The UK interior joinery sector faces significant challenges, including supply chain disruptions and rising material costs. At the same time, consumers demand durable, sustainable and high-quality furniture. These pressures call for innovative materials that balance cost savings with uncompromising quality.
Why material choice matters
Supply chain disruptions have exposed vulnerabilities in sourcing raw materials, particularly timber, leading to price volatility and longer lead times. This makes local sourcing and the use of versatile, high-performance materials more critical than ever. Increasing energy costs and labour shortages further squeeze profit margins, making materials that simplify processes – like pre-primed, moisture-resistant MDF – a lifeline for joiners.
MEDITE MR PLUS is a premium white-primed moisture-resistant MDF that eliminates the need for additional priming, reducing material and labour costs. In real-world applications, it has shortened project timelines by up to 2.5 days and achieved cost savings of 13%. Its UV-cured coating on both sides provides a smooth base for water- or solvent-based paints, ensuring a flawless finish.
Responding to consumer trends
The UK furniture market is projected to generate around £20 billion in revenue by 2025, according to Statista. As consumers prioritise sustainability, multifunctionality and durability, products like moisture-resistant MDF deliver on these expectations.
MEDITE OPTIMA is another innovative solution, offering enhanced density, machinability and surface quality. It is ideal for intricate routing and detailing, such as shaker doors and decorative beading, and serves as a versatile substitute for softwoods and hardwoods. John Penny Bespoke Joinery in Scotland successfully used MEDITE OPTIMA to create shaker doors for a high-end project, praising its stability, machinability and suitability for water-based paints.
On the sustainability front, MEDITE SMARTPLY creates its MDF panels using wood sourced from sustainably managed forests in Ireland. These wood-based panels feature consistently smooth surfaces and superior quality – meaning furniture and finishings are also of the highest quality. MEDITE SMARTPLY’s MDF timber panels consist of 40% wood chip and 60% by-product, resulting in fewer imperfections both aesthetically and in terms of durability, all while remaining sustainably conscious. When choosing a material for kitchen and bathroom applications, users should always take these aspects into consideration, as the final product’s appearance is as crucial as its moisture resistance and durability for many.
When timber is harvested from sustainably managed forests, timber products also act as a carbon store, locking away carbon for the duration of that product’s life, as well as the life of any recycled wood products made from the original product. At the individual building level, carbon storage is approximately 50% higher in timber-framed homes than in masonry homes.
Overall, moisture-resistant MDF panels are the ideal choice for many applications within the home. With their ability to withstand both moisture and water splashes, without warping or rotting, they are the clear choice for users looking to achieve maximum durability, whilst still being mindful of the sustainability credentials of their chosen material.
