What is HDHMR?
Interior structures like counters, cabinets, and wardrobes need to be strong and, ideally, withstand most external conditions.
Wood or various versions and substitutes of it are usually used to create such structures. But these materials have many drawbacks and are not as heavy-duty. This is where an HDHMR sheet comes in.
High-Density High Moisture Resistant or HDHMR boards and sheets are ideal for kitchens and other spaces exposed to high moisture content.
If you’re looking for a heavy-duty, waterproof material for your interiors, you should consider getting HDHMR sheets. These sheets are formed by mixing and pressing forest wood waste and fibre chips. It is the compression of hardwood particles through an adhesive that lends HDHMR its moisture resistance.
How are HDHMR Boards Made?
HDHMR boards are engineered wood products that are manufactured by compressing broken down hardwood fibres with a special moisture-resistant adhesive, under very high heat and pressure. This process results in a dense, strong, and dimensionally stable board. As the fibres used are of high-quality hardwoods, HDHMR boards are tougher and more resistant to moisture than MDF (Medium-Density Fibreboard) or plywood.
Is HDHMR Board Good for Kitchen Furniture?
Your kitchen is a zone that’s subject to constant high temperatures and humidity, and is potentially susceptible to liquid spills as well. HDHMR’s exceptional moisture resistance makes it a great choice for kitchen cabinets and furniture, and even for bathrooms.
What’s more, the HDHMR board offers good dimensional stability, meaning it won’t warp or swell easily in damp environments. When compared to plywood or MDF, HDHMR boards are denser, while being more affordable.
Advantages of HDHMR Boards
There are many HDHMR board advantages:
- High Density: This makes them strong and durable, perfect for load-bearing applications like shelves. You can confidently mount heavy appliances or store bulky items on HDHMR shelves without worrying about any sagging or bending.
- High Moisture Resistance: The moisture resistance of these boards renders them ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other humid areas. The special adhesives used in HDHMR boards create a strong barrier against moisture, preventing warping, rotting, and delamination – common problems with traditional wood products in damp environments.
- Smooth Surface: They have a smooth and even surface that’s ready for painting, laminating, or veneering, offering a customised finish. HDHMR boards boast a smooth, even surface that takes paint, laminate, or veneer exceptionally well. This allows for a wide range of design possibilities to match your desired kitchen aesthetic.
- Improved Screw-Holding Strength: Due to its uniform density, HDHMR has superior screw-holding strength. Screws grip tightly into the material, creating a strong and secure connection. This enhanced screw-holding capability is essential for furniture construction and applications requiring secure fastening.
- Pest Resistance: The adhesives used often deter termites and borers. Treated with special resins, HDHMR boards offer built-in protection against termites and borers, common pests that can wreak havoc on wooden furniture. This ensures your kitchen cabinets and furniture stay pest-free for years to come.
- Machinability: These boards are easy to cut, drill, and rout for intricate designs. HDHMR’s uniform density allows for clean cuts, making it ideal for creating intricate furniture designs with ease. This flexibility is a major benefit for carpenters and DIY enthusiasts.
Why Should You Choose HDHMR?
For a long time, plywood was the most popular material used for structures inside the house. However, nowadays, HDHMR ply boards are being used widely, especially for kitchen shutters, cabinets, and even furniture.
HDHMR is versatile and will serve well for outdoor purposes too. If you haven’t used HDHMR before, you should take a look at the HDHMR board advantages and disadvantages described below.
Low Maintenance
Once your carpenter has created the required structures with the HDHMR ply boards, you don’t have to spend too much time maintaining them.
HDHMR boards can be easily cleaned with lukewarm water. All you need to do is make sure you’re using a damp cloth instead of soaking the boards.
An HDHMR sheet will not get scratched easily, but you can be cautious while using utensils or items with sharp edges.
Water-Resistant
This is the most significant advantage of using HDHMR. If you live in a very humid location, HDHMR ply is the best choice.
