The wife wants beadboard, 6″-8″ wide throughout our new cottage. Place will be shut down all winter. Located in Eastern Ontario.
I am looking at Nantucket beadboard www.beadboard.com installed in 4’x8′ panels of MDF.
I have to install in October- November, without heat.
Do you think I will have a problem with screw pops, expansion, etc due to the changing moisture levels? Would pine be any better?
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Replies
My feeling is that the mdf is going to be better then pine.
I'd feel more comfortable installing the mdf panels because they will expand and contract less then the pine.
Wheather or not you climate will effect the panels will have to be left to those more familure with your seasonal changes.
Doug
We made mdf beadboard for a few rooms - lots of dust, but we were routing our own grooves w/ an Ezsmart.
They are great - great to work with, and very stable. Just one thought - we used mdf for everything except the base in the bathroom, where we used 1x6 exterior trimboard.
MDF will swell if it gets wet - be sure to seal it well with kilz (both sides) before you finish it.
Oct/Nov in Ontario sounds cold - you won't have any heat? brrr
We just finished the interior of a home with MDF panneling. Full height downstairs, wainscot height upstairs. It did swell when the painters primed it with latex primer, but not enough to matter.
As for temperature changes, I'll be interested to see what happens over time. This is in a weekend place and the customer gave me her word she'd keep the thermostat set at 50 all winter.
Our climate here is very moderate,though, seldom freezes and seldom reaches 90. AND this place is right on Puget Sound (salt water) so the temperature is further stabilized by the water (I THINK).
Like Doug said, better ask around for other's experiences with expansion/contraction issues in your local climate. It's amazing to me the regional differences I read about - logical enough, but often surprising.
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I think it'll be the humidity changes that get you, not the temp changes.
Yeah, but I associate humidity changes with temperature changes since warm air can hold so much more water vapor than cold air can. And the original poster said the building wouldn't be heated year 'round.
The whole humidity/temperature relationship can be easilly misunderstood - I know it took me a long time to understand it because in a way it's counterintuative. Well worth getting a handle on, but confusing.Just say NO! to moving truck threads.
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Jim
I think that was you that wrote the article on the mdf built in? If not your getting credit for it in my mind!
Dont you, or your painter, usually prime with oil base primer instead of water base? I always use Bin (shellac based) so as not to raise it any but I was wondering if the water base primer is your norm?
Thanks
Doug
Yeah, I prefer to use an oil base primer, Doug, especially on edges to fill the pores. But this particular painter doesn't use ANY oil based products anymore. And they paint A LOT of MDF. So I allowed the pro to make the call and use the product he wanted. It IS my name going on their work, but it's their name too. And I've known these folks for 20 years - professionals.Just say NO! to moving truck threads.
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