Masonite

Tempera and graphite on gessoed Masonite
MFA# 40.780

Description

Formerly, a registered trademark (Masonite Corp.) for a type of Hardboard construction material first made in 1924 by William H. Mason. The term 'masonite' is now a generic term for thin high-density fiberboards. Masonite Corp. was purchased by the Premdor Corp. in 2001.

Made by a wet-process, Masonite is a composed of 100% fibers obtained by exploding fresh clean wood chips by high pressure steam, after which they are felted together and pressed into a board form in steam heated, flat bed hydraulic press. The fibers are held together by the natural lignocellulose binders from the pulp with no added adhesives. As there is no grain, the Masonite boards are dense, strong and uniform in all directions. They do not bend or warp easily but the sheets are brittle and can break under pressure. The boards are brown in color with one very smooth surface; the reverse side has a wire screen impression due to the wire screening that allows the steam to escape (these are called S1S for smooth-one-side). The standard size for the boards is 4' x 8' with 1/8" or 1/4" thickness. Masonite is more resistant to insects and rot than natural wood, but it is susceptible to water damage.

The following type Masonite boards were available in a 1935 Masonite Catalog:

• Insulation boards: Structural Insulation, Insulating lath, Beveled tile, Beveled Plank
• Quartrboard: Masonite sheets prepared in smaller widths
• Presdwood: Heat-treated sheets; standard size of 4' by either or 8' or 12'
• Tempered Pressdwood: Sheets were dipped in oil then heat-treated; advertised as waterproof and weatherproof

All products were advertised as 'may be sawn, planed, sanded, nailed, cemented, painted, varnished or lacquered as though they were boards of natural wood....further advantages of being free from knots, grain and splinters"

Some artists have coated the rough surface with gesso and used it as a painting support. Tempered Masonite Presdwood was dipped oil then heated to add weather resistance to the board; this also made it less receptive to Paint or Gesso. Currently tempered hardwoods use only small amounts of oil, most of which is flashed of during the baking process.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Presdwood; hardboard; fiberboard; high-density board

Risks

• Any wood product may release organic acids with time
• Fiberboards can absorb water and swell/warp

Working properties

• Masonite can be painted but not stained
• It won't chip or splinter
• Resistant to bugs and dents
• Easy to drill or cut with very sharp blades; may dull blades quickly
• Does not hold hails and screws as securely as natural wood

Resources and Citations

• Wikipedia: Masonite Accessed Nov. 2024
• InspectAPedia: Masonite and other Hardboards Accessed Nov. 2024
• . M. Gottsegen, 'A Manual of Painting Materials and Painting Techniques' [1]
• C. Gould, K. Konrad, K. Milley, R. Gallagher, "Fiberboard", Twentieth-Century Building Materials, T. Jester (ed.), McGraw-Hill: New York, 1995.
• A.Katlan, "Early Wood-Fiber Panels: Masonite, Hardboard and Lower-Density Boards" JAIC 33:301-306, 1994.
• Masonite: http://www.masonite.com/COMPANY/HISTORY.asp first made in 1924 by William H. Mason Note: this website was been discontinued in 2011
• The history on Masonite: Retrieved from http://www.masonite.com/COMPANY/HISTORY.asp via the Wayback machine]