Moisture can cause most wood-like structures to warp and break, but you use HDHMR wood for a long time without having such problems.
The surface of HDHMR boards will not start peeling off, even if they remain wet for some time. The special glue used to bind the forest and agricultural wood-waste particles ensures the boards or sheets do not absorb water easily.
Termite-Proof
Even though many people prefer to use wood as a construction material for furniture and cabinetry, making it termite-proof is a significant problem. However, with HDHMR, you don’t have to worry.
Termite infestation can cause unhygienic living conditions and can lead to widespread damage to furniture and interior structures. The reason why HDHMR is termite-proof is that small wood content is removed with the pressing technique.
While this improves the board or sheet’s density, it also eliminates any unusable particles that can attract termites.
Due to its compact core, HDHMR also has excellent routing characteristics, and the density gradient is uniform. However, like every other material, HDHMR, too, has a few disadvantages:
- HDHMR ply is heavier than any other construction material. This is why it might be difficult to cut and shape, especially if you are doing it on your own.
- After long-term use, some HDHMR boards might bend and lose shape. This can also happen if you store the HDHMR boards under poor conditions for a long time.
HDHMR for Kitchen Cabinets
While you can use HDHMR to construct wardrobes, partitions, panelling, and door shutters, it is particularly useful for kitchen cabinets.
Kitchens are usually humid spaces, and the air’s high moisture content can affect the materials used. But, as mentioned before, HDHMR can withstand such atmospheric conditions.
An HDHMR sheet will not warp or separate when exposed to high levels of moisture, not even if you frequently spill water on it.
How to Maintain HDHMR Cabinets?
It’s important to maintain hygienic conditions at home, especially in the kitchen, where a lot of raw or cooked food is kept uncovered. Cleaning the countertops and utensils can help, but you should also look into hygienic storage.
Since HDHMR is termite-proof, it’s the safest option for your kitchen cabinets. Cabinets and shelves in the kitchen can be easily created with HDHMR boards, and you can store all kinds of non-perishable food items without worrying about contamination.
HDHMR being a sturdy material, can also be used to keep glass or metal jars. You can rest assured that your kitchen storage platforms will not break under the containers’ weight.
Alternatives of HDHMR
Plywood has been the popular choice for kitchen cabinets for a long time. But it’s expensive and does not have the superior characteristics of HDHMR.
Plywood will also warp if you accidentally spill water, which you cannot avoid in the kitchen. It’s also not termite-proof.
Food particles can get stuck in the soft and porous surface of the plywood, and if that happens, it will be very difficult to control infestation and moulding. This is why HDHMR ply boards are a much better choice for your kitchen.
HDHMR is a fairly new material, and even though most carpenters are starting to recommend it to their clients, many are hesitant to use it. However, due to its robust nature, the HDHMR sheet has the potential to replace previously used materials. HDHMR is strong and is available at a very affordable price at HomeLane and is, therefore, the best material for all indoor cabinetry and furniture.
MDF
Besides plywood, other alternatives of HDHMR also exist, and MDF – Medium Density Fibreboard – is one of them.
MDF is made from a combination of wood fibres, wax, and a resin binder under the presence of high pressure and temperature. It’s a type of engineered wood material that has a smooth finish and is quite durable and malleable.
However, unlike HDHMR, MDF possesses limited resistance to moisture, water, and heat. Thus, it’s not suitable for making furniture for your kitchen and bathroom.
Solid Wood
Another alternative to HDHMR is solid wood, an umbrella term made for different types of wood materials. Some of these include mahogany, maple, cherry, pine, cedar, etc.
All these wood materials are crafted from the lumber of trees and have unique-looking knots and grains on their surfaces.
Though they’re durable and their quality can be restored, they don’t have moisture and termite resistance and are thus unsuitable for spaces in your home that are high in moisture levels and conducive to pests.
Conclusion
HDHMR is a fairly new material, and even though most carpenters are starting to recommend it to their clients, many are hesitant to use it. However, due to their robust nature, HDHMR sheets have the potential to replace previously used materials.
