Window boards are traditionally fabricated from the same materials used for manufacturing windows. Timber, in particular, has proven to be an effective material for sills, as it provides traditional aesthetics to any home's facade while creating a welcoming ambiance on the inside. However, the main downside to using timber sills has always been their price. The MDF window board provides a solution to this problem. It offers the high-class aesthetics of solid wood at a price significantly lower than that of timber.

The Benefits of Medium-Density Fibreboard

MDF is an engineered wood, in contrast to solid soft- or hardwood boards. This means that it is made of homogenous wood fibres that are combined with multiple layers of a melamine resin binder material. Its name derives from the fact that its density is lower than that of hardwood, but significantly higher than that of plywood and chipboard. Medium-density fibreboard has become a very popular material for window board construction, thanks to its numerous advantages:

Very consistent in its physical properties
More affordable than solid timber
Does not expand due to heating
Easily shaped and cut to size
Robust and very stable
Smooth surfaces

When looking at these properties, it should come as no surprise that the engineered material is commonly used for window board manufacture, particularly for interior sills. Outwardly, it looks almost identical to solid timber and the construction of it allows even laypersons using simple tools to cut it into various shapes and sizes easily.

Additionally, when employed as a material for interior window boards, medium-density fibreboard loses many of its natural disadvantages. For example, MDF is known to split when screws are mounted into it without carefully drilling pilot holes beforehand - and its construction from individual wood fibres means that it can take on water more easily unless high-quality sealants are applied to its surfaces. However, when used in the interior of your home, these disadvantages do not apply, as an interior MDF window sill is not exposed to the weather and can be mounted to the wall or the reveal in a variety of ways that do not cause the board to split.

Thanks to modern resin materials being used in the fabrication of medium-density fibreboard, contemporary MDF window boards do not release formaldehyde anymore.

Choosing your personal Window Board

Thanks to its material properties, MDF window sill models can be easily customised according to your requirements and personal preferences. Since the material is easy to shape, the board can be cut into various sizes. Its depth can reach anywhere from 50 all the way up to 400mm, while its width (or horizontal length) can potentially be of any size that can fit underneath your windows.

As MDF features relatively smooth surfaces when compared to other engineered wood types such as plywood, it is relatively easy to paint or lacquer. Foil-based decors can also be applied very easily, allowing the window board to be visually customised to a great extent. As both the melamine resin used to coat an MDF window board as well as the RAL colours used to paint it are highly resistant to UV light, there is no need to frequently re-paint the board to preserve its looks.

Reaping the Benefits of combining MDF with Stone Aesthetics

Primed wooden board can be employed to mimic the appearance of other materials such as marble, ashlar or aluminium. This is made possible by applying the right RAL colour in combination with a decorative foil. Using metallic grey can evoke a modern aluminium aesthetic, while light white or beige with complimentary patterned decorative film can create the appearance of high-class marble.

In fact, stone decors are relatively frequently applied to MDF board, as the fibreboard is cheaper and much easier to shape and install. Additionally, it is much less probable for heat bridges to form between MDF board and the frame of the window, as wooden fibres provide a natural thermal insulation. Thus, if the decors are applied correctly, a homeowner can benefit from the properties of medium-density fibreboard while the construction element is visually indistinguishable from genuine marble.

Hardwood or Fibreboard?

Perhaps the most important question one would need to ask when choosing between solid wooden or MDF sills is whether the board is intended to be installed on the exterior or interior side of the window. This is because it is generally not advisable to install MDF sills outside, as they can take on moisture more easily than timber - though both materials should generally be eschewed in favour of durable aluminium or uPVC. On the inside, however, water absorption properties become much less of a problem.

An MDF window board can be the best choice, particularly for interior installation, as the benefits which timber provides are much less significant in this area, compared to fibreboard.

When deciding on a material for an internal window board, MDF benefits particularly from lower prices and an easy installation, while solid timber has a slightly higher overall lifespan.

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