Can I use water-based paints on MDF and get a quality finish?

I always say MDF is a "nice" material. It's dimensionally stable, homogeneous, easy to work, and properly milled and painted, it can rival solid wood furniture. I know this for a fact because I have kitchen furniture with milled, painted and antiqued MDF fronts. Incidentally, I told you here about the kitchen furniture we painted and antiqued alone. I can tell you that I have had many guests who have been convinced that I have wooden furniture. And the pattern chosen for the door fronts is not the most convincing. MDF is an increasingly popular material for furniture. Initially it was used more for bathroom and kitchen furniture, but gradually it conquered the whole house. To convince, however, you need quality finishing materials that cover and stretch well and make a hard-wearing and aesthetically pleasing veneer. The main materials used in the past were solvent-based, with water-based materials considered to 'swell' the MDF and not be as tough. In the meantime, water-based materials have made up the quality difference and are now the preferred choice.

But the demands of customers on the quality of furniture have grown, and so have the requirements for MDF paints. This was the starting point for the Italian group ICA when it developed its range of BIO resins, which it also used to produce finishing materials for MDF. The opaque range of products IRIDEA BIO for interiors, which, in addition to the traditional white products, can offer all colors from the RAL, NCS or ICA's own range. ICA products are distributed in Romania by Lomilux, which can offer you, in addition to the basic materials, the colors of all 3 ranges, as well as the possibility of copying any color with the sprectrophotometer.

Qualities of MDF

MDF is made by hot-pressing wood fiber mixed with adhesives. The fiber is obtained by partially removing the lignin from the wood and is very similar to sheep's wool, roughly stripped. Pressing produces a uniform, fairly homogeneous and very versatile material. From the press, MDF has its faces treated with paraffin to make it resistant to moisture. By milling, that coating is removed, the milled parts becoming more susceptible to moisture. Hence the holding back on finishing with waterborne products.

MDF panels can be used in construction or furniture. They can be veneered, solid wood veneered or painted. They can be milled to produce the most interesting patterns. The advent of CNC has greatly simplified processing and diversified designs. In addition to furniture, there are also room dividers, radiator masks and atypical mirror frames with unique designs.

The fact that it has a homogeneous structure means that there are no major absorption problems in the milled areas. The only problem comes from the different absorption compared to the surface of the panel. Unlike the wood from which it is made, MDF is much more dimensionally stable, with moisture-induced variation being negligible. As the appearance of the original board is not spectacular, MDF furniture is painted. The system uses insulation (optional) to prevent deep absorption in the milled areas, primer and paint (enamel). For a long time, high gloss paints were the specific paints for this type of furniture. Over time, the versatility of MDF has been recognized and the finishes have diversified from mirror gloss to the most interesting antique finishes.

Iridea BIO water soluble products

ICA Group's main objective was to combine innovation and quality with low environmental impact. The decision was to focus on water-based products, thus helping to protect those who work with coating materials and those who come into contact with furniture and finished products. The research was conducted to obtain products with minimal health impact by using vegetable waste as a raw material, without compromising on the quality and properties of the materials obtained. This has resulted in BIO product range with comparable or even better properties than traditional products. There are both outdoor products, Arborea BIO (about which you can find information here and here) and for interiors - Iridea BIO. We talked about transparent, colored and colorless products here. Now it's the turn of opaque products used to finish MDF and wood.

The Iridea BIO range of pigmented waterborne products includes products with physical, chemical and mechanical properties and aesthetics perfectly comparable to those of solvent-based polyurethane products. Unlike these, which contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of over 55%, Iridea products have a VOC content of 3-7%. Thus, the waterborne system makes it possible to comply with regulations on the reduction of solvent emissions into the atmosphere, ensuring the same aesthetic and qualitative results as the solvent-based system. This reduced emission is beneficial both for the factory operators and for the recipients of the furniture, who are spared the unpleasant odor in their homes.

The Iridea BIO opaque system for MDF consists of a white hardenable primer and white enamels with different gloss levels. The hardening primer also acts as an insulator. After the first coat of primer, diluted with up to 5% water, sand to remove the high fiber. Another coat of primer is then applied for a very good coating of the MDF and finally the enamel. What's appealing about this finish is that the furniture can be stained in the most exquisite colors. Being also healthy, they are perfect for children's furniture or toys. The colors can be chosen from three color ranges (ICA, RAL and NCS), comprising more than 2,300 colors that can be faithfully reproduced thanks to the tinctometric system ICA Color. On request, other colors can be reproduced using the spectrophotometer.

A range of healthy products also recognized by the European Commission

What is important about the Iridea BIO range of products is that, in addition to being healthy and environmentally friendly, they have high mechanical and chemical resistance, are easy to work with and can be applied with technologies specific to large factories. As we are talking about MDF finishing, it is important that they can be applied with a spray gun, pump or on automated finishing lines, as this is the way of working in factories. However healthy or environmentally friendly they were, it would be difficult to get them accepted in factories if they were only applied with a brush or a trowel.

Iridea BIO products are resistant to scratching, knocks and other mechanical actions, water or coffee stains, humidity, and have a pleasant look and feel. Unlike organic alkyd products (to which they are often compared), they dry faster, sand more easily and are more resistant to direct light. They are suitable for repeated industrial applications and can be used without problems in large factories where productivity is an important requirement. Their good resistance to humidity allows them to be used to finish bathroom or kitchen furniture, and the multitude of colors that can be obtained makes them perfect for painting children's furniture.

Water-based two-component products win award LIFE The European Union prize is awarded to projects that demonstrate a high level of technological innovation geared towards protecting the environment and using renewable resources.