Medium Density Fiberboard and Moisture an age old problem, or is it?
Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) and moisture have never been a good combination. For years most contractors, builders and DIY enthusiasts have steered clear of MDF mouldings for this reason alone.
Finger Joint Pine (FJP) mouldings have been the only and best option other than solid wood mouldings; however the cost of solid wood mouldings is very expensive so the FJP baseboards and crown mouldings have been the affordable alternative. The problem is the profile selections for baseboards, casings and crown mouldings are very limited and the larger size mouldings are a real challenge to get. So what is a person to do?
MDF mouldings have been around for a very long time now, in fact for about 30 years. In this time the manufactures of MDF have done a great job of refining the product they supply companies like Burton Mouldings Ltd. One particular area they have done this is with their manufacturing of waterproof or moisture proof MDF. This is quite a remarkable product. The moisture proof MDF has been laboratory and in the field tested and has proven to be the solution to the long existing problem of MDF baseboards, casings swelling and disintegrating from water coming in contact in areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, mud rooms, entry ways and around windows. Often we don’t see the water on the floor or are not able to wipe it up immediately because we are in a rush. The damage is done!
At Burton Mouldings Ltd in Richmond B.C we have been using the moisture proof MDF for quite awhile on projects that have requested baseboards and casings to be custom made with this product and have had great success with its performance.
What we have found that we are able to provide any and all profiles and sizes that the customer needs make their project beautiful and unique without needing to worry about the product we custom made not lasting as it should.
A question that some will ask is whether the standard and the moisture proof MDF mouldings are consistent or do they finish and look the same when they are painted?
Short answer, Yes! The moisture proof product looks and feels almost exactly the same. The mouldings do weigh a little more and if you were to put them side by side you can definitely tell one product is denser than the other, however once they are milled and painted you will never tell the difference. There is no need for any special saw to cut the moisture proof MDF mouldings or any added effort to install them either.
One area we have seen that this product performs really well is with our custom made window sills and seats. Most new homes today have vinyl widows so the temperature outside does not create sweating on the inside of windows nears as bad as aluminum windows and doors do. But we have all left a widow open and it has started to rain while we are out and the wind has blown the water in on our window sills and window seats, or we have put a potted plant up on the window seat or window sill and it has leaked or we have over watered, or have been sitting curled up in our favorite window seat totally fixated on the view or our book and have spilt our beverage! With the use of this product you won’t need to be as worried about the damage it could cause.
Burton Mouldings Ltd is able to custom make, at our facility in Richmond B.C, window seats and sills any size you need up to 4 feet in width and 16 feet in length in both regular MDF and waterproof MDF. We also supply a large variety of interior and exterior wood and MDF mouldings. These can be viewed and down loaded from right here on our website. If you have further questions feel free to give us a call or drop us an email.
