Masonite
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. Masonite Corp. was purchased by the Premdor Corp. in 2001.
Made by a wet-process, Masonite is a Fiberboard composed of fine wood fibers compressed into a dense, rigid sheet with heat. The fibers are held together by the natural binders from the pulp with no additional adhesive. Masonite boards do not bend or warp easily but the sheets are brittle and 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 used for the moisture draninage. Some artists have coated the rough surface with gesso and used it as a painting support. Tempered Masonite Presdwood was prepared with an oil that adds weather resistance to the board, but makes it less receptive to Paint or Gesso. A solvent (acetone or mineral spirits can minimize the coating and make it more receptive to gesso. Sanding is not recommended.
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 well as well as grow mold, mildew and decay
Resources and Citations
- Wikipedia: Masonite Accessed Nov. 2024
- 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.
- Website: http://www.masonite.com/COMPANY/HISTORY.asp - first made in 1924 by William H. Mason Note: this website has been discontinued