Three Great Reasons to Choose MDF Skirting Boards & Architrave

Although traditionally made from hardwood, the most popular material for skirting boards and architrave today is MDF. In this blog we examine the advantages of MDF skirting boards and architrave over other real wood alternatives.

Less likely to warp or crack

The foremost advantage of using MDF is that it is a man-made material, which means it won’t be at risk of warping or cracking as the temperature and moisture content in the surrounding atmosphere varies.

Real woods react to the conditions by expanding and contracting depending on the environment they reside in. This can be a particular annoyance where 2 pieces are joined, because if the material moves or changes shape even slightly it can ruin a perfect join and create an eyesore.

The MDF we use is an industrial grade, moisture resistant MDF. This means that in addition to not warping, it can be used in places where there may be a high moisture content (like bathrooms and kitchens) without the fibres flaring up and ruining the look of the skirting board. You can find out more about the MDF we use by clicking here .

MDF Architrave fitted in bathroom

Available in various sizes

MDF is a man-made product that is manufactured in large sheets in a variety of sizes. This means we are able to supply skirting boards and architrave in standardised lengths. The advantage of having standard sized lengths is that when you come to estimate the quantity of skirting you need for a particular room, you are better able to stay in control of where you place joins.

For example, if you are someone looking to install skirting boards with the minimum number of joins and you have a wall that is 3.8m long, you can order a length of MDF skirting board that is 4.2m in length so that the whole run can be achieved without an additional join.

Natural wood products are generally sold by the metre, because there is no guarantee that a given tree will yield exact lengths of useable material. In this instance you have far less control when it comes to planning the installation of your new skirting and architrave.

MDF cut down to different height specifications.

Easier to paint

The absence of natural imperfections such as knots and splinters make MDF a much easier material to paint. Because some real woods do not have a consistent surface colour, it can take extra coats of paint to achieve proper coverage. Knots and suchlike are much darker than the general wood tone and tend to show through sometimes even following the second coat of paint.

MDF has a consistent surface that looks great when painted. The ‘flat’ surface of a skirting board that has been made from MDF still has the perfectly smooth outer layer intact, which makes it easy to achieve a flawless paint finish. With proper preparation, the exposed MDF core where the moulding has been created can also be painted to a very high standard, particularly if the primer and paint is applied via a spray gun rather than manually with a brush.

A post shared by @skirting4u on Oct 4, 2017 at 4:47am PDT

About the Author

Kieron Miller is the Managing Director of Skirting 4 U and has been working in the skirting board and online retail industry since 2012. Kieron has been using his extensive product knowledge and problem-solving experience to help both trade and private consumers all over the country find the perfect skirting board products for their projects. He continues to innovate new solutions and product ideas as the market continues to grow.