MDF Skirting Boards Prime It Caulk It Understand It

[@nikkicull8173]

Thank you so much. I am very much an amateur decorator, but live in a 4 bed Edwardian house. It needs LOTS doing. Your way of showing and explaining are truly a great help and an inspiration.

[@twistedgooner6472]

You painters are worth your weight in gold I’m having a nightmare with these MDF skirts wish I’d watched this first

[@PaintingandDecorating]

Thank you glad we could help..

[@setter55]

Great tip using the plastic spacer. I use my finger and a tub of water when caulking, bit messy and sore on the finger though lol.

[@ukfreedivingbuddies]

That's a brilliant video, full of useful info but also straight to the point. It's been very helpful, thanks for uploading,

[@PaintingandDecorating]

Thanks your welcome.

[@MOPARdave999]

First class as usual! For what it's worth, I use my old abranet pads for sanding anything with a profile.... I find they follow the contours better than sandpaper.....brilliant for de nibbing stuff. Also, I've had good results with the 123 zinsser as opposed to the BIN. Keep 'em coming mate..... every day is a school day!

[@SteS]

Bin is a pain to sand. 123 is much easier to rub down and simpler clean up too seeing as it's water bourne.

[@MOPARdave999]

@@SteS yup.... That's why I like it mate.

[@acropolisnow9466]

Got hundreds of old abranet discs, practically indestructible.

[@popandu1170]

Worth noting that the VOC content for the BIN is a maximum of 500g/L and the 123 Bullseye Plus is 3g/L - incredible difference.

[@EdomiteSlayer666]

Always prime before caulking indeed

[@m1k300003]

Fill it, caulk it, rub the filler and then acrylic primer undercoat.

[@PaintingandDecorating]

Fill it with what and acrylic primer is no good for MDF.

[@adriansandry2783]

Council job! 'Painting and Decorating' did it correctly.

[@m1k300003]

Painting and Decorating fill in with easy fill. Acrylic primer is ok. You then put and undercoat and a gloss on it

[@PaintingandDecorating]

@@m1k300003 Oil is tougher and waterproof and leaves the best finish.. acrylic is okay but would still use oil on top..

[@a2bguy923]

Did you just put paint in water-based primer?

[@umranhu]

On the back of this vid i have just emailed skirting company due to buy from asking which primer used. Told its water based but cant tell me brand etc. Im now thinking of just buying untreated boards, sand with 120 grit, zinnser bin to prime/seal 1 coat, light sand, undercoat of chosen paint, light sand and them 2 top coats. Ill prob get up to undercoat stage before there fitted and do top coats once fitted. No idea what caulking to use but ill need to tell joiner when fits them

[@umranhu]

Ive had change of thought as reckon watched this vid about 4x now. Now Buying pre primed mdf skirting as they sand in between the 2 coats of primer they spray on. Ill go over faintly with 240 before rolling on the bin with short nap roller thats suitable for bin (chamfered skirt so no tricky bits). Then another sand with 240 before an undercoat (water based satin). Then gonna have them fitted. Still dont know if ill paint or get decorator to do them then. What is caulk you used and guessing wont crack/shrink/slump in future or go yellow ? Do you paint the caulk and if so emulsion or whatver used on skirting ? Also , do you use polycell for nail holes ? Keep reading people saying use a 2 part wood filler which is best but seems list goes on forvever

[@umranhu]

After watching this vid multipe times just realised you only put zinsser on just in case caulk doesnt attach properly ? Ive bought zinsser thinking it was belt and brace approach to protect skirting from moisture. Surely with todays tech there is caulking that will bond to primer properly/wont slump/crack etc so can then paint over Im so confused now. Guess i can just put bin on where joiner fills pin holes and along top edge to be safe. I am gonna sand pre primed skirting before fitting which i get regards raised grain.

[@marclee2747]

I love working with mdf

[@peterr7437]

hi i have this job to do but dont have a pin gun,skirting i took off was full of pins ,but i think it was overkill ,whats my options if i need to secure a board if the walls not straight walls are board,new ish build so nothing is square boards dont go all the way to the floor

[@MarcGray1990]

Mate it’s been an absolute scorcher today. No fun for any trade really! It’s the kind of heat where you only have to carry your tools out the van and you start dripping with sweat! Have to get your shorts on 😂!

[@cathedralImages]

What fillers You using for mdf ?

[@explorewithant]

Hi buddy,,what would you recommend for skirting boards,,,gloss or eggshell

[@robmaule4951]

Thanks for filming. Really useful

[@PaintingandDecorating]

Your welcome thanks.

[@adriansandry2783]

Great job as usual!

