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Definition of Medium density fiberboard (MDF)

Medium density fiberboard (MDF)

This sturdy, inexpensive substitute for wood is common in homes, though it's often hidden behind an attractive exterior. MDF is a composite material, made from wood fibers and adhesive. It is useful as a substrate material beneath laminate countertops, cabinets, and flooring, among other things. Because synthetic, formaldehyde-based resins are typically used in MDF, this material is a major source of formaldehyde offgassing in homes. Formaldehyde-free MDF products are available.

 

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Indoor air quality
Pollution is not only outside. Indoor air quality refers to the condition of the air inside a... more
 
Industrial waste
The manufacture of nearly everything produces waste, some of it hazardous waste, and some of it... more
 
Ingeo
So what can't be made from corn these days? Automobile fuel, bioplastic, and now clothing, too?... more
 
Instantaneous water heater
Also called tankless water heater or demand water heater. Hot water when you need it, without... more
 
Insulated concrete form (ICF)
Have you ever thought of living in a concrete house? It may be more welcoming than it sounds. These... more
 
Insulation
Like the down on a goose, it's a protective layer against the elements. Technically, insulation is... more
 
Integrated building design
This is teamwork at its best: A holistic approach to building, through which multiple disciplines... more
 
Joist
If building or remodeling a home, you'll almost certainly hear about these. Part of the framing of... more
 
Kelvin (K)
Ever wonder what "white-hot" really means? Kelvin has the answer. It is the scale for the color... more
 
Kilowatt
This is a unit of energy used to measure electrical power. One kW equals 1000 watts-or the... more
 
Kilowatt hour (kWh)
This common measurement of electrical energy consumption is equal to the use of 1000 watts of power... more
 
Kyoto Protocol
A global problem requires a global solution. That was the thinking behind this agreement, reached... more
 
Laminate
This term refers to thin layers of material that are bonded together to create a strong, durable... more
 
Latex
It's in rubber gloves, elastic bands, and even birthday-party balloons. This natural resin, which... more
 
Leaching
Not related to bloodsucking leeches, but arguably as objectionable, this term refers to the drawing... more
 
Lead
You definitely want to get the lead out. Although it has been widely used for centuries-in products... more
 
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
For green builders, this is both a benchmark and a support system. The U.S. Green Building Council... more
 
Life cycle
Everything has a lifespan, whether it's a person, a planet, or a house. This term, in green design... more
 
Linoleum
Poor Linoleum. This flooring material hung out with some questionable characters back in the... more
 
Low flush toilet
A water-saving toilet that still gets the job done. Low-flush toilets use no more than 1.6 gallons... more
 
Low impact dye
Ever had a red sock turn all your white shirts pink in the wash? That's one of the troubles of... more
 
Low-emissivity (Low-E) window
Want to let the light in but keep the heat out? A low-E window can do just that. It has been coated... more
 
Mastic
What good is a powerful heating and cooling system if air can leak in and out around the ducts?... more
 
Medium density fiberboard (MDF)
This sturdy, inexpensive substitute for wood is common in homes, though it's often hidden behind an... more
 
Megawatt (MW)
A unit of electrical power, equal to a million watts or one thousand kilowatts. It is typically... more
 
Methane (CH4)
Can we lay a little blame for global warming on anyone else? Like cows, maybe? Actually, yes. By... more
 
Multiple chemical sensitivity
Ever feel as if perfectly ordinary things in your environment are making you sick? This is how some... more
 
National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC)
Planning a little window shopping? Before you go, you'll want to know about this group. It has... more
 
Native vegetation
These plants are born to be wild. Native vegetation refers to grasses, wildflowers, and other plant... more
 
Natural cooling
In the days before mechanical air-conditioning, this was how people beat the heat, and it can work... more
 
Natural dye
Colorful dyes have been used to gussy up fabric for thousands of years, and for most of that time... more
 
Natural ventilation
You feel this effect every time you throw open a few windows in the house: Natural ventilation... more
 
