Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Mar 24, 2010 6:25 pm I've got to make a choice of material for skirting - MDF or pre-primed pine. MDF's dirt cheap $4/length, pine's more expensive $16/length. I don't like MDF, so my inclination is to choose pine. The price difference for the whole house would be approx $200. Is solid timber skirting worth it? Any advice/Comments ?? Chris My father rode a camel, I drive a car, my son flies in a jetliner, his son will ride a camel.Saudi saying Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 2Mar 24, 2010 6:33 pm Interesting, I'd like to know the same! I did read earlier on that pine (and some othe timber usually used for this) is less stable, ie. it's more prone to bending and problems (although still don't quite understand how can it bend once primed and nailed and then painted) My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 4Mar 24, 2010 7:15 pm If you do go with MDF, get them to put pine in around the wet areas and on the kitchen window if there's a sink underneath it. MDF has a tendency to swell quite easily if the humidity is to high or if in contact with moister... my sister's kitchen window trim (MDF) is absolutely ruined (her house is about 6yrs old). Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 5Mar 24, 2010 8:25 pm IkonInteriors my sister's kitchen window trim (MDF) is absolutely ruined (her house is about 6yrs old). Not something you can fix - only total replacement is the answer. Built the Eden Brae Cambridge 34 Family with Boston Corner Facade Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 6Mar 24, 2010 8:50 pm Nothing wrong with MDF skirtings if you are painting the skirting. In the wet areas however you want to use something more "stable", such as KDHW. Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 8Mar 25, 2010 6:17 pm Hmmmm, most people recommend MDF. I was hoping for an opinion from someone who's got the pine ones..... Chris My father rode a camel, I drive a car, my son flies in a jetliner, his son will ride a camel.Saudi saying Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 10Mar 25, 2010 9:00 pm In my experience, I'd go pine. We have all MDF in the new house, and my Son's window trim is quite chipped from the timber venetian hitting it when they get between it and the window to 'chat' to the neighbours. Not impressed in a new house we've been in 6 months. I'll have to fill it somehow and paint it. Kids are now banned from 'chatting' to the neighbours through the windows under the venetian... I'd take a pic, but he's fast asleep at the moment! Henley - Wilshire Mk 3 ... I love my house!! Site start: 4th Feb 09 Handover: 10th Sep 09 Blog: http://stormygirlscastle.blogspot.com/ Build Thread: viewtopic.php?t=7166 Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 11Mar 25, 2010 9:03 pm Stormy In my experience, I'd go pine. We have all MDF in the new house, and my Son's window trim is quite chipped from the timber venetian hitting it when they get between it and the window to 'chat' to the neighbours. Not impressed in a new house we've been in 6 months. I'll have to fill it somehow and paint it. Kids are now banned from 'chatting' to the neighbours through the windows under the venetian... I'd take a pic, but he's fast asleep at the moment! wouldnt this be an issue with the pain that was used. I painted mine with enamel and once i hit the corner while carrying a ladder through the house. I could barely see where i hit. Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 12Mar 25, 2010 9:13 pm borg Stormy In my experience, I'd go pine. We have all MDF in the new house, and my Son's window trim is quite chipped from the timber venetian hitting it when they get between it and the window to 'chat' to the neighbours. Not impressed in a new house we've been in 6 months. I'll have to fill it somehow and paint it. Kids are now banned from 'chatting' to the neighbours through the windows under the venetian... I'd take a pic, but he's fast asleep at the moment! wouldnt this be an issue with the pain that was used. I painted mine with enamel and once i hit the corner while carrying a ladder through the house. I could barely see where i hit. I was rushing around the house carrying a belt in my hand, the buckle clipped the door jam and chipped a piece of paint off... all my trim has been painted with enamel paint (two coats). Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 13Mar 25, 2010 9:15 pm Could be, Borg, but it is 'supposed' to be enamel. I can't take it up with Henley at maintenance as I doubt very much they would do anything about it... We'll have to do it ourselves. The temp accom we stayed in while building had a chip very easily taken out of MDF skirting too, hence why I would probably choose pine if given the choice. To me it doesn't hold up well to everyday wear and tear...especially with children....and mine are not rough by any stretch of the imagination! I guess any chip looks worse in it anyway, being a darker wood than pine, and all my skirts are white. Stands out like dogs 'you-know-whats'! Henley - Wilshire Mk 3 ... I love my house!! Site start: 4th Feb 09 Handover: 10th Sep 09 Blog: http://stormygirlscastle.blogspot.com/ Build Thread: viewtopic.php?t=7166 Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 14Mar 25, 2010 10:41 pm What about using tasmanian oak? We just ran scotia around our house as part of the floating bamboo floor and ended up choosing tassie oak after asking around. Pfiff Finally making progress again, with a clothesline (yippee) and some much needed little things being attended to over the holidays. 40 C on New Year's eve? We love our a/c! Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 16Mar 26, 2010 7:51 am MDF is weak and hard to repair if damaged, has very little to no tolerance for water etc, generally used on cheaper homes (like very cheap). Pine is considered a superior product hands down, will give a better stronger finish, and will be easy to repair if damaged and more tolerant to water heat etc. There is really no other choice then pine on any home worth caring the slightest bit about. Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 17Mar 26, 2010 8:50 am Pine MDF is rubbish, mainly used in cheap and nasty houses and I would never ever use it again anywhere!!! Change is what we need! Can we? YES WE CAN!!!!! Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 18Mar 26, 2010 9:01 am I am pretty sure that even though you guys all think its used in cheap house and even replacing the skirts and architraves to pine the house will still have heaps of examples of where MDF it is still used. In saying that you guys need to be carefull what you say. As there are pine architraves used by major builders then are very thin and flimsy and cost only 50% of the price of MDF. Pine isnt the bees knees its **** timber as well soft and also rots very easy. The chipping people discribe is due to the fact the builders have used water based paints which are weaker. Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 19Mar 26, 2010 9:09 am I gotta agree with Borg. I had MDF skirts and Arch's in my old house and in 9 years nothing ever went wrong. I put them in my new house as it's not worth spending double on something you don't see (you are painting it anyway). That being said, I would avoid MDF (and pine for that matter) in all wet areas. Blog is now up - http://www.jbdave.blogspot.com/ Re: Skirting - MDF or pine ?? 20Mar 26, 2010 6:24 pm borg I am pretty sure that even though you guys all think its used in cheap house and even replacing the skirts and architraves to pine the house will still have heaps of examples of where MDF it is still used. In saying that you guys need to be carefull what you say. As there are pine architraves used by major builders then are very thin and flimsy and cost only 50% of the price of MDF. Pine isnt the bees knees its **** timber as well soft and also rots very easy. The chipping people discribe is due to the fact the builders have used water based paints which are weaker. In this instance I am the builder... So I know exactly what paints have been used Probably a not bad thing to mention particle board should in case anyone else reading this got the two confused. 6 4878 DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair Are you going to have the frame exposed or are you cladding it with something. Usually if you are making an exposed frame you would use solid legs around 100x100 or… 3 6579 I’m just in the process of replacing 2 stud walls that have been severely damaged by termites and am planning to use h2 blue pine. I just wanted to if anyone can advise… 0 52849 |