[@PaintingandDecorating]

Thank you.

[@alanbartlett9523]

Can you use zinnser cover stain to seal the mdf, as it it is a sealer.

[@snodge6770]

Hi, do you give the caulk a second fill ?, I find it shrinks in a bit, and gives a concave effect. 👍👍👍👍

[@deepzepp4176]

Yeah, if it needs it, give it a second caulk.

[@balke7935]

Little peacock butterfly! Beaut

[@michaelwallwork7482]

Brilliant 👍

[@PaintingandDecorating]

Thanks

[@rebeccafindlay9068]

I noticed in a previous video you filled the gap with pollyfilla. When would you advise using caulk and when would you use pollyfilla?

[@PaintingandDecorating]

Caulk is okay for quick work or if your on a budget... but for the best finish and clean flat edges polyfilla is better... thanks

[@rebeccafindlay9068]

Painting and Decorating thanks very much for a helpful reply!

[@popandu1170]

Good question Rebecca! : )

[@umranhu]

​@@PaintingandDecorating have you used fc1 on skirting ? Opinion if so on new skirting ?

[@steveprice9462]

Hi, what purpose does the foam actually serve? Thanks.

[@PaintingandDecorating]

It acts like a shock absorber and stops the crack from coming back.

[@MrCypress01]

Excellent video as usual. Retirement has meant plenty of time for DIY, so your videos have helped me so much over the past year. Just one thing that I still find a little confusing is when you opt for caulk over filler, as in this case? Thanks again!

[@tonygoshive785]

There’s no need to foam everything, The skirtings have already been glued and / or nailed

[@ratchriat1716]

as always love it.

[@Pete.Ty1]

😊👍

[@tubbycarpenter9847]

As a chippy he should’ve forced that skirting back onto the wall poor workmanship

[@christaylor5291]

Not really and I’m a carpenter. Gaps are acceptable up to 3mm. If you force it more room for it to spring back. You could not do this with 6” softwood or oak skirting with grain. Personally poor plastering.

[@MrB3ngy]

Agree poor plastering. Scribe wasn’t very good and gaps behind were a lot more than 3mm.

[@aspenade]

Decorating industry has moved on since the mid 1990's. Double sided sanding pads will sand the whole machined contours of the skirting instead of hop skipping and jumping with a tri fold of paper. Larger gaps between skirting and wall can be packed out before caulking with polyethylene backer rod that won't expand like your foam and possibly push your skirting out more than it already is and a good acrylic primer sealer instead of bin which is very brittle and one place you don't want brittle primer is on skirting boards that take a lot of abuse from vacuum cleaners etc. Your methods might be ok for site bashing where your never likely to have to come back on your own work but anything other than that you'd be snagging and touching up for ever and a day.

[@boomish69]

Good tips I’d never heard of backing rods, blimey he has some large gaps on that skirting, what primer do you recommend?

[@PaintingandDecorating]

Wow you really don't understand your paints and the fact it's best not to use acrylic primer on MDF really you think we have not heard or used pads... but not for a rough edge wear down your pads too quick... maybe after the first sand.

[@adriansandry2783]

Pads don't cut as well as paper scratch and are best used for keying and denibbing, for which they are superb. Backing rods (or newspaper in the days of yore) don't have the advantages of foam. The foam prevents any future movement of the board and is a permanent fix, whereas with a gap that wide using backing rod is inviting future movement cracks. I agree with the acrylic primer though as it adheres well, hides blemishes and provides some body.

[@aspenade]

@@PaintingandDecorating Tikkurilla Akva acrylic primer sealer Colourtrend Prime 1 primer sealer Leyland Acrylic primer undercoat Johnstone's MDF primer Blackfriars MDF primer undercoat Dulux trade QD MDF acrylic primer All the above are specced for MDF and in use daily by both modern and traditional decorators. You think these paints would be on the market and widely used if they didn't work? You think all the paint manufacturers spend a fortune on research and development and bringing acrylic MDF primers to market if they don't work, perhaps they just don't understand and your claim that acrylic primers don't work on MDF trumps what the countries leading paint manufacturers guarantee on the sides of their cans and in their technical data sheets. That's just a small sample of acrylic paints for MDF, there are many others, Crown paints make 4 or 5 for MDF so don't be coming that old it's best not to use acrylic paints on MDF yarn, it won't wash.

[@PaintingandDecorating]

@@aspenade water based is not the best for priming bare or fared up MDF.. MDF soakes up water and expands... once sealed acrylic is okay.. manufacturers just want to be green... and give you quick fixes even if they are not the best or even worth the money... becareful drinking from the main stream.. they will sell you anything if you do not understand your materials.