Triboard vs MDF Shed Lining

Forums › Home Workshop DIY › Triboard vs MDF Shed Lining

TechE2020

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#287146 9-Jun-2021 14:50

I'm lining a large rural shed/workshop and want something economical and durable. Will need approximately 60 2.4x1.2 sheets to do the job. MDF and Triboard are two of the options. I can get used 7mm MDF packaging coversheets very economically or spend a bit more and use 10mm Triboard.

How does MDF compare with Triboard for rigidity and durability. It looks like Triboard is essentially a sandwich of MDF and a low-density strandardboard.

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#2721322 9-Jun-2021 17:56

What are the chances of it getting damp? MDF of course does not like moisture.

When doing something similar, I went with budget 10mm plywood sourced via TradeMe so a little moisture was unlikely to cause issues, and so I had a bit more confidence around screwing stuff like shelving and tool hangers to it. I didn't require it to meet any building codes, so wasn;t looking for any certifications for it. In my case, I spray painted the sheets before hanging them.

Note one trader 'accidentally' supplied 8mm sheets and was unimpressed at bring told he had to sort getting the old ones back and replacing with the correct size.

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Ge0rge

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#2721327 9-Jun-2021 18:08

7mm is rather thin - I have used 9mm mdf to do the same in the past, and even then over time it "warps" and you can see the skelton of the building as the mdf sinks in between the framing. I'd recommend going with the slightly thicker option.

mattwnz

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#2721331 9-Jun-2021 18:50

OSB? Or what about gib or aqua gib if it could get damp/wet presuming it is all inside? Fibre cement is another option. Plywood is probably the ideal solution if it the walls risk being bashed about, but OSB can be cheaper, but like MDF it is really made for indoor use, and I wouldn't have thought MDF would be a cheap option. .

Jase2985

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#2721455 9-Jun-2021 20:40

why would you use Gib in a shed? its a PITA to attach anything to it.

find a company that used plywood a packing (battery company is a good place) and get some ~1.2x1m sections off them

Scott3

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#2721462 9-Jun-2021 21:17

I too would prefer plywood. If you are in a major city, try Facebook marketplace or trade me for cheap sheets.

A builder friend of mine recently lined his personal garage with ply sheets (held up with a some kind of pin or finish nailer). Looked nice.

neb

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#2721482 9-Jun-2021 22:43

mattwnz:
OSB?

I would go with that too if you can source it cheaply, it's made in much larger sheets and more stable than ply when it gets wet, e.g. it's unlikely to delaminate when wet like ply wood.

TechE2020

17 posts

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#2721486 9-Jun-2021 22:55

No moisture problems, this is a fully insulated light-gauge steel frame. Studs are at 600mm centres and dwangs at 800mm centres.

I would love to use ply, but the CD cheap stuff is pretty rough on the outside and the 7mm MDF is cheap-as. OSB is nice and rigid, but tends to be expensive.

GIB is around $1140, but isn't desirable due to lack of impact resistance. Good for fire resistance, though.

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SepticSceptic

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#2721536 9-Jun-2021 23:29

You could use scavenged ply and then use the thin MDF as a skin to cover the roughness of the ply.

TechE2020

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#2721552 10-Jun-2021 00:01

SepticSceptic: You could use scavenged ply and then use the thin MDF as a skin to cover the roughness of the ply.

Yes, that's and option for some extra work if I can find enough ply for the walls. It's DIY triboard (although ply is probably better quality than the triboard core).

nickb800

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#2721563 10-Jun-2021 06:34

Another 'extra work' option could be thin MDF (e.g. your reclaimed 7mm) over 10mm or even 13mm GIB. The GIB would provide rigidity and the thin MDF would provide impact/puncture resistance.

For GIB, you could use cheaper imported stuff e.g. Proroc from Bunnings - $20.78 for 2400x1200x10

TechE2020

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#2727542 12-Jun-2021 00:15

Ge0rge: 7mm is rather thin - I have used 9mm mdf to do the same in the past, and even then over time it "warps" and you can see the skelton of the building as the mdf sinks in between the framing. I'd recommend going with the slightly thicker option.

Thanks for that. Half of my house was lined with 10mm MDF as structural bracing! It survived the earthquakes unscathed. When doing renovations last year, the structural engineer required ripping it all out and putting in bracing GIB. I doubt it will survive another earthquake unscathed as the GIB tends to fail in the screws. The 10mm never had any waviness to it, but now I know that 10mm is the lower limit.

TechE2020

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#2727543 12-Jun-2021 00:18

Another alternative that came up was particle board. I hate the stuff, but 15mm coversheets in excellent condition are nearly as cheap as the MDF.

I'm going to keep some searches in Trademe for some ply and see if I get lucky. Building supplies are difficult to source at the moment.

Ge0rge

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#2727554 12-Jun-2021 08:48

Not sure of your location, but I tend to find "PlyGuy" is awesome - I got some sheets of 15mm yesterday, as well as some LVL sticks, to line a section of my shed that I want to use as a shadow board. Fantastic price if you don't mind some slight defects.

Dulouz

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#2727555 12-Jun-2021 09:21

Excuse my ignorance. I have an unlined garage. What is the benefit of lining a garage? Currently the dwangs serve the purpose of useful wee shelves.

Amanon

Ge0rge

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#2727558 12-Jun-2021 09:31

Dulouz:
Excuse my ignorance. I have an unlined garage. What is the benefit of lining a garage? Currently the dwangs serve the purpose of useful wee shelves.

For the shed I'm currently working in, it's to provide a back-stop for the bench to stop things falling off the back, and a place to hang my tools - a shadow board. For the other corner, I'll line it with slightly thinner ply and then affix very thin sheet metal over the top of that to provide some resistance to sparks and slag - it will be the "welding and grinding" area. There will still be unlined areas.

My server room is in another shed also - I lined that to insulate it.

Edit to add: the rules around wiring change if you line the shed too, much easier and tidier to run power behind cladding than run conduit.

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