If you’re working on a project or designing a new product that uses board rather than solid material, the odds are you’ve been told to use edge banding. Simply put, edge banding allows you to use materials that are cheaper, lighter, and frequently more varied in appearance than solid alternatives. For example, solid wood furniture is very expensive and weighs a great deal. The same items made from boards – such as MDF – are considerably light and far cheaper to produce.

The problem with boards, of course, is that they aren’t solid. The very thing that makes them beneficial creates an aesthetic issue when you realise the edges of those boards are rather unsightly wherever they’re visible.

But aesthetics alone isn’t the only reason to use edge banding. There are a lot of great benefits to this versatile means of finishing your furniture. Here’s why you should be using edge banding…

Aesthetics Do Matter

While aesthetics may not be the only consideration when it comes to edge banding they are definitely a big one. There is nothing worse than a piece of furniture, door, cupboard, fixture, or feature that doesn’t quite look finished.

That’s the upshot of not using edge banding; you will have a decidedly unfinished look. Not only does this seem unprofessional, it doesn’t look attractive. The insides of boards and various other materials used in place of solid options just aren’t that pretty.

We’re not being rude, it’s a simple fact. Take a look at an un-edged piece of MDF and you’ll see what we mean. There’s a distinctly pocked appearance to it, a little like a sponge. Not only does this not look nice, it actually gives a negative impression of the strength and durability of the product.

Like…it’s full of air, how can we sit on it? Write on it? Cook on it? Bury Great Aunt Tessie in it?

Adding edge banding gives a polished, finished, solid appearance that makes all the difference.  

Maintaining A High Quality Finish

The secondary benefit to that finished look is the appearance of high quality. This isn’t even a cosmetic concern, for while the edge banding certainly makes any piece appear to be of higher quality, it genuinely does raise the bar where quality is concerned. 

With the ability to perfectly match edge banding to the board used, the addition of this little finishing touch elevates your item, even to the point it can have the appearance of being made of a solid material. Wood banding on MDF can be highly realistic when it comes to mimicking solid wood, as can veneer, ABS and Acrylic options.

Protecting Your Creations

Surfaces are treated with various finishes to ensure they are, for example, smooth, or waterproof. When you fail to add the edge to your product you’re leaving material visible and touchable that hasn’t been finished to that high standard. You may find un-banded edges are rough, prone to damp, easily damaged, stained, and worn.

Using edge banding avoids these issues and ensures your products and creations are protected from the elements and as much wear and tear as possible.