Guides
CGL vs MFC Toilet Cubicles
Two materials, two different jobs. What actually separates 13mm compact grade laminate from 18mm MFC, and which one belongs in your washroom.
- Made in Bolton since 1998
- Free UK mainland delivery
- Constructionline Gold
- SSIP accredited
- Trade prices exc VAT
Most cubicle enquiries start with a budget and end with a material choice. The two that matter are melamine faced chipboard and compact grade laminate. They look similar in a photograph and behave nothing alike in a busy washroom. This page sets out the difference in plain terms so you can specify once and not revisit it.
We manufacture both in Bolton. The Smart Range and Ascent MR Range are MFC. The Alpine Range is 13mm CGL with polished radius edges. All cubicle ranges run on the same seven working day lead time, manufactured in three to five, so material choice is a performance and cost decision rather than a programme one.
What we supply
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Smart Range — 18mm MFC
Melamine faced chipboard doors and pilasters, edge banded on all cut faces. The everyday commercial specification for offices, dry washrooms and schools where budget per bay is the driver.
View the Smart Range -
Ascent MR Range — moisture resistant MFC
Moisture resistant MFC, decorative on both faces, for commercial, public and hospitality washrooms. The step up from Smart where the room sees steam, splashing and heavier daily footfall but not full wet use.
View the Ascent MR Range -
Alpine Range — 13mm CGL
Solid compact grade laminate, through the full thickness, with machined and polished radius edges. No banding to lift. Built for changing rooms, wet areas, leisure and heavy-duty public use.
View the Alpine Range -
Matching decors across a site
Both materials are available across a commercial decor range, so a CGL wet block and an MFC dry block can be specified to sit together on one site. Ask for a sample before you commit.
See the colour range
Specification
| Attribute | 18mm MFC (Smart / Ascent MR) | 13mm CGL (Alpine) |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Chipboard particle core with a melamine paper face pressed onto both sides | Kraft paper layers bonded with resin under heat and pressure, solid through the section |
| Nominal thickness | 18mm doors, pilasters and partitions | 13mm doors, pilasters and partitions |
| Edge finish | ABS or PVC edge banding applied to every cut face | Machined and polished radius edge, no applied banding |
| Wet performance | Faced surfaces shed water, but a chipped or unsealed edge can let the core swell | Water resistant through the full thickness, unaffected by standing water on the edge |
| Impact damage | A hard knock chips the melamine and exposes the pale core underneath | Scratches read as the core colour rather than as a pale chip |
| Cost and service life | Lowest capital cost per bay, longest life in dry and supervised areas | Higher capital cost per bay, lower whole-life cost in wet or abused washrooms |
| Best fit | Offices, schools, dry and lightly used commercial washrooms | Changing rooms, pools, gyms, hospitality and heavy public traffic |
| Fire performance | Depends on the laminate and core specified — certificate on request | Depends on the laminate and core specified — certificate on request |
Why buy direct from the manufacturer
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Both made in Bolton
MFC and CGL cubicles are cut, edged and assembled on our own beam saw and CNC lines, so a mixed-material site ships from one factory on one programme.
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Straight answers on material
We will tell you when MFC is enough. Specifying CGL across a whole school when only the changing block needs it is money that buys nothing.
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Trade pricing, no middleman
You buy from the manufacturer. Prices are quoted exc VAT with free delivery to the UK mainland, and surcharge areas are confirmed with you before production starts.
Common questions
Is CGL just MFC with a laminate face?
No. MFC is a chipboard core with a melamine paper decor pressed onto it, so the surface is a facing on a different material. Compact grade laminate is one solid board made from kraft paper layers bonded under heat and pressure. There is no separate core underneath to expose, which is why the edge can be machined and polished rather than banded.
Is 13mm CGL weaker than 18mm MFC because it is thinner?
No. Compact grade laminate is far denser than chipboard, so a 13mm CGL door is stiffer and heavier than an 18mm MFC door of the same size. The thinner section is the normal manufacturing standard for CGL cubicles, and it carries hardware, hinges and daily slamming without the headrail doing all the work.
Which material should I use in a school?
Usually both. Classroom block and corridor washrooms are normally fine in Smart Range MFC or Ascent MR. Sports changing rooms, wet areas and any block with a history of vandalism are the case for Alpine CGL. Splitting the specification by room is almost always cheaper than one blanket material across a whole site.
Can I mix ranges on one order?
Yes. Everything is made to order in Bolton, so a single order can carry MFC bays for the dry blocks and CGL bays for the wet ones. All cubicle ranges share a seven working day lead time, manufactured in three to five, so mixing materials does not extend the programme or the delivery.
What fire rating do the cubicles have?
Fire performance depends on the laminate and the core specified, so we do not quote a single rating across a range. Tell us the decor and the material you need and we will send the certificate that applies to that build-up before you order. If a project has a specific requirement, raise it at enquiry stage rather than after production.
Can CGL be cut down on site?
It should not be. Compact grade laminate is machined and polished to size in the factory, and a site cut leaves a rough matt edge that cannot be polished with hand tools. Send us the surveyed sizes and we will make the panels to fit. The same applies to MFC, where a site cut also breaks the banding line.
Related guides
Not sure which material the job needs?
Send the room type and the traffic it takes and we will price MFC and CGL side by side, exc VAT, on a seven working day lead time.