MDF Versus Finger Jointed Decoration For Interior Moldings Fort Myers

By Jana Serrano


Browsing through comments posted on online forums reveal strong feelings regarding medium density fiberboard as appropriate interior decoration material. A number of carpenters profess to love it while several despise it. Ultimately, the choice between MDF and bit-jointed decoration rests on personal preferences. Each product works well in some instances although it is important to understand their differences and use as paintable interior moldings Fort Myers.

If consistency is the key concern for material, MDF is the preferable stuff. It is wood shavings, sawdust, resin and small wood chips. These make a uniform material for cutting, nailing and painting. It is less expensive than finger-jointed trimming therefore savings could be large for trimming an entire house in Florida Fort Myers.

Heavy coupled with floppy defines MDFs, which makes it hard for installing and handling alone. The long lengths break easily. Its flexible materials allows it to follow your wall waves and not run over them. That means you will fill fewer gaps giving you a wavy appearance. MDF comes with good face strength giving you stronger resistance to surface damage although difficult to hand nail. The mires need care in handling due to poor edge strength.

Since MDF material does not have grain for grabbing onto by nails, it has low withdrawal strength. Installing requires using adhesive with nail clamps as the gum dries. It is inappropriate in bathrooms because it swells in places of high humidity or wet areas. It also produces very pungent dust, which means cutting it is best done outside with the fitter wearing a respirator or tight-fitting mask.

MDF leaves factory quite smoothly done. It requires little or no sanding to remove debris and prepare the surface for good primer adhesion. MDF molding comes with factory priming that seals material from moisture. Adding another primer layer however, ensures better application of finishing coats.

Manufacturers do prime MDF back because it exhibits more stability than wood. If you need to seal it, use oil and not latex based priming because latex makes it swell. Texture appears on the surface, which is quite hard for sanding over or entirely impossible. However, if you apply a primer coat, you can use latex paint. Manufacturers resort to carbide and not steel knives because it dulls steel molding knives faster in comparison to wood. Carbide knives prove harder in shaping to a sharp profile. Therefore, MDF has softer profiling compared to finger-jointed trimming.

Bit-jointed decoration moldings are better than solid wood though less expensive products, are factory primed, less susceptible to twisting and warping. This better stability arises from having individual small pieces joined together using interlocking fingers and glue. Finger-jointed decoration is stiff and light for an individual to install. It holds nails quite well because it is made of real wood.

Trimmings of finger-jointed material can be sealed with either latex or oil-based primers. Since its material does not contain knots, no sealing using shellac based priming is needed which could be expensive in comparison to latex or oil-based primers. Best products come from sharp profiling that produces fine shadow lines, which is the expectation in superbly trimmed rooms. Finger-jointed decorations contract and expand on different rates because of manufacture from different trees. Inferior material results in joints sticking out from paint in time.




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