MDF or timber skirting

[cone]

Was looking at MDF skirting compared to real wood and it does look very flimsy when lifting it. The MDF is primed which will save painting time but apsrt from this, what other pros are for MDF skirting. In 2 minds what to buy

 

[okeydokey]

If its going to be painted then I would go with MDF its stable, no knots to cause bleed through and I have found it good for mitred or other joints.

 

[Cabinetman]

Although I don’t like to say it I agree MDF is the way as long as it’s not going to get wet, it doesn’t cup like wider softwood skirting can.

 

[Peter Sefton]

Been happy with the MDF skirting I have fitted, but did opt for solid timber in our bathrooms.

Cheers

Peter

 

[baldkev]

Mdf is significantly quicker and easier to fit. You can reliably glue it in place with woodweld or similar. Even no more nails will do. We usually use a pin gun and 'dovetail' the fixings i.e one aimed at an angle to the left, then next one to the right, one up, one down etc etc.... if you want to get really clever, put a line of caulk along the top edge before you press the skirting on and clean back the excess. Geocel painters mate is good

 

[sammy.se]

I am fitting MR-MDF skirting at the moment. I have found it OK to work with, especially with coping and scribing.
I which I had bought it primed (I didn't).
The room is susceptible to changes in humidity with the seasons (and is against a lime external wall) so I opted for a stable material.

 

[eribaMotters]

It's wonderful stuff, a no barainer. Ready primed, stable, doesn't cup and it's moisture resistant. I did every room in our bungalow refurb, liquid nailed into place and tacked with a nails gun and odd masonry nails. I wish it had been available 40 years ago when I started work on my first house.

Colin

 

[Chip shop]

MDF for me.

 

[MARK.B.]

One of the few cases where MDF wins hands down,almost guaranteed to be straight even over longer lengths and a doddle to paint.

 

[thetyreman]

MDF is stable but there is something nice about wood both the texture and feel

 

[Doug71]

MDF

We have things so easy these days. Showing my age but in the past I have fixed skirting board with cut nails, masonry nails (they don't bend, just snap and fly off like a bullet) even fitted twisted wedges in the brick joints to nail to.

Also cutting it, imagine trying to get a well fitting mitre on some nicely cupped 9" skirting using a handsaw, haven't tried that for years.

How come these days with nice flat MDF, an accurate mitre saw , nail gun, fix-all adhesive, mitre fast and caulk I still feel like I can't fit it fast enough

 

[baldkev]

How come these days with nice flat MDF, an accurate mitre saw , nail gun, fix-all adhesive, mitre fast and caulk I still feel like I can't fit it fast enough

If you are per meter any holdups are unwanted ( time is money! ) and if you are day rate you just want to achieve for the customer. I often feel like i should be moving quicker, but the truth is the customers are always happy.

If you think back to how it was even 15/ 20 years ago, its a lot quicker now. The big difference is kit for me. Ive got loads of things that make it quicker. That should mean i make more money because i invested in the kit to make it quicker, but as time goes on and you price jobs based on how long it takes ( now ) the customers are winning really.

 

[Spectric]

MDF is analogous to the sort of bloke you don't mind your daughter dating, predictable and stable, just can be somewhat boring. Yes MDF is the cheap and fast option but I think this can be partially attributed to the wood we now have to work with, I am sure it was a lot better say twenty five plus years ago.

 

[TheTiddles]

Flimsiness of MDF << stiffness of wall you’re attaching it to.

I only know one person who uses solid timber for skirting, looks terrible.

 

[Inspector]

I made my MDF "skirting" baseboards here from 4' x 8' x 3/4" sheet. Ripped them on the saw and knocked the corner off wth a 1/8" round over bit. A little sanding, some primer and first coat of paint and they were ready to instal. I used some white sticky snot from a caulking gun and 18 gauge brads. Caulked any gaps before painting. Admittedly it was in a bathroom so the lengths were easy to get from the 8' sheet but a biscuit or two and glue joins them easily to make 16' or longer lengths. I posted pictures of it before but rather than find it to link I'll add them to this post. With the exception of the quarter round shoe mould it is all MDF over the drywall. I would have no issues doing my own wood trim out of hardwood if finish grade was in the cards and I had lots of money. I have a couple planer molders to profile them so they would be nicer than the pre-made stuff from the lumberyards.

Pete

 

[TRITON]

even fitted twisted wedges in the brick joints to nail to.

AKA 'Dooks'
Actually Dooks is a Scottish term, but im sure there wil be an English equivalent name for them.
They wer emade by taking a small flat piece of timber and cutting off along one corner, then doing the same on the opposing corner on the other side, so when you hammered them into the brick joint, they made a twisting movement and held firm.

And another one for MDF.
As with Inspector, you can rip them out a full sheet at any width, it moulds well and with the exception of that cut edge a paint roller on the hard smooth face goes on lovely.

 

[mr rusty]

Easy to get so many different profiles in MDF. Also, gun foam adhesive like instastik is really good if the wall to be fixed to isn't perfectly smooth. Over plasterboard, a grab adhesive is better. Don't try and edge pin mitres - it tends to split. Biscuits work well on large section architrave mitres.

 

[Droogs]

Depends on 3 things
How much time and effort you are prepared to put in to get the effect you want
How stable is the year round RH in the house
What look are you after.

My flat has recently had the entire floorplan replaced, boards joists the lot from front to back & side to side. As we are going for a A&C period style in the livingroom and the bedroom all the architrave, coving, skirting & doors are solid oak with just BLO and wax finish. However The Bathroom, WC, hall and study are all being done in an Art Nouveau style and the skirting etc is to be either painted or have both paint and exotic veneers as finishes. For this I am using MRMDF as it is so stable, takes a painted finish so well and is very easy to glue up to give the shape I want.

Only down side is that it takes a lot of prep and time to get the finished look.
But basically if it is warm and dry with little RH change then wood is fine if not then MRMDF.

hth

 

[HappyHacker]

I have bought real wood skirting from local suppliers and then spent ages trying to sand it down so that it was flat rather than showing the machine scallops once painted, difficult on the moulded parts. That was on the better pieces I had selected from a pile of twisted, cupped, knotty, split boards with the occasional straight one. I gave up trying to get four good metres from one supplier, the quality in the stack was so low.

I tried MDF instead and would not put anything else in now unless it needed to show the grain.