What is hardboard?

A very important part of cabinet building is squaring up.  It’s difficult to KEEP a cabinet square if you don’t put a back on after you square up.  When I build a cabinet that has hidden sides, I just staple the cabinet back directly ON the back.

 

This is what I do and it’s what I have my clients do.  If I’m painting the cabinet, I use 1/4″ hardboard.  Funny thing,  almost every single client has come back with the same response to my cut list:  “What the heck is hardboard?”

 

It’s the ugly brown masonite stuff that comes in 4’x8′ sheets in the lumber section.  It looks like this.  It comes in 1/8″ and 1/4″.  I couldn’t get up on a ladder to take a picture of the 1/4″ stuff so use your imagination on the label.

what is hardboard

 

That’s your helpful informative tidbit for the week.  🙂

Have a great weekend!

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22 Comments

  1. Most big box home improvement stores or lumber yards.

  2. I wouldn’t use it for board and battan because it’s only 1/4″ thick and is rough on the back so you would see that if you don’t hide the sides. 1/2″ MDF would probably be a better bet but you have to make sure to sand the sides really well, before and after you prime to get it smooth.

  3. Yes and yes. It’s very inexpensive and smooth and paints well like MDF.

  4. orangesugar says:

    Do you use this instead of 1/4″ ply because it’s cheaper or for some other reason? Can you paint hardboard?

  5. Thanks for making the lumber section a little less intimidating for those of us who are newbies! Do you think hardboard would work for a board and batten treatment on the wall – as the board portion? Would it be easy to nail it to the wall, lie flat, and be paintable? I am trying to figure out something that is thin and cheap since I am not as awesome as you to with mad skills to skim coat my walls! Thanks Sandra

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