As the wider construction industry becomes increasingly focused on building with the end-user in mind, construction professionals face an opportunity to set a new standard for building safer, healthier homes and workplace
The buildings not only desired but now demanded by an increasingly environmentally aware society have both functionality and the wellbeing of occupants in mind. In this way, they also serve as much better property investments, therefore bringing more wealth and prosperity into an area. To achieve this, a building must deliver an environment that people can thrive in, opening the door for new standards.
Such an environment ideally should not expose its occupants to high, possibly harmful levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), particularly formaldehyde.
Wood in its natural state contains an extremely low, safe level of formaldehyde, which will vary slightly depending on the type of wood. As a chemical that can off-gas into the air though, formaldehyde can be an irritant in higher levels, and harmful to those more sensitive to their environments. Levels can be dangerously raised in the manufacturing of composite timber such as MDF, as formaldehyde-containing resins are added to the mixture of timber pulp.
When it comes to interior fit-outs, MDF is often used and actually preferred as it’s not required to be structural and it has a smoother, flatter consistency than hardwood, which yields clean aesthetic results.
Especially when it comes to sensitive applications such as schools, hospitals and care homes, but also our workplaces and other spaces where we may spend the majority of our time, wouldn’t it be best for our health and wellbeing to fit out our interiors with MDF that has been crafted specifically without any added formaldehyde?
MEDITE SMARTPLY, timber panel manufacturer committed to providing sustainably produced products, has recently launched MEDITE CLEAR, an MDF panel with zero added formaldehyde.
MEDITE CLEAR has been specially designed to help maintain the cleanest indoor air quality possible. When independent tests have shown that, in urban environments, indoor air quality can actually be worse than that of the air outside, MEDITE CLEAR offers architects and specifiers the opportunity to help tip the balance, and make our indoor environments the healthiest they can be.
With not only health and wellbeing but safety also in mind, MEDITE SMARTPLY have also created a flame-retardant version. MEDITE FR CLEAR allows an architect to specify a flame-retardant panel perfect for the hotel sector, social housing and public buildings for example, that will also have the end users wellbeing at heart.
Striving to innovate ever smarter, safer and effective timber panels, MEDITE CLEAR and FR CLEAR come as part of a series of products that all aim to allow architects the opportunity to set a new standard of smart solutions and healthier spaces.
