Using MDF as a wrap for a tank stand and canopy?

[KVYA]

Is it safe for MDF to be used around our tanks? I was planning on building a tank stand and canopy out of wood, but then wrap it in MDF. If I did do this, the MDF would be coated in waterproof paint btw

 

[cjd]

I wouldn't use mdf in any structural potion of a build. Cosmetically would be alright short term as any nicks , scratches in the water proof covering will eventually get exposed to water causing it to expand and deform . Amazing how many pre made stands are made from MDF with some kind of coating to protect it from water . I had a Deep Blue cube aquarium with matching stand that was made out of MDF , lasted about a year before I needed a new stand . I even coated the inside with truck bed liner.

 

[dbl]

I have to agree, I would avoid using MDF on the stand. It's just too easily damaged by moisture.

 

[Goslugsgo]

Over time that waterproof paint will wear or crack and you'll have water in the MDF. It will only take a drop to expand the MDF creating fissures for water to soak and destroy the rest rapidly.

 

[Sleepydoc]

The only place I used MDF for my stand was for the top - 2 ¾" pieces laminated together, then sealed and covered on all 6 sides by Formica. Even that I thought twice about. As for the rest of the stand, follow the advice given above.

 

[Ryengoth]

MDF absorbs water, blows up like a sponge and falls apart. Do not use it around water. Use a quality exterior ply like plytanium and seal it well.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Mdf is completely fine.......as long as you powder coat it first.

 

[waybad41willys]

There is an exterior grade MDF available i was building custom stands and used it a lot you can leave it in a bucket of water and does not effect it .
i have found it to hold up even better than real wood what makes it work is the resin it is made with the stuff i used had a red tint to it .

 

[waybad41willys]

I also made a the canopies from it just found out that one i built 22 years ago still looks great . I did the out sides in formica and painted the insides .
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when i tell you i know about MDF i know a lot i owed a custom audio shop and built 1000s of speaker boxes and know if you want to use MDF you must use the exterior grade I have seen pieces of ¾ MDF swell to 2 inches or more when wet

 

[waybad41willys]

One last thing some places sell it as marine grade it is much tougher doesn't chip or scratch like standard grade

 

[Sleepydoc]

There is an exterior grade MDF available i was building custom stands and used it a lot you can leave it in a bucket of water and does not effect it .
i have found it to hold up even better than real wood what makes it work is the resin it is made with the stuff i used had a red tint to it .

The contractor that built our deck used a product called Miratec that sounds similar. It looks somewhat like MDF, but in 5 years has not broken down, swollen or otherwise deteriorated. (Except for getting kind of ratty & scuffed up because I keep bumping it with the lawn mower.) I don't know if it's available in sheet stock or just the pseudo-boards, but it wold be a possibility.

There's another product called Extira that's apparently made at the same factory as Miratec that does come in sheet stock. I don't know if they are chemically the same or not, but they sound close.

One caveat with these products - I saw some posts online that water-based paints and glues don't work terribly well. (Likely because the resins used are hydrophobic) Either way, it may not paint/glue like MDF, so I'd try out some scrap pieces first.

As a disclaimer, other than seeing the trim on my deck, I have no experience with either of these products and cannot definitively say whether they are suitable for our applications or not; I'm simply passing along potentially useful information.

 

[waybad41willys]

The stuff I use look just like the standard mdf but has a red color resins

 

[Garibaldimon]

I have to agree, I would avoid using MDF on the stand. It's just too easily damaged by moisture.

I watched Parkers reef build(i already purchased 650 black vinyl) and he uses the MDF TO BLACK OUT, then he uses white mafia to put back of sump area it certainly looks sharp, and i have alufab stand so I can attatch to that!!