are an ideal environment for the development of pests.

For a metal frame, you will need UD profiles (guides) and CD. Both of them are U-shaped and differ only in the configuration in the section. Sellers often offer mounting ends ("ears") and connectors to the CD profile. Their use makes sense when performing a large amount of work in a limited time. With self-finishing one or two rooms, it is quite possible to do without them. How will be described below.

More about crate and its methods.

About thermal insulation

In the process of finishing the room MDF panels it makes sense to additionally insulate it by filling the cells of the crate with foam on construction foam or silicone. The protrusions of the foam are cut off with a mounting knife.

In addition to the actual insulation, this will provide additional protection against the accumulation of condensate in the voids and the development of wood pests. MDF is the same wood, and is also affected by them, although to a lesser extent.

In the summer, when the building warms up, the heat inflow into the room will significantly decrease. Just MDF on a frame - a single heat shield with a reflectivity of about 0.25. With a layer of foam - a double screen. The reflection coefficient of the foam is more than 0.7; accordingly, no more than (1 - 0.7) x (1 - 0.25) = 0.225 heat will enter the room through the walls against the previous one. The outflow of heat through the walls in winter will decrease by the same amount.

Considering that the heat exchange through the walls is at least 0.15 of the total heat flux, one can count on a reduction in heating / air conditioning costs by at least 10%, and this is a tangible value in the budget at existing tariffs.

If a more serious internal thermal insulation – .

crate

Fasteners for crates

The wooden crate is attached to the wall either with self-tapping screws or mounting nails (dowel-nails). The dowel-nail looks like a self-tapping screw with a smooth asymmetrical thread profile. It is driven into a plastic clip-nest with a hammer. The head of the dowel-nail has a slot for a screwdriver, so that if necessary, it can be unscrewed. The metal crate is fixed only with self-tapping screws.

For fixing the crate, fasteners with a diameter of 4-6 mm are used. The stronger base wall, the smaller the required diameter. Each self-tapping screw or dowel-nail is completed with a plastic socket. Holes in the wall for fasteners must be drilled according to the diameter of the nest body; elastic protrusions are not taken into account. The nest in the hole is clogged with light hammer blows.

The body of the fastener (nail, self-tapping screw) must sit in the main wall by at least 30-40 mm. For example, if the thickness of the plaster layer is 12 mm and a rail or profile 40 mm thick is used for the crate, the MDF thickness is 16 mm, then the length of the hardware must be at least 12 + 40 + 16 = 68 mm. Those. fasteners need a length of 70-80 mm. The depth of the holes for the nests is equal to the length of the nest + 15-20 mm for dust and crumbs. In this case, 100 mm. If the drill is longer, a stop tube should be put on it. But don't drill too deep: the walls between rooms can be half a brick, less than 200mm with two layers of plaster.

Wooden crate

We start the wooden crate with the installation of vertical racks. We put the racks in all corners, in pairs, so that they form an angle, and along the edges of the window and doorways from floor to ceiling. We check the verticality of the racks with a plumb line.

Having attached the rack, we outline it on one side with a pencil along the wall and drill holes for fasteners with a drill in concrete or stone in increments of 500-700 mm. We drive nests for fasteners into them, mark their position on the stand with a pencil. Then we drill holes in the rack with a diameter of 2/3 of the diameter of the fastener and attach it in place. For more experienced craftsmen- the holes in the racks are drilled in advance, and the marking of the holes in the wall is done right through them.

Next, in a similar way, we mount horizontal logs with the same step. Each piece of the lag is fixed with the same pitch as the rack. On the top of the openings and under the window sills, we must install logs, regardless of whether they fall “on a step” or not. The slopes of the openings are also decorated with slats, along the inner and outer edges, without crossbars. The final stage - we remove the ledges at the joints of the rails with a planer.

Note: when lathing the ceiling, keep in mind that the MDF panels are located along the racks and across the lags. That is, if the sheathing panels on the ceiling will be located along its short side, then the ceiling crate must be done parallel to its long side, and vice versa.

Metal crate

The metal crate is made in a similar way: racks at the corners and openings, then crossbars. The step of the crate is the same as the wooden one. Racks are made from the UD profile, CD profiles are inserted into them and pushed to the place. Then CD, after alignment with a level and a tape measure in horizontal and pitch, are attached to the UD, and then to the wall, into the holes drilled in advance in it.

