Guides
Board and Laminate Grades: What to Specify Where
Six boards that get used interchangeably on drawings and should not be. What each one actually is, how thick it comes and how the edge is finished.
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Half the specification errors we see come from one word doing too much work. Laminate covers a melamine face on chipboard, a high pressure laminate bonded to MDF, a solid compact sheet and a laboratory grade panel. They cost different money, they behave differently in water and they are not interchangeable.
This is the reference we use in Bolton when we quote. Cut-to-size panels in MFC, MDF, MR MDF, FR MDF and compact laminate run at five to seven working days. Laboratory grade compact panels are seven to nine. Worktops, table tops and postformed panels are eight to ten.
What we supply
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Cut and edged panels
MFC, MDF, MR MDF, FR MDF and compact laminate cut to your sizes and edged on the faces that show. Five to seven working days for the standard boards.
Order cut to size -
Compact grade laminate
Solid through-thickness panels with machined and polished edges. Used across our Alpine cubicles, wet area panelling and lab-grade tops. Laboratory grade compact runs at seven to nine working days.
View the Alpine Range -
Postformed worktops
Laminate wrapped over a machined radius on an MDF or MR MDF core, so there is no edge seam at the wear point. Worktops and postformed panels run at eight to ten working days.
View worktops -
Decors and samples
The same decor can behave differently across MFC, laminate on MDF and compact, so check a physical sample against the existing joinery before the schedule is signed off.
See the colour range
Specification
| Board | Construction and typical thickness | Where it belongs and how the edge is finished |
|---|---|---|
| MFC — Melamine Faced Chipboard | Chipboard core with a melamine paper decor pressed to both faces. Typically 18mm, with 15mm and 25mm available. | Dry areas and general commercial joinery. Every cut face needs ABS or PVC banding — an unbanded MFC edge is the failure point. |
| MR MDF — Moisture Resistant MDF | Fine, even MDF core with a moisture resistant binder. Typically 18mm or 25mm, laminate faced or primed for paint. | Washroom ducts, IPS runs, splash zones and steamy rooms. Banded, lipped or postformed. Moisture resistant is not waterproof — it must not stand in water. |
| FR MDF — Fire Retardant MDF | MDF core with a fire retardant additive, usually supplied in a distinguishing colour. Typically 18mm or 25mm. | Where the project specification calls for a fire retardant core. Banded or lipped. Performance depends on the laminate and core specified — certificate on request. |
| CGL — Compact Grade Laminate | Kraft paper layers bonded with resin under heat and pressure, solid through the thickness. Typically 13mm for cubicles, 10–13mm for panels. | Wet areas, changing rooms, high traffic and vandal-prone spaces. Self-supporting. The edge is machined and polished, never banded. |
| Postformed panel | High pressure laminate wrapped over a machined radius on an MDF or MR MDF core. Typically 30–40mm at the front edge. | Worktops, reception tops and counters where a seamless front edge matters. No banding line to lift at the point of wear. |
| Trespa TopLab | Laboratory grade compact panel, chemical and heat resistant. Typically 13mm. Lead time 7–9 working days. | Science labs, prep rooms, technician benches and healthcare tops. Machined and polished edge, no banding or lipping. |
Why buy direct from the manufacturer
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We hold every grade
MFC, MDF, MR MDF, FR MDF and compact laminate all run through the same beam saw and edgebander, so a mixed-board schedule ships as one delivery.
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Edging specified per panel
Tell us which faces show and we band only those. You are not paying to edge four sides of a panel that sits inside a carcass on three of them.
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No guesswork on certification
We do not print fire ratings on a product page. Tell us the required build-up and we will send the certificate that applies to the laminate and core you are specifying.
Common questions
Is MFC the same thing as laminate?
Not in the way most schedules use the word. MFC is a melamine paper decor pressed directly onto a chipboard core, which is thinner and softer than a high pressure laminate bonded to MDF. Both are decorative faced boards, but surface hardness, cost and wet performance differ. Say which one you mean on the drawing and the quote will be right.
Does moisture resistant mean waterproof?
No. MR MDF has a binder that slows moisture uptake, so it copes with steam, splashing and being wiped down. It will still swell if it stands in water or if a cut edge is left unsealed. If a panel is going to sit in standing water, such as a shower zone or a pool surround, specify compact grade laminate instead.
How thick should the board be?
For cubicles, 18mm in MFC and 13mm in CGL are the working standards. For worktops, 30mm to 40mm at the front edge is normal in postformed and 25mm in a square edged laminated top. For shelving and carcassing, 18mm is the default and 25mm is for long spans. Give us the span and we will advise.
What edge options do you offer?
ABS or PVC edge banding from 0.4mm up to 2mm, colour matched or contrasting, applied in the factory. Solid hardwood lipping where a heavier detail is wanted. Postformed radius on worktops. Machined and polished edges on compact and Trespa. Edging is specified per panel, so tell us which faces are on show.
Can you supply FR MDF cut to size?
Yes, on the same five to seven working day lead time as our other cut-to-size panels, machined and edged in Bolton. We do not quote a classification figure against it, because that depends on the laminate and core specified. Send us the required build-up and we will confirm what certification is available before you order.
What is Trespa TopLab used for?
It is a laboratory grade compact panel built to take chemical spills, heat and constant cleaning. It belongs on science bench tops, prep room worktops, technician benches and some healthcare applications where a standard laminate top would stain or degrade. It runs at seven to nine working days and is machined and polished to size.
Related guides
Tell us the job and we will spec the board
Send the panel schedule and we will confirm grade, thickness and edging, priced exc VAT with free delivery to the UK mainland.