MDF Cupboard Doors

Some people like varnished MDF (there's no accounting for taste or the lack of it).

I'd apply an undercoat and a couple of coats of paint. You could do the frame white and the doors a colour.

You must treat both sides the same way.

Personally I wouldn't do anything else with MDF except paint it. It's not intended to be a 'finished' material like natural timber; varnishing etc really isn't appropriate.

I use MDF primer first - TBH I've never really worked out whether special 'MDF' variety is really necessary, or whether it's just a marketing ploy! - followed by undercoat and then gloss. Don't use emulsion.

For real? I find that very hard to believe. Though I think personally in all cases where I've only painted one side of an MDF panel it will have been screwed down, so warping woudn't be evident.

David

Thanks for the advice guys. I will varnish the insides of the doors to be on the safe side.

The outsides of the doors have had two coats of varnish. If I paint over the doors in gloss, can I just undercoat straight onto the varnish (having given it a rub-down to provide a key)?

I'm still *very* unconvinced about the need to treat both sides of the MDF the same to prevent warping; however if you're now going to paint the insides white, then I do think that giving them a priming coat of varnish just to match the outsides would be a bit daft...

Sounds fine.

David

Its not really necessary at all. MDF - unlike wood - its fairly dimensionally stable, and not strong enough to warp itself if it gets damp as long as its well screwed down

You obviously don't work with MDF very much commercially. Go to Ikea and look at their "High gloss" wardrobe doors, and try to find a straight one!

That's not because they ain't painted on both sides..

Read my post

"its fairly dimensionally stable, and not strong enough to warp itself if it gets damp as long as its *well screwed down*"

Can I just ask for some advice on how to prepare the varnished doors for over-painting, please?

It won't take long to varnish/paint the insides of the doors, and I prefer to do that than risk warping, as I can't screw the doors down even a little bit.