I don't think it has anything to do with being a snob or being "cheesy" or any of the other pejoratives that are being thrown around. Dixie and I both had bad experiences with MDF trim. I have a friend who is planning on replacing the trim in her house (MDF) with wood where they might be exposed to water because it has been so problematic. Obviously this is not an inexpensive undertaking. She bought a spec house and didn't know what was under there until a baseboard got nicked by a dump truck ;). MDF trim is more problematic than wood - doesn't have to be, but it CAN be. If you are a single person living alone or empty nester, you may not have the issues a person with a houseful of boys and dogs might have. . . If you clean your own house, you will likely be more careful than a cleaning service would be, and certainly would be more careful to keep water away from you baseboards. There are all sorts of factors that go into this decision. It is also not uncommon to get the builder run around re: MDF. They like it because it is easier and cheaper to install. If you understand what you are getting, that is fine, but most folks don't know and they trust the builder that it is an equivalent (or better) substitute. I think most would agree in a money is no object situation that wood trim is a better, more long lasting, less potentially problematic choice. However, we all have budgets and have to make compromises in what we would ideally like to have and what we can afford to have. I choose to have wood baseboards and am willing to pay more to do that. In order to do that I will have to compromise in other areas (areas in which you might prefer to spend money). These are the decisions that we all have to make in building a house, and the best thing you can do is get all the information and make the decision that is right for YOU.

For BEST results... PRE-primed = RE-prime! Factory primers aren't the best quality, and get dried-out too fast. Dirt from storage & transportation comes into play too. Soooo- Scuff-sand with 100-grit, remove all dust, re-prime with a top-notch primer. Zinsser's 123 is good and easy to find. >>> IF you're pretty fussy... Consider TWO prime-coats! This'll give ya a little cushion to sand the dried primer slightly (I'd suggest 120-grit here), making an IDEAL surface for a really smooth look! If ya do this, I'd wait half a day for the 2 coats to be sandable. Faron

Hi I had my house done in a foam stucco about 10 years ago. It was done in a light beige color with the trim in a light cream. Well its time to freshen it up. Its very dirty and has some green algae stains on one side that doesn't get a lot of light. So my first question is does it need to be cleaned first? I'm scared to power wash it and damage it? Can I use a chemical and spary it on? Or should I use a good primer and then 1-2 coats of paint. Also what type of paint should be used? Is there a special type needed? I really want to use a good quality and not have to worry about painting it for another 7-10 years as it is a rental property. The first floor of the house is brick and the stucco portion is on second floor. Would it help to go darker so that it hides dirt better ? Thanks

Oil based paints were the go-to product for years but these days the water based paints are just are durable but much easier to use. Also, oil based paint will change color with age while waterbased paints will stay true to their original shade for decades. At our shop we recommend the Insl-x Cabinet Coat for kitchen cabinets, doors and trim. It dries quickly with no smell and cleans up with water. It cures to a very durable long lasting finish. It is still technically a Benjamin Moore umbrella product so you should be able to find it in a Benjamin Moore store. We tried the Advance and frankly were not very impressed. It develops that oil based smell after a day or so and stay soft for a long time. Additionally, it will also discolor with age - though not as much as the old fashioned oils. I hope you find this helpful. Good luck on your project!