Replacing Interior Trim, MDF or Primed Poplar?

12 years ago

I'm going to be replacing my oak interior trim and flush oak doors with painted trim and solid core 2 panel molded doors.

Should I use mdf or primed finger jointed poplar? I'll be using 7 1/4" base, 3 1/2" to 4" casing and various other trim. What would you choose and why? If you have used mdf trim,what do you think of it?

Anyone in the Chicago area have a good source for trim and doors? I have looked at the obvious choices such as HD, Lowes and Menards which don't have much of a selection.

Thanks.

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Comments (4)

sallymo2015
12 years ago
When we built our house 12 yrs ago, I thought the MDF trim would be a good idea---less expensive, paints really nice and smooth, etc. However, now that I've lived with it for that many yrs, I see the downside. The trim in my boys bath is looking really bad (baseboard). MDF and moisture don't get along. They take extra steamy showers (and that's a problem with almost everything, actually), and apparently splash water outside of the shower. The boards start to swell at the bottom where the dampness has accumulated, and you can't sand it to make it look better, Painting again helps hide it, doesn't fix it back to normal. Also, the window above my kitchen sink is large and almost sits on the cabinet, which I love. But, using the sprayer always causes some water to get on the trim and window. It is easy to wipe off if you think of it, but eventually it sits on the trim and seeps through the paint causing that MDF to become a problem. I have slightly sanded the edge, and repainted, but really need to have that piece pulled off and replaced with wood, or better yet, a granite piece when we get our countertops upgraded (the granite I've been wanting for 12 yrs). The rooms without the water problems still get some nicks that are more difficult to smooth out, too.

So---I vote for the real wood---it can be sanded and repaired much easier than MDF.
fnmroberts
12 years ago
Since you're going to paint, it probably doesn't matter but I'd stay away from pine as it is softer and will more readily dent and distress. What I would suggest is purchasing a small piece of both, prime and paint to see if there is a difference in application and/or appearance.

Suggest a quality lumber yard or millwork specialty company. I'm in FAR NW suburban Chicago and have used Blue Ribbon Millwork. Personally, I'm not a shopper at the big box stores for feature materials like you are seeking to replace.
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OrchidOCD
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aries61
Original Author
12 years ago
Thanks for the responses. I was leaning towards wood, but one of the millwork dealers suggested mdf instead that is why I asked the question to see who had mdf and there experience with it.

Replacing Interior Trim, MDF or Primed Poplar?

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sallymo2015

fnmroberts

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Replacing Interior Trim, MDF or Primed Poplar?

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sallymo2015

fnmroberts

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