| Material property | High Density Fibre Gypsum | MDF | Plywood |
| DESCRIPTION | DESCRIPTION | DESCRIPTION | |
| Dimension stability | Fiber Gypsum is extremely dimension stable and large panels up to 3000x1200mm can be installed with a 0 mm spacing (100% closed joints). 5/5 | MDF is sensitive to changes in the room’s temperature or humidity and should be installed with a 4 mm spacing per 1000 mm of length and width. 2/5 | Plywood is sensitive to changes in the room’s temperature or humidity and should be installed with a 2 mm spacing per 1000 mm of length and width. 3/5 |
| Resistance to impact | Fiber Gypsum has a good resistance to impact and is suitable for high traffic areas, sports halls, schools, hospitals, restaurants and similar. 5/5 | MDF has a good resistance to impact and is suitable for high traffic areas, sports halls, schools, hospitals, restaurants and similar. 5/5 | Plywood has a good resistance to impact and is suitable for high traffic areas, sports halls, schools, hospitals, restaurants and similar. 5/5 |
| Flattness | Fiber Gypsum is not sensitive to changes in the room’s temperature or humidity and stays flatt over time. Large panel formats can be used. 5/5 | MDF is sensitive to changes in the room’s temperature or humidity and large panel formats should be avoided. 3/5 | Plywood is sensitive to changes in the room’s temperature or humidity and large panel formats should be avoided. 4/5 |
| Fire Safety of the core | Fiber Gypsum contains 83% or more non-combustible minerals and is classified A1-s1,d0 or A2-s1,d0. No impregnating chemicals or fire retardant lacquers need to be used. 5/5 | Fire retardant FR-MDF’s with class B-s1,d0 are avaible. 4/5 | Plywood can be impregnated to class B-s1,d0. The impregnation and drying process can lead to warping panels. 4/5 |
| Fire Safety of the whole panel, including the veneer, lacquer and perforations | Fiber Gypsum is all the way through non-combustible. Perforations do not effect the fire properties and the whole panel keeps fire class A2-s1,d0, including the veneer and lacquer. 5/5 | With veneer FR-MDF drops to fire class C or lower. FR-Lacquers can be used, but the salts and thickness requirements make them non-clear. Perforated holes can not be lacquered. 2/5 | Plywood including the top veneer can be impregnated to B-s1,d0. Impregnation cannot pass the glue layers in plywood, perforations might expose nonimpregnated material. 2/5 |
| Acoustics | With 15 kg/m², Fiber Gypsum based panels will not vibrate/resonate due to sound waves. Sound will be properly reflected towards to back concert halls or auditoriums. 5/5 | With 9,5 kg/m², MDF based panels will more easily start to vibrate/resonate due to sound waves. Sound will not be properly reflected towards to back concert halls or auditoriums. 3/5 | With 9,5 kg/m², Plywood based panels will more easily start to vibrate/ resonate due to sound waves. Sound will not be properly reflected towards to back concert halls or auditoriums. 3/5 |
| Recycled material | Fiber Gypsum contains 94% recycled material and 17% of these are post consumer. 5/5 | MDF is made of new raw materials and does not contain any recycled material (and by that no post consumer recycled materials). – | Plywood is made of new raw materials and does not contain any recycled material (and by that no post consumer recycled materials). – |
| Thermal mass | With a high density of 1150-1250 kg/m³ Fiber Gypsum stores both heath and cold. This property helps to keep rooms at an even temperature which reduces energy consumption. 5/5 | MDF is not very good at storing heath and cold and rather works the opposite way by isolating the concreate structure of a building which ortherwise can store heat and cold. 2/5 | Plywood is not very good at storing heath and cold and rather works the opposite way by isolating the concreate structure of a building which ortherwise can store heat and cold. 2/5 |
| Emissions | Fiber Gypsum does not contribute to formaldehyde emissions at all and post treatments like acoustic perforations does not influence the level of emissions. 5/5 | MDF is available in formaldehyde class E1. After adding an acoustic perforation, the E1 classification is normally not valid anymore as the total emitting surface increases. 2/5 | Plywood is available in formaldehyde class E1. After adding an acoustic perforation, the E1 classification is normally not valid anymore as the total emitting surface increases. 2/5 |
| No added Urea Formaldehyde | Fibre Gypsum does not contain any glue and will never contain added urea formaldehyde. 5/5 | MDF is available in non added ureaformaldehyde versions. MDF contains a lot of glue, so when incorrect glues are used, a lot of urea formaldehyde will be added. 3/5 | Plywood is available in non added ureaformaldehyde versions.Plywood contains a lot of glue, so when incorrect glues are used, a lot of urea formaldehyde will be added. 3/5 |
| Colors | Fiber Gypsums are availabe in Light Grey and Dark Grey. A Dark Grey Core is recommended in combination with dark veneers, dark paints and dark laminates. 3/5 | The natural color of MDF is brown, but is available in many pre-colored grades. Please note that pre-colored MDF will have minimum MOQ’s and longer lead times. 5/5 | Plywood is not available in pre-colored grades. – |
| TOTAL | 53 | 31 | 28 |
GLOBAL
