Skirting boards are great for protecting your lower walls from damage. But if you’re going to be successful in this endeavour, you need to make sure that you use the right material. Get the choice wrong, and you could end up having to replace your skirting boards earlier than you expected.

Here we put forward the argument that MDF is the best skirting board material. Here’s our reasoning:

It’s Inexpensive

Many homeowners spend enormous sums of money on hardwood skirting boards, only to be disappointed by the results. Hardwood is costly and doesn’t always come in the right lengths or yield the best finish.

MDF, though, is incredibly inexpensive. Manufacturers make it by reusing small wood particles and mixing them with a binding agent. The binding agent holds everything together, producing planks at a fraction of the cost of conventional timber production.

It’s Easy To Paint

Second, MDF is incredibly easy to paint. Most skirting board panels come pre-primed. That means that the manufacturer adds the base coat of paint at the factory for you. All you need to do is add the top coat to match your room, and you’re done.

Compare that to regular timber where you often have to prime it multiple times before it is ready to install. MDF doesn’t absorb paint like regular wood, so you get a better finish almost immediately.

It’s Suitable For The Bathroom

Everyone knows that MDF and moisture don’t mix. And that can be a major reason not to use the material in the bathroom. Except, these days, you can get water-resistant products that won’t warp or crack in the bathroom, even if people take multiple showers per day and the room remains humid.

(Please note that moisture-resistant is different from waterproof. You may still damage MDF skirting boards if you fully submerge them in water).

It’s Strong And Durable

MDF is strong and durable, but the reasons why are quite interesting. When regular wood comes into contact with moisture or humidity, different parts of the grain expand and contract at different rates than others. This process leads to warping and twisting, wrecking the wood itself.

But with MDF, the expansion and contraction work uniformly. You don’t have some areas of the wood working against others as you do when there is a grain. Everything works in tandem.

It Has A Smooth, Uniform Finish

Lastly, MDF is the obvious choice if you like your skirting boards to look smooth and uniform. Boards are generally perfectly flat, unlike conventional woods that can have ripply, grainy effects running along them, no matter how much you try to sand them down.

Of course, this last point is a matter of personal taste. You could be someone who prefers natural wood effects. But if you don’t, then MDF is the material you should choose.

Like the idea of installing MDF moisture-resistant skirting boards in your home? Check out all the styles you can choose from in our store.