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Plywood vs. MDF for my basement workbench - wish I went the other way
I built a workbench in my Omaha basement last weekend and picked MDF because it was cheaper, but after one 3 hour project the surface already has dings and a slight bow from moisture. Plywood would have cost me $20 more but this thing feels flimsy already. Anyone else regret going with MDF for a workbench?
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graygonzalez1mo ago
Yeah, did you at least seal it or put something on top before you started? I feel your pain though, man. @sage_dixon is totally right (and I hate admitting that, haha) - MDF and basements are a bad combo. I made the same mistake on my first bench in a damp garage and it swelled up at the edges within a month. The dings on the surface bugged me way more than I expected too, like every little scratch was a personal insult. You could probably still salvage it with a sacrificial sheet of hardboard on top, that's what I did before I finally broke down and built a plywood one.
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troyreed1mo agoMost Upvoted
I read somewhere that MDF absorbs moisture like a sponge, something like 10% of its weight in water if it's not sealed. So yeah, basements are pretty much the worst place for it unless you live in a desert. The hardboard idea is solid though, I actually did that on my current bench and it's held up way better than I expected. Just gotta make sure you staple it down tight so it doesn't buckle when the humidity changes. I still keep a dehumidifier running down there just in case, but the hardboard takes all the dings and scratches and I can just swap it out every few years.
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