Morning All,
Yesterday the finish carpenter started in the basement. My home isn’t a starter home, but rather a one step above starter home as the tract builder’s in this area would say. Carpenter is installing all doors, window and door trim, floor and casement trim, and some minor decorative columns.
I am observing some things I have observed in tract homes selling for twice what my home sold for, namely the use of MDF product. While I understand, mostly from friends that build DIY sub-woofers, MDF is nice because it is static/stable as a material, I have to wonder about its application in this scenario.
The MDF is only being used in elements in the columns. All window, door, casement, and floor molding are realy wood product. So, I am not sure I have too much to worry about (homeowner, go figure) in terms of the MDF swelling, etc. if running water makes contact with it.
Anyone else in the finish carpentry arena use MDF in elements of your decorative trimwork? All of the trimwork is being primered and painted (no stains) a solid color (Benjimen Moore, Maplewood or Cup of Java color) and I’m hoping this seems ok.
Replies
You'll be fine with the MDF. I'd worry about the door trims being MDF if you had kids banging through the house. You weren't planning on staining it were you? Make sure he isn't setting the baseboard or bottoms of the door casings right on the CC floor; they need to be gapped to prevent water absorbtion.
Huck just did a photo essay of MDF crown in the Photo Gallery.
I've used a LOT of MDF in trim elements. Its great because it's stable, cuts and glues well (if you can stand the dust), and holds paint very well.
Seven years ago, I was one of three trim carpenters trimming a 5 million dollar house. WE used MDF for a lot of the details in it, including quite a few columns.
One of the few things I'd be concerned about with it is since it's in a basement, is the humudity level going to be high? It could absorb moisture over time, and start swelling.
BTW, you need an oil primer with MDF. Latex will raise the surface. You can make it smooth again with a lot of work, and sanding (trust me, I found this out the hard way).
Oil primer for MDF? Dang it. I guess this is where the painter, finish carpenter, and their mutual boss should have communicated. I actually offered to do the trim in oil products.
BTW, this is in a basement and the moisture observed over time is a lot lower than even I would have thought. This based on eight years of observation, tools left in there long term, absence of moisture in pathc tests, etc.
I am actually more fearful if/when a leak springs forth after the basement is finished.
If ya spring a leak after the basement is finished, the MDF is the least of your worries. <G>
MDF is good stuff. I'm an employee for a company that builds mostly 1 or 2 million dollar homes, and our trim carpenters use MDF for many different applications.
Casing and base are poplar while built-ins are poplar and good-one-side ply. But MDF comes in handy for a lot of other stuff, like wrapping a basement post and giving it that frame-and-panel look.
Running water is bad news for most interior finishes, so step one is to make sure your house doesn't leak.