Between themselves, the details of the metal crate are connected by short self-tapping screws. The CD is also attached to the wall with self-tapping screws. Dowel-nails cannot be used: fasteners will either not be finished off, or the profile will be crumpled. Pieces of the CD profile are pre-connected to each other to the desired length.

Note: work on a metal crate is best done using a small grinder or a hand-held circular saw. With an electric jigsaw, even with a metal saw, the work is delayed and a lot of marriage is obtained.


Ears and Connectors

The “ears” of the CD are made as follows: at the ends of the mounting pieces of the “P” stick, we cut it to a width of UD up to the crossbar plus 2-3 mm. The cut must be made a little obliquely, so that from the ends of the "sticks" to the edge of the profile there is also 2-3 mm more than from the crossbar. If cut straight or reverse beveled, the CD may jam during installation. "Ears" will be needed if the crate is made only from CD. If the racks are made of UD, then the CDs simply slide into them.

For CD connectors, we measure in advance its own piece of the desired length. One connector requires 100-120 mm profile. If, for example, 10 connectors are needed, they will take 1 - 1.2 m CD. The “P” sticks of the CD are not straight, but with an inward bend. It is this bend that needs to be cut off by the same 2-3 mm. Then we cut the workpiece into the desired number of pieces.

The CD is connected as follows: the connector piece is pushed halfway into one of the profile pieces to be joined, and another piece is pushed onto the remainder. The connector, of course, will go into thrust; there may be a small gap between the pieces to be joined. This is not scary, the work on sheathing from this will not stall and will not become more complicated.

Sometimes it is advised to additionally fix the connection with self-tapping screws; it's redundant. During installation, it is already held quite firmly due to friction. In the future, the connector will not fall out - the wall will not give - and will not slide to the side, because. inserted with spacer.

Note: under communications - pipes, wiring in wooden slats or metal profiles of the crate cut grooves in place. Before the crate, it is necessary to measure the height to which the communications protrude above the wall, and choose the thickness of the crate elements by 5-10 mm more.


Sheathing with MDF panels

Striker and Claymers

MDF panels are interconnected by a symmetrical tongue-and-groove lock in the form of a comb and a corresponding groove. MDF panels can be fastened to the wooden crate with small nails, hammering them obliquely into the corner of the groove. Until the end, the carnations are finished off with a metal striker and a hammer. It looks like a punch for metal, only at its narrow end, instead of a point, there is a small depression along the nail head. A nail head can be made from a center punch by removing the point on an emery wheel and carefully drilling into drilling machine deepening.

Claymers are used for fastening to a metal crate (and to a wooden one when working according to the standard scheme). Claymer - a small metal bracket to the hole for fasteners and cloves that press the flange of the tongue groove. The gluer is inserted into the groove of the MDF panel until it stops, and fixed with a self-tapping screw. Fastening with adhesives is more expensive and requires more labor, but it is more reliable, and if necessary, the lining can be disassembled without damaging the MDF.

Panel installation

Installing MDF panels on the crate is much easier than preparatory work:

  • We start from the corner. We cut to size the required number of MDF panels for sheathing the mounting plane to the nearest rack. At the corners of the cuts, we go through once (“widen”) with sandpaper.
  • On the first panel, we cut off the ridge of the tongue, and fix it in the corner with nails (on a wooden crate) or small self-tapping screws (on a metal one). From the side of the groove of the lock, we fix it with carnations or glues.
  • Lay on the next panel, slide the comb into the groove, fasten it along the groove, etc. until the last two panels remain.
  • We cut the last panel in length to size, with a tack of 2-5 mm, depending on which corner or plinth the final finish will go.
  • The comb of the last panel is cut in half and rounded.
  • We insert the last two panels into place with a “house”, press until they “snap into place”.
  • We push the last panel all the way to the penultimate one; at the free edge we fix with self-tapping screws.

Note 5:“The last two” is a responsible operation and requires some skills. It is advisable to pre-train on MDF samples. If the training "house" is jammed, it can be pry at the joint with a screwdriver.