| Author |
Message |
George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA
Senior Member
Username: geverding
Post Number: 516
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 12:42 pm: |    |
My curmudgeonly nature says mdf base may be okay for residential, but it just seems wrong for commercial projects. The heavier floor maintenance, for example, should cause more damage than you find in residential settings. Before I go curmudgeon our project team, I'd like to hear if anyone has used mdf on commercial projects, and if you feel it was a successful application.
Curmudgeonly opinions also welcome. (I feel like I owe Sheldon royalties for this post)
George A. Everding AIA CSI CCS CCCA
Cannon Design - St. Louis, MO |
Paul Gerber
Junior Member
Username: paulgerber
Post Number: 2
Registered: 04-2010
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 01:56 pm: | |
I would share your views on this subject, especially with the floor cleaning equipment used in these environments, MDF's propensity to absorb water like a thristy camel would make the hair on the back of my neck stand on end at this request...unless the "designer" is looking for a random, swollen undulation pattern in their MDF base as a design feature.
If they are looking for a more decorative option, there are some really nice looking vinyl bases available which have the same detail as MDF, with through-colour benefits and without the need to paint, and re-paint and re-paint and...well you get my point. |
Marc C Chavez
Senior Member
Username: mchavez
Post Number: 381
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 02:12 pm: | |
My interiors people for the past two firms use it all the time. I think it's cheap crap - but they want it and it gets installed and I have not ever received (or heard of) any Owner complaints - however, everything you both have said it absolutely true. |
John Bunzick, CCS, CCCA, LEED AP
Senior Member
Username: bunzick
Post Number: 1195
Registered: 03-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 04:03 pm: | |
Why is it cheap crap? We make casework out of it all the time and like it. I agree with concerns in wet environments. |
Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: awhitacre
Post Number: 945
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Monday, April 19, 2010 - 05:13 pm: | |
I think its a great base material, except perhaps in the front lobby of a building (which gets wet raincoats, boots, and stuff bumping into it. Its harder than hardwood; it finishes smoother; it holds its shape better and has a beautiful finish when painted. For milled shapes, its way better than softwood or hardwood. |
(Unregistered Guest)
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Monday, April 19, 2010 - 06:53 pm: | |
for wet environments, we specify the moisture-resistant type. |
Steve Taylor
Senior Member
Username: steveatwi
Post Number: 25
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Friday, April 23, 2010 - 11:00 am: | |
Wood shrinks and expands very little in the direction parallel with the grain. This means that wood base, crown mold, etc. are pretty stable in length. When you grind the wood up and turn it into MDF it expands and contracts the same in all directions. This is good in casework, but it means MDF moldings shrink (and grow) more in length with changes in weather than wood.
This isn't much of a problem in residential, but can be a problem if there are long runs. I saw a hotel job in Beverly hills where there were 1/4" gaps between pieces of crown mold. They did have runs of 30 and 40 feet. It is also true that the Hotel didn't have any humidity control in the HVAC. |
Anne Whitacre, FCSI CCS
Senior Member
Username: awhitacre
Post Number: 948
Registered: 07-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 23, 2010 - 05:12 pm: | |
George: if your commercial space is carpeted, and will be vaccummed regularly, my experience has been that the MDF base holds up better against vaccumm cleaner than a "regular" wood base. if the floor will be damp-or-machine mopped, the moisture concerns are an issue with the mdf. I've probably had it installed on projects for the past 15 years on jobs, and it does hold up better than "regular" wood base. |
Stephen H. Falk, ccs, csi, scip
Senior Member
Username: shfalk
Post Number: 16
Registered: 08-2002
| | Posted on Monday, April 26, 2010 - 04:27 pm: | |
Haven't anyone of you heard of Extira by CMi.
It is waterproof and extremely stable and very millable. |
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