Should You Use MDF, Wood, or Plastic for Baseboards and Trim?

MDF, Wood, and Plastic Baseboards

 
MDF
Wood
Plastic
Material
Medium-density fiberboard
Natural wood such as poplar, pine, or oak
Extruded PVC or polyurethane

Cost
$2 per linear foot for 3 1/4-inch by 1/2-inch MDF baseboards
$1.50 per linear foot 3 1/4-inch by 1/2-inch poplar baseboards
$2.50 per linear foot 3 1/4-inch by 1/2-inch for PVC baseboards

Priming
Comes pre-primed
Not pre-primed
Not primed

Staining
Cannot be stained
All wood baseboards, except for primed, may be stained
Cannot be stained

Painting
May be painted
May be painted
Some plastic trim can be painted

Installation
Lack of wood grain means that MDF will not split when nailed
Strong, light, and easy to handle
Material will not split or crack when nailed

Using MDF Baseboards and Trim

Medium-density fiberboard, like other aggregate building materials such as quartz counters, is derived from the same source that it is emulating: trees. Yet the similarity ends at the mill. Soon after entering the mill, MDF’s wood source (usually small branches) is pulped into a mash, then re-formed into a hard building product. 

Within the home, medium-density fiberboard (MDF) is increasingly being used—for kitchen and bathroom cabinets, shelves, and furniture.

Pros

• Slightly lower cost than wood

• MDF does not split

• Flexible, good for curves

Cons

• Damaged by water

• Must be painted; cannot be stained

• Prone to breaking, chipping

Lower cost is the driver behind MDF baseboards’ popularity. The most popular size of baseboard material is 3 1/4 inches high. Within this category, solid, unprimed wood is the most expensive product, followed by primed pine and by MDF.

While there are cost differences, these differences are slight, especially in small applications. At many home centers and lumberyards, MDF is up to 10 percent cheaper than hemlock or poplar and can even be the same price as primed, finger-jointed pine. Such a minor cost difference may not be noticed in a small room or two. But when installing hundreds of linear feet of baseboards, MDF tends to be favored by economy-minded owners, contractors, and builders.

MDF baseboards can be easier to install than real wood baseboards. MDF baseboards’ soft material cuts easily and does not split under the force of power-driven brad nails or even manually-hammered finish nails. Any blemishes that occur during installation can also be easily sanded out of the surface, another characteristic that makes MDF baseboards popular.

Tip

One issue with using MDF as a general building material is that it is not structurally sound on its own. But when MDF is coupled with another material, it can be used for baseboards. The wall behind the baseboards provides enough strength for the baseboards.

Laminate flooring provides a perfect analogy to MDF baseboards. On its own, the fiberboard base, similar to MDF, would likely be the worst possible choice for flooring material. Yet when paired with a hardy transparent wear layer and when tightly seamed on a good subfloor, laminate’s fiberboard can provide a suitable flooring surface for many years.

MDF, as molding, can be made to work in the same way. Priming and painting provide MDF with a thin protective shell. But it’s mainly the wall behind the MDF baseboards that acts as its structural support. MDF baseboards on straight runs are nearly as strong as real wood baseboards. Outside corners, though, are MDF’s weak points, since these areas are prone to chipping.

Using Wood Baseboards and Trim

Real wood baseboards, such as those found in home centers, tend to be made from softwoods such as long, uninterrupted pine boards and finger-jointed pine or from hardwoods such as oak and hemlock.

Pros

• Strong material

• Can be left natural (stained)

• Lightweight

Cons

• Slightly more expensive than MDF

• Wood can split when nailed

• Straightness can be an issue

Softwoods typically are primed and painted, though not always. While hardwoods can be primed and painted, it defeats the purpose of purchasing expensive hardwoods to cover up the beauty of the grain with paint. As a result, hardwood baseboards are usually stained and sealed.

With real wood baseboards, at least you have the option of the natural wood grain. With MDF, you never have that option, as these baseboards must always be primed and painted. In fact, MDF baseboards are usually sold primed not so much for the convenience of the customers but because primed wood ships better and with less risk of damage.

Real wood, even softwood, is stronger than MDF. So, if you anticipate installing baseboards in a high-traffic, high-impact environment, you would want to purchase real wood or even PVC baseboards. Because primed and painted natural wood is only marginally better than MDF at standing up against moisture, PVC is your best bet for highly wet spaces.

Tip

Finger-jointed pine offers a low-cost way to purchase real wood baseboards. Finger joints, like scarf joints, create long baseboard runs out of shorter pieces of material. Finger joints, created in the factory, are even better than scarf joints because a comb-like profile is cut into each end, then glued together, creating a bond that is as strong as other parts of the wood.

Actual wood baseboards can split when nailed; MDF and plastic never have this problem. So care must be taken when installing these baseboards, and some excess amount should be figured into the purchase price.

Also, be sure to check for straight baseboards. Because MDF is an engineered wood, all pieces are, or should be, perfectly straight. Natural wood may be bowed. It is better to reject inferior pieces at the store than on the job site.

Using Plastic Baseboards and Trim

Plastic is the universal term for baseboards and trim made of polyurethane, polystyrene, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Plastic baseboards and trim have slowly gained acceptance, but MDF and natural wood still tend to be more popular materials.

Pros

• Waterproof

• Insect resistant

• Will not split or crack

Cons

• Expensive

• Difficult to paint

• Cannot be stained

The best thing about plastic baseboards and trim is that it is 100-percent waterproof, making this an ideal material for bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other high-moisture environments.

While termites, carpenter ants, and other wood-boring insects are less of a concern indoors than outdoors, it’s still helpful to use a material that insects aren’t interested in. Since plastic baseboards and trim have no organic content, they do not supply food for insects.

One disadvantage of plastic baseboards and trim is its high cost. Installed in a small room, like a bathroom, this may not be an issue for many homeowners. For across the expanse of an entire house, the costs can quickly add up.

How to Decide on Baseboard and Trim Material

If you want the look of natural wood, the decision is clear: solid wood baseboards. Hemlock, oak, pine, poplar, and maple are popular solid wood baseboards for staining.

If you are installing baseboards in great numbers and you want an easy installation, then choose MDF baseboards since they cut and nail up with little problem.

If you are installing in a wet application, then choose primed wood or, even better, plastic baseboards, as MDF should not be used in wet areas, such as bathrooms.