MDF Cupboard Doors

[GB]

I have some MDF doors in the eaves cupboards, just plain 1.5 cm MDF. There is quite a lot of pine in the room, and I have varnished that. It looks great. I tried varnishing the MDF doors, and it looks pretty awful, just a plain kahki colour, and the finish is not good, with the varnish sinking into the MDF. (I have just finished the second coat and it looks the same. I guess that if I keep going I will eventually get a decent finish, but it's only MDF after all.)

I tried a mahogany varnish on a bit of scrap, but the result is even worse, just a sort of mucky brown.

I could paint the doors gloss white, which would go with the walls, which are white emulsion. Any suggestions before I do that?

By the way, I have varnished the room side of the doors. Do I have to do the same to the inside to stop them warping?

[Ed Sirett]

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.

[Mr Fuxit]

You must treat both sides the same way.

[Lobster]

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

[GB]

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)?

[Lobster]

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

[The Natural Philosopher]

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

[Mr Fuxit]

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!

[The Natural Philosopher]

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*"

[GB]

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.

[Mr Fuxit]