Currently renovating the upstairs and in some rooms there will be a high skirting board. I plan to first attach a strip of 4 mm MDF from the floor up to about 350 mm. On top of this, the skirting board will be added, and finally a rebated dado rail at the top. Everything will be painted with linseed oil paint. One thing I'm pondering is how to best join the MDF where you can't get full length? Bevel the edges slightly and fill? It's an old wooden house, so it feels like it might crack quite soon. Or some reinforcement strip to be filled in? Or is it best to just butt edge to edge and paint? Grateful for any ideas and experiences!
//Bernieberg
//Bernieberg
Member
· Nuevo Estockholmo
· 3 529 posts
That's correct, a little wood glue on it and it's sorted.kapi said:
Do you think it will be strong enough to fill the seam and make it hold?
S
sinuslinus
Träskalle
· Östergötlands län
· 6 024 posts
sinuslinus
Träskalle
- Östergötlands län
- 6,024 posts
4 mm MDF is quite flimsy. I would gently bevel the edges where the parts meet and paint. This results in a nicer edge than when the filler cracks.
I would slightly break the edges and apply a soft sealant before painting to prevent cracking if the house moves. I would assume that linseed oil paint "bites" on latex sealant if it's acceptable; otherwise, see if you can find a linseed oil filler that doesn't harden too much, or as a last resort, consider linseed oil putty and maybe work in a bit more chalk to make it slightly harder.
Looking at some older furniture painted with linseed oil paint, they are sometimes filled in joints with a linseed oil-based filler that is hard but still somewhat flexible to prevent the paint from cracking. In older houses, mouldings can be filled in joints/miter cuts with plaster, which isn't very forgiving—but it worked. On the other hand, the wood was dry and dimensionally stable in a different way than what you can buy at the building supply store today, but it should correspond to the MDF you plan to use. It should be dimensionally stable (and dry).
Linseed oil paint is also generally a bit more flexible than "modern" varnishes with resins in them, so it should work.
Looking at some older furniture painted with linseed oil paint, they are sometimes filled in joints with a linseed oil-based filler that is hard but still somewhat flexible to prevent the paint from cracking. In older houses, mouldings can be filled in joints/miter cuts with plaster, which isn't very forgiving—but it worked. On the other hand, the wood was dry and dimensionally stable in a different way than what you can buy at the building supply store today, but it should correspond to the MDF you plan to use. It should be dimensionally stable (and dry).
Linseed oil paint is also generally a bit more flexible than "modern" varnishes with resins in them, so it should work.
I'll probably try with some soft sealant. I've used it together with linolja before in the project, and it worked well. I think achieving a completely invisible joint that holds over time is tricky to accomplish.
I ended up lightly chamfering the edges and puttied smoothly (oil putty). I got a bit greedy and really wanted an invisible seam and it doesn't become completely perfect with a soft joint (at least when I do it). And on top of that, three coats of linseed oil paint. We'll see if it holds...
Did it hold?