MDF skirting warped?

Store it by laying flat would probably help.

 

I wouldn't see why it would be a problem if it is warped length ways. It will be flat once screwed to a wall.

 

4.3s of MDF are likely to bow slightly under their own weight, especially if stored upright in the store / yard

Timber yards tend to store their timber flat, much better system

Just depends how much bow your talking about. MDF is fairly flexible, lay it flat on the floor and with gentle pressure will it lay flat (obviously easier to tell on a hard floor than carpet)

If with gentle persuasion it lays flat, then no problem I recon. What product are you using to stick it with out of interest

 

Don't see how it matters! If your fixing it. Grab adhesive is pretty good then screw too hold. Especially if your painting. Caulk the tops job done.

Mitre fix is good for external corners.

 

Is it gripfill green tube (solvent) or yellow tube (solvent free)

If green, and uv not used this product before, there is a technique to using the stuff, especially with long lengths of skirting

Main problem is that it "skins over" very very quickly. This can result in a poor bond to the wall and it won't squish out flat between skirts and wall, resulting in gaps

Yep it's an excellent product with great bonding properties, just has limitations, especially if not used to using it

Yellow tube doesn't have that instant bond but is actually lovely to use, yes really

 

Be quick very quick lol make sure it fits dry properly and then glue up and fit also pins to hold is easier than screws as screws will need pilot holes and to be filled and sanded where as pin holes will only need a tiny bit of filler if anything before painting

 

One tip I can give. Apply to skirting and when pressing it against wall, move it up and down to 'break the already started to form skin'.

Mr. HandyAndy - Really

 

To be honest, my main tip would be to swap it over for solvent free yellow - not essential but I find it so much easier to work with

Green stinks to high heaven, skins quickly, messy to use and any excess and spills are difficult to clean, once skinned over can adversely effect bond, good instant grab though. With long lengths of skirt, you need to apply to board and attach to wall really quickly, two of you working together is better

Yellow stays lovely and creamy whilst your using it, any mess cleans up with a rag and warm soapy water, no smell, squishes out behind board, has good suction but you don't get that instant bond. Best to either wedge skirt to wall with some timber, bricks, paint pots or other whilst adhesive dries or if your using a few screws and plugs anyway, then no need to wedge

You can use any excess that pushes out the top of the skirt to fill gaps but it can shrink and crack as it dries. Much better to use any excess on the next bit of skirt and caulk along the tops to fill gaps. Large gaps fill well pushing caulk in with a paper scraper, you may need a 2nd fill once dry as caulk may shrink back a little. Finish with a tiny bead of caulk along tops of skirts and remove excess with a damp finger. Finish with a just damp rag. Like the yellow gripfil, caulk is water soluble so easy to clean as you go

Good luck with the project

 

I used this when I fitted my MDF skirting, I had a wall with a bow in it and it stuck it no problems, I haven't used any other form of fixings just this.

http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Ultimate-Instant-Grab-Adhesive-White-290ml/p/156744

 

Yes Dave!

I Recall scrubbing the green off laminate floor praying it will come off lol. Might give the yellow type myself a bash next time.

Good post

 

I've seen the MDF skirting but found wood to be cheaper other than MDF been completely defect free rather than with knots etc what other reasons is there to fit it??

 

That's pretty much it, DNR - smooth finish ready for painting, knot-free, less likely to warp ( ), doesn't move as much with moisture.

I wonder if that's the issue that Bernie had - the MDF stuff is usually primed on the facing surface, so if it's been kept in a cold damp building it might have absorbed more moisture through the unprotected back? I wonder if it bowed outwards towards the ends of the lengths - ie concave as you look at the finished surface?

Anyways, chust to agree with the above - solvent-free stuff is soooo much better to use, with the sole proviso that it doesn't 'grab' as firmly instantly.

Bernie, either way, make sure your wall (fresh plaster?) has been fully painted first, or else it'll both absorb the solvent making the adhesive thicken more quickly, and it might even fail to grab as the dusty top layer of plaster simply rejects it.

Solvent-free is a nice stuff to use: a good bead along near t'top and t'bottom, and a wiggle in between for good measure. Make the top bead close enough to the top edge, and thick enough too, so's a bit squeezes oot along the top edge against the wall. If there are any gaps where it hasn't squished oot, then run a bead along there as soon as it's in place - wipe your finger firmly along that edge to squeeze it in, and to remove the bulk of the excess. Then wipe it over with a damp cloth.

With a bit of luck - ie if there are no large gaps - then you'll end up with a finished seam ready for painting; no decorator's filler required.

What Sol-Free does require, tho', is preparation - position each length dry first, and make sure you have either clamps in place to hold it wherever it wants to spring oot (if you have bare, unfinished floors, then simply tack a wood block in place to hold short battens that can be levered into position against the skirting to hold it firmly. Don't forget that dry run...). Or else get some 2mm panel pins of whatever length you need - you can get them 50mm long at least. Half-hammer them in to the MDF wherever they are need to hold it in place whilst the S-F sets, and then knock them in to hold. If you want you can leave them not quite 'home' and remove them afterwards, with chust a teeny hole to fill. Or just blatter them home and be done...

To joins lengths of skirting mid-run, mitre the joins - you'll get a much better (stronger and more invisible) join. Solvent-free the joints too, including the corners - use a sharp edge to scrape away the excess to follow the profile of the skirting.