MDF Skirting & Architrave

[JanetE]

We are now thinking about Skirting and Architrave for the new house  We had originally thought to have Shadow Gaps but had to give up on the idea as it would have been too costly and also too difficult to find any tradesperson to do it for us.  We don't want a varnished wood finish, simply a painted one. So MDF seems to have advantages over wood, no knots to show through and when painted and fitted we think they will look just as good as wood.  

 

When checking the MDF suppliers websites we noticed that the architrave comes out at 70mm minimum which seems a bit wide to us.  We want a pretty simply design that looks modern, so I am interested to have any ideas and advice and any recommendations of where to get this. Thanks 

Edited December 13, 2016 by JanetE

[MrP]

There are loads of online retailers offering all sorts of designs and sizes, just stick primed mdf skirting in to google.

Alternatively if you want a pretty simple profile then it may be worth having a chat with your carpenter. When i did my first renovation and money was really short i just bought the 18mm mdf sheets from wickes, worked out the most economical way of getting as many skirting and architrave lengths out of a sheet and got them to cut it down and rout out the profile. IIRC i paid them about £100 and once they got set up it only took them a couple of hours. The only issue is then having to sand and prime it all, but it saved me a lot of money at the time and i got to choose exactly how i wanted it.  

[Barney12]

As @MrP says above one option is roll your own. If you've got a B&Q with a timber cut station then they will machine 8x4 sheets down to strips. Then it's just a case of running a router along one edge, very simple. 

The one disadvantage is lengths; you'll be restricted to 2400mm a length. No problem to join but added work for your chippy.

Also don't underestimate the amount of work in painting hand rolled mdf. All cut edges will need sealing, sanding and priming and sanding again to create a smooth profile. Easy to do but time consuming  

 

Another option is just to get somethig machined to your requirements. Just google "custom mouldings" there are dozens of companies to choose from. 

 

MDF is often maligned as a material but if you're looking for a painted finish I personally think it can't be beaten. Easy to fit, no knots, no shrinkage. Perhaps the only draw back is it REALLY doesn't like water, it soaks it up like a sponge  

 

[Declan52]

I went MDF route and used 75mm for both the skirting and architrave. Of hand I think a 5.5m length was £6. Easy to cut and easy to fill and as you say no knots to worry about. Below is the only picture I have on my phone.

 

[Gone West]

I've used 69mm MDF skirting and architrave. It doesn't warp or move and is easy to glue to the wall. I wouldn't use soft wood with a painted finish again.

[ragg987]

We used a very small 45 deg chamfer on all our skirting, architraves and windows boards. I got samples from a few companies and quality was variable, so ended up with pre-primed HDF (smoother finish than MDF). Good discount and free delivery for the single large order I placed over the phone.

 

http://mdfskirtingworld.co.uk/epages/www_mdfskirtingworld_co_uk.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/www_mdfskirtingworld_co_uk/Products/edg409/SubProducts/edg409-0001

 

Skirting 120mm tall by 18mm thick

Architraves 70mm x 18mm

Window boards 25mm thick

 

Would not hesitate to do the same again.

[JanetE]

Thanks for the info everyone. Good to know that the MDF/HDF is a good choice. Will try that website ragg.

[Nickfromwales]

The only advice I can add, is to go for pine / other wood in the bathrooms, for just that side of the frame. Having even a bit of splashed water at the floor / architrave junction will result in what I have.......swollen first inch syndrome. Mine have already gone after just two years and a lesson learnt. They'll be coming off soon to be replaced with wood. 

Id also suggest that for kitchen / utility, you fully paint the underside before cutting and fitting as this will be a good way to guarantee that mopping etc won't cause similar issues.