New urbanism
For decades, the car has been the quintessential symbol of individual freedom. Proponents of new... more
 
Nonrenewable resource
We're using them up faster than they are made. These natural resources-including forests, coal, and... more
 
Offgassing
Does that unmistakable "new rug smell" or "new car smell" make you woozy? That's because the smell... more
 
Old-growth tree
This is a tree that has lived hundreds, even thousands of years. Such trees are usually found in... more
 
Organic
In the widest sense, this is anything of, or relating to, living organisms. It is also a term used... more
 
Organic gardening
It's the most Earth-friendly method of gardening, and the healthiest, too. Organic gardening... more
 
Orientation
When a real estate ad says that a home has a "southern exposure," this is what it means. It is the... more
 
Ozone
This chemical molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms, has something of a dual personality: On... more
 
Particleboard
You might know it best as that bookshelf that arrived in 109 pieces, with "some assembly required."... more
 
Particulates
These are tiny bits of matter; they come from soot, dust, or other polluting sources, and can... more
 
Passive cooling
In the days before mechanical air-conditioning, this was how people beat the heat, and it can work... more
 
Passive solar design
Here's a passive way to be aggressive about helping the planet. This age-old approach to design... more
 
Peak oil
When will the world's oil run out? It's a hotly debated question among energy experts, geologists,... more
 
Perfluorochemicals (PFCs)
These man-made compounds show up in a host of items we associate with making our lives a little... more
 
Permaculture
This concept, which comes from the words permanent, agriculture, and culture, means a lot of... more
 
Pesticide
These potent chemicals a major reason we wash our vegetables well before eating them-and an... more
 
Petrochemical
The source of many of the highly useful but unsustainable and potentially damaging products in our... more
 
Petroleum-based
From the gasoline in your car, to your car's dashboard, to the lip balm in your pocket (and maybe... more
 
Phantom load
Your house is probably haunted…by a phantom load. This is the small but not insignificant... more
 
Phenol formaldehyde (PF)
In layman's terms, this is a glue. It's one of two synthetic, formaldehyde-based polymer resins... more
 
Photocell
Would you like to have your front-porch light come on when dusk falls, whether you're home or not?... more
 
Photovoltaic (PV) cell
This is the technology that makes solar power happen. A panel of semiconductor material (typically... more
 
Phthalates
Nearly impossible to pronounce and nearly impossible to avoid, phthalates are a group of chemicals... more
 
Plastic
In the 1967 movie The Graduate, the word plastics represents a certain kind of bright, golden... more
 
Plywood
This tough, inexpensive pressed-wood product is commonplace in homes-in furniture, flooring, and... more
 
Pollution credit
How much is one company allowed to pollute? That might depend on how many credits it has. The... more
 
Polyester
Not just the fiber that makes leisure suits and gauchos possible, polyester has long outlasted... more
 
Polyethylene
This lightweight, translucent, and flexible plastic is used for grocery bags, food containers,... more
 
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
This is the stuff that holds your soda, your peanut butter, and possibly your bathroom cleaner.... more
 
Polymer
This is a chain of small molecules, called monomers, that is joined to create a material with a... more
 
Polyurethane
It's used as foam insulation, upholstery stuffing, shiny wood-floor sealant, and more. This... more
 
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
This durable plastic can be found just about anywhere: in your shower curtain, raincoat, or baby's... more
 
Post-consumer
A term that refers to something used and discarded by a consumer. With recyclables, purchasing... more
 
Post-consumer recycled (PCR) content
This is any material that was used by a consumer and then recycled for use in a new product.  A... more
 
Potable water
Water that is free enough of chemicals, particulate matter, and biological nasties (such as... more
 
Prefab
A house in a box? In construction, prefabrication means creating the pieces of a building-complete... more
 
Pressure-treated wood
This is wood that is used mostly for outdoor construction-in decks, for example. Pressure-treated... more
 

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