Hardboards

Hardboard is made from wood fibres. Wood is steamed and reduced into fibres and water is added to form a slurry. Then, it is formed into a mat on a moving wire mesh. During the initial process, much of the water is removed by pressing, and the final heated pressing would bond the fibres using the adhesive properties of the natural lignin present in the wood. The highest density panel is hardboard; density 900kg/m3. Hardboard is usually smooth on one side and a fine mesh pattern on the reverse. The colour of panels ranges from light yellow to dark brown. There are also tempered hardboard, which is impregnated with hot oil or resin and heat cured.

Hardboard is usually smooth on one side and a fine mesh pattern on the reverse. The colour of panels ranges from light yellow to dark brown. There are also tempered hardboard, which is impregnated with hot oil or resin and heat cured. Special hardboard, painted such as painted, printed, embossed or textured and perforated are also available.

Hardboard is used in furniture manufacturing, caravan interiors, as door facings and floor coverings and in shopfitting and display work. Enhanced performance hardboard is used in applications as components within structural members such as custom-made beams, exterior applications such as soffits and signage, and for uses in packaging, agriculture and flooring overlays. 

Hardboard usually not attacked by wood boring insects, but if used in prolonged wet conditions hardboard is susceptible to fungal attack. Hardboard can be fixed with panel pins, nails, staples, and screws. Hardboard can be bonded with most types of woodworking adhesives. Hardboard is a suitable substrate for paints, stains, varnishes and textured coverings, lined with wallpaper, hessian and other fabrics. Hardboard can be veneered and laminated with high and low pressure laminates, paper and PVC foils.