07/08/2026
What is formaldehyde and why is it bad?
Formaldehyde is a colorless, pungent gas and a common volatile organic compound (VOC). It is used as an ingredient in many common products used every day such as preservatives, disinfectants, textiles, clothing, and plastics. Formaldehyde occurs naturally in the environment; humans and plant life actually produce small amounts on a regular basis.
When formaldehyde is reacted with urea, a hard resin is produced. These resins are commonly used in bonding agents that are in turn used to produce hardwood plywood, particleboard, and MDF. Urea Formaldehyde can emit gasses from the finished product for some periods of time even after the manufacturing process is complete.
"Formaldehyde Free" is used to describe construction materials that have no formaldehyde of any kind added during the manufacturing process. This specifically refers to the binding agents used in the production of composite panels, veneer cores, LVLs, etc.
Basically, no formaldehyde UF, PF or otherwise is added to the wood or the resins during the production of the various products. It must kept in mind that formaldehyde exists naturally and occurs in wood, but “formaldehyde free” means that no additional formaldehyde (other than what occurs naturally) is added to the given product during its production process.