# Forum Home Renovation General Odds & Sods  mdf interior wall lining instead of plasterboard

## dab

Hi guys, 
Keen to get some views from you re lining interior walls with mdf rather than plasterboard.  
So I have worked a lot with both and the quality of a plasterboard job largely depends on the quality of the trades setting the plaster and unfortunately more often than not its pretty poor. Add to that the softness ie dents etc of the and need for skirting and traditional trim.  
So mdf is more expensive and can't be set with plaster successfully so if a shadow line panelled appearance is acceptable, say 10mm shadow line to floor and ceiling and say a butt join V groove joint or similar you can eliminate skirting and door, Window trim and you could argue that when you weigh up the total cost of plasterboard and all that is required in time and money compared with mdf that the two are comparable. 
The only downside of mdf that I can possible think of is moisture in the wall cavity affecting the back of the board over time. I would propose sealing edges with oil based UC prior to erection but sealing the back might be a step too far. 
What do you guys think? 
Cheers

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## ringtail

Yep, why not. I'm not a big fan of gyprock due to how easily it gets damaged and the mess associated with  setting and sanding it. However, it is cheap and easy to repair. I ended up sheeting over some gyprock with villaboard as it can still be set ( mess) but is heaps better than gyprock for impact damage. As long as you're happy with the appearance of the finished product and are prepare to wear the cost then go for it. Alternatives to the norm are always worth pursuing I reckon.

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## dab

> Yep, why not. I'm not a big fan of gyprock due to how easily it gets damaged and the mess associated with  setting and sanding it. However, it is cheap and easy to repair. I ended up sheeting over some gyprock with villaboard as it can still be set ( mess) but is heaps better than gyprock for impact damage. As long as you're happy with the appearance of the finished product and are prepare to wear the cost then go for it. Alternatives to the norm are always worth pursuing I reckon.

  Thanks ringtail. Yeah PB is rubbish and it's cheap for that reason. Mdf certainly has it flaws but as if it's used to its strengths and not used as a literal substitute (ie setting it smooth) it is far better and at say $15-16 a sheet of 16mm compared to $10ish for same size 13mm PB price won't break the bank. Screw fixings can easily be filled with builders bog or similar epoxy and when sealed and painted will look same (obviuosly with joints exposed). Just unsure on how it would be 10 years down the track with temperature variation...

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## ringtail

Seal the back and edges and it should be fine.

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## Oldsaltoz

Your dead right, plaster board is rubbish, way to easily damaged and nigh impossible to match the finish when repaired without a bit of fuss. 
AC sheeting or Villaboard is much stringer an not a lot harder to install, though both need plastering at the joints and that depends on how good the Plasterer is. 
My only concern with using a sheeting that contains timber is the swelling and shrinkage. Have you contacted the manufacturers for advice and any sort of warranty? 
I would be tempted, provided the makers said go ahead to conceal the sheet joints and corners using a belt sander to level the edges the mix up some epoxy resin and add some Micro-Balloons to a toothpaste consistency and coat them, the mixture is very easy to sand back and would provide a good solid joint that will not allow moisture in. 
I imagine your system would also improve the sound proofing of the rooms to some degree.   
Note: if you use an Epoxy based product you should apply a suitable primer before painting, Epoxy is a bit licone Silicon in that almost nothing will stick to it without priming. 
Good luck and fair winds.   :Smilie:

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## Moondog55

And for a little [ or a lot] more money you could use decent plywood, especially if you like the look when clear coated

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## dab

> Your dead right, plaster board is rubbish, way to easily damaged and nigh impossible to match the finish when repaired without a bit of fuss. 
> AC sheeting or Villaboard is much stringer an not a lot harder to install, though both need plastering at the joints and that depends on how good the Plasterer is. 
> My only concern with using a sheeting that contains timber is the swelling and shrinkage. Have you contacted the manufacturers for advice and any sort of warranty? 
> I would be tempted, provided the makers said go ahead to conceal the sheet joints and corners using a belt sander to level the edges the mix up some epoxy resin and add some Micro-Balloons to a toothpaste consistency and coat them, the mixture is very easy to sand back and would provide a good solid joint that will not allow moisture in. 
> I imagine your system would also improve the sound proofing of the rooms to some degree.   
> Note: if you use an Epoxy based product you should apply a suitable primer before painting, Epoxy is a bit licone Silicon in that almost nothing will stick to it without priming. 
> Good luck and fair winds.

  i have used mdf semi externally with one coat of enamel UC with no issues but yeah epoxy would be bulletproof.

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## dab

> And for a little [ or a lot] more money you could use decent plywood, especially if you like the look when clear coated

  yes of course but different beast ply mainly as you say cost. Hoop would be 250ish a sheet and I don't know if you would use anything less from an aesthetic point of view. Fixing is another big one as you would need to expose fixings, align them because filling them to look invisible looks rubbish in my view. Channel - bracket secret fixing is crazy time and money..

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## Moondog55

Well one way I just thought of would be to sheet using 2 grades of ply, cheap 4mm structural glued and nailed and the good looking top cover simply glued in place, strength and good looks combined but a bit more work

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## dab

> Well one way I just thought of would be to sheet using 2 grades of ply, cheap 4mm structural glued and nailed and the good looking top cover simply glued in place, strength and good looks combined but a bit more work

  or just glue the good stuff on. I have done mdf poly panels a few times and glued them straight on to avoid fixings. The issue of course is maintenance.

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## Gaza

Ply / feature panel can look great if the detailing works it can look like dogs balls when not done right,
A lot of thinking goes into to get the junctions right   
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## barney118

Plasterboard is fire rated where mdf wouldn't be from a safety perspective.  
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## dab

> Plasterboard is fire rated where mdf wouldn't be from a safety perspective.  
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