What is Chipboard?

Posted: 12th June 2023 | Author: Adam Brown | Category: Sheet Material

What is chipboard?

If you’re tackling building or renovation work, you’re likely to come across chipboard. It’s a commonly used sheet material, popular due to its affordability and versatility. But what exactly is it, how is it made and what can you use it for?

Firstly, let’s look at what chipboard is. Also known as particle board or low density fibrewood, it’s made from small wood particles. These wood shavings, chips or sawdust are compressed and formed into boards using an epoxy resin.

Chipboard comes in different grades, each determining what it can be used for. This ranges from P1 (suitable for joinery) right through to P7 (moisture-resistant, load-bearing and heavy duty).

Here, we’ll be focusing on P5 chipboard, one of the most commonly used grades. This kind is one of the best grades to use for flooring jobs.

What is chipboard used for?

Chipboard has many different uses, including:

• Flooring - especially in areas like lofts where aesthetics aren’t an issue. Sound insulation - due to its absorbent qualities, chipboard is often used for sound insulation in the walls and floors of music venues.
• Furniture - common uses include the backs of cupboards, bases of drawers and other lesser-seen parts of furniture. Many types of flat pack furniture are made from chipboard, as well as the carcasses of kitchen cabinets.
• Kitchen worktops - many types of kitchen counter have a chipboard core, before being coated in melamine for practicality, durability and finish.

Chipboard can be found in a range of densities, which is what determines the grade and potential uses. For example, the highest density chipboard can be used for flooring, while the lowest is best for inner furniture elements, sound absorption and even packaging.

This kind of sheet material has a number of qualities that make it ideal for the uses we’ve listed above.

For starters, it’s usually relatively cheap to buy, especially compared to other sheet materials. Chipboard is also easy to cut and to work with. It’s versatile, and works well with nails, screws and adhesives alike.

And when used as flooring, chipboard has another secret weapon. It has grooved sides, allowing each piece to interlock securely. This makes installation quick and straightforward.

It’s worth noting though that chipboard can’t be used for absolutely every project. It’s not the best choice for outdoor projects, for example. This is because if untreated, it can easily absorb moisture and its form will be ruined.

Chipboard is also not as strong as some other types of fibre board. For example, some types of plywood and OSB (oriented strand board) are stronger, making them more suitable for load-bearing uses.

How is chipboard made?

Chipboard is made from small particles of waste or reconstituted wood. This includes chippings, sawdust or shavings, which may be left over from the milling or manufacturing of other timber products. It can also be a by-product of tree felling or forestry works.

Here’s a step-by-step look at how these raw materials are turned into chipboard:

1. The waste wood is chipped and dried, so that it has the right moisture content ready for the rest of the process.
2. Synthetic resins and additives are applied to the raw materials, forming a kind of slurry.
3. The mix is arranged into a panel, consisting of multiple layers.
4. The panel is pressed under high temperatures, inducing the glued wood chips to bind together in an unbreakable bond.
5. The newly formed chipboard is cooled
6. The final step is to engineer the chipboard to meet the set specifications of what it’ll be used for. For example, grooves will be cut into the sides for use as chipboard flooring, or a laminate finish applied for use in furniture. The chipboard could also be coated in melamine for use in kitchen worktops or household furniture.

This manufacturing process and particularly the use of very high temperatures is what makes chipboard strong, rigid, uniform and durable.

Can you recycle chipboard?

When carrying out any building project, it’s important to think about sustainability. This not only means how materials are sourced, manufactured and transported to site. It’s also about how long a particular material lasts.

And once it reaches the end of its usable life, how it can be disposed of - and whether or not it can be recycled.

One of the benefits of using chipboard for building and DIY projects is that it ticks a lot of sustainability boxes. Firstly, it’s made using waste wood materials. This ensures that materials that would otherwise be discarded can be used. It also means lower consumption of new timber to produce the same kinds of building materials.

Chipboard can also be recycled when it reaches the end of its usable life. It can be repurposed, turned into shelving, new pieces of furniture or used for other home DIY projects.

There may also be uses for chipboard in arts, crafts or other creative projects.

Alternatively, it can be recycled at most UK household waste recycling centres.

The Author: Adam Brown

With a background as a Mechanical Engineer, I started Nationwide Supplies alongside my brother with a vision to modernise what seemed a stuck-in-its-ways industry in the builders merchant sector.  Since 2011 it has been my goal to source quality products at the correct prices to be able to offer a saving to customers along with high quality customer service which offers quick delivery and superior technical knowledge in the industry.  

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