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Plywood shelves vs MDF for my garage workshop in Denver
I spent 3 days debating between Baltic birch plywood and MDF for shelving in my garage shop. Went with the plywood because I got tired of MDF sagging after a year in my old apartment. Cut everything on a Saturday, routed the edges, and bolted it to the studs with 3 inch screws. So far it's holding up great even with my heavy drill press on top. Anyone else swear by plywood for shop storage or am I just being extra?
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the_kai9d ago
Three years ago I would've sworn by MDF for everything but after building a workbench out of it that sagged in 8 months I completely flipped. That Baltic birch stuff is worth the extra cash especially in a garage where humidity changes a lot.
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wren_brown9d ago
Read an article in a woodworking mag last month that tested both materials in different conditions. They found MDF absorbs moisture way faster than plywood, which explains why your bench sagged. The glue in MDF breaks down when it gets wet, and garage humidity does a number on it over time. Baltic birch has more layers and better glue, so it holds up way longer even in damp spaces. The price difference stings upfront but beats having to rebuild in a year.
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