HDHMR is strong and is available at a very affordable price at HomeLane and is, therefore, the best material for all indoor cabinetry and furniture.
FAQs
1. What Is HDHMR?
HDHMR is a material available in the form of sheets and boards. It’s made from a mixture of fibre chips and forest wood waste and is used to construct cupboards, cabinets, counters, etc.
HDHMR is mainly used to construct furniture for kitchens due to its heavy-duty, waterproof form material. In addition, it possesses high tensile strength and heat and moisture resistance.
2. Which Is Better: BWR or HDHMR?
To find out which of the two – BWR and HDHMR – is better, let’s understand what they are and how they differ in terms of their features and properties:
- BWR (also known as Boiling Water Resistance) is a plywood material made of phenolic resins. On the other hand, HDHMR (High-Density High Moisture Resistance) is a material made by pressing a combination of fibre chips and forest wood wastes.
- BWR is water, termite, and moisture-resistant till a certain point in time, whereas HDHMR possesses long-lasting water, moisture, borer, termite, and fungus resistance.
- The density of HDHMR boards is around 850 kg/m³, while that of BWR plywood lies between 600-750 kg/m³.
- The screw-holding capacity of HDHMR boards is pretty high compared to BWR plywood.
- The shelf life and sustainability of BWR plywood is around 10-15 years, but an HDHMR board lasts much longer.
- The surface of BWR plywood is less smooth than that of an HDHMR board.
- BWR plywood is comparatively much less expensive than HDHMR boards.
In the end, since HDHMR board and sheets are more sustainable, durable, waterproof, termite, pest, and moisture-resistant than BWR plywood, they make for the better option when constructing the furniture for your home.
3. Is the HDHMR Board Waterproof? Are HDHMR Boards Waterproof?
Yes, HDHMR boards are waterproof. They’re formed through a blend of hardwood particle board and a unique glue pressing technique.
When the hardwood granules are forced through the glue, they create a special water-resistant layer that runs the length of the board. This formation process grants the HDHMR board the property of waterproofing.
4. Is the HDHMR Board Termite-Proof?
Termite infestation is a big concern when it comes to choosing/building the furniture for your home. Fortunately, with HDHMR boards, you don’t have to worry about this.
When HDHMR boards are undergoing construction, all the wood and unusable particles that attract termites are removed with the help of the pressing technique, thus rendering the HDHMR board with the property of being termite-proof.
5. What Is the Cost of an HDHMR Board?
The HDHMR board price varies depending on the thickness of the board.
For instance, the cost of an HDHMR board or sheet with a thickness of 5.5 mm is a little more than ₹800, that of 8 mm thickness is more than ₹1100, while 12 mm thickness is more than ₹1650, and so on.
The cost of the HDHMR board keeps rising with the increase in thickness.
6.What are the properties of HDHMR Boards?
- High Density and Strength: Makes them suitable for load-bearing applications like shelves.
- High Moisture Resistance: Ideal for humid areas like kitchens and bathrooms.
- Dimensional Stability: Resists warping and swelling in damp environments.
- Smooth Surface: Ready for painting, laminating, or veneering for customisation.
- Improved Screw-Holding Strength: The uniform density of HDHMR boards translates to superior screw-holding strength.
- Pest Resistant: Adhesives used often deter termites and borers.
- Machinable: Easy workability for the most intricate designs.
7.Can HDHMR Boards be painted or finished?
Yes, HDHMR boards can be painted, laminated, or veneered for a desired look. They offer a smooth, even surface that takes paint, laminate, or veneer exceptionally well. This allows for a wide range of design possibilities to match your desired kitchen aesthetic.
8.Is HDHMR environmentally friendly?
The eco-friendliness of HDHMR boards depends on the specific resin used in the adhesive. Look for manufacturers using recycled wood content and sustainable practices in their production process. Opting for FSC-certified (Forest Stewardship Council) HDHMR boards ensures the wood comes from responsibly managed forests.
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