Particle Board Disadvantages:
Low on strength:
Particleboard has low strength as compared to other fiberboards and plywood furniture. Lesser strength means when handling of particle board furniture should be very careful as it can easily get damaged while handling.
Low life, low durability:
The life of the furniture prepared with particle board is less. Particle boards have low durability and less life as compared to medium density fiberboard and plywood.
Warp in moisture and humidity:
The resistance to moisture and humidity is also low. This is the major drawback of the particle boards furniture. In the presence of moisture, particle board expands and warps. Also in extreme conditions discoloration can occur.
Cannot support heavy loads:
It cannot support heavy loads as it is weak in strength, Particle boards are only suitable for holding low weights.
Not as eco-friendly as solid wood furniture:
Some particle boards are not eco-friendly, as they are manufactured using urea formaldehyde resin which is the source of formaldehyde gas. If the furniture edge was not sealed well, the resin can break down and release formaldehyde gas, which will bring health problem to us. This is not as eco-friendly as using good quality solid wood furniture that is 100% natural.
Although there are some disadvantages for using the partial board, there are many more advantages of using particle board making furniture which can’t be ignored.
Particle Board Advantages:
Cost-effective and save money:
The main advantage of particle board over solid wood or plywood or medium density fiberboards is that its cost is very low. Compared to plywood furniture of similar dimensions, particle board furniture costs less than half.
When building large projects that require hundreds of sheets of material, or even when you use it for small projects such as flooring in a bathroom, particleboard can save you money.
Saving a substantial amount on particleboard that you will never see anyway, you can then use that money to add other amenities to the home or project.
Light-weight:
Due to its lightweight property, particle board can be easily transported and handled.
It is common that when people come to choose wood furniture one of important factor will consider is that the denser of the wood. Denser usually also means heavier weight. Compare with plywood or solid wood, particle board are very light in weight and easy to transport and move around from one place to another place.
Easy hold nail:
Particleboard has more screw and nails holding capacity as compared to MDF, it could be easily machined (cut, drilled, milled, etc.), glued and painted. It is easy to obtain the desired dimensions.
Particle board is easy to maintain and clean.
Environmentally friendly and renewable:
It is an eco-friendly material from the scraps of other lumber products, such as wood chips, sawdust, wooden shavings, and bagasse which is a residue of sugarcane after the juice is extracted. This means that there is no waste when particleboard is manufactured, and no extra logging need be done to produce particleboard. Some particleboard is also manufactured without the use of formaldehyde.
Thermal and soundproof:
Particle boards do not have natural defects and it has good thermal and soundproof properties, so they are very much useful in speakers and in the false ceiling of auditoriums, theaters, etc.
Easy laminate:
It provides smooth and flat surface for sticking decorative laminates or wood veneer. The thin sheets of veneer or plastic laminate can be glued on the surface of the particle board to add beauty and aesthetic value. This also increases the durability of the pre-laminated particle boards. The particle board is stronger and aesthetically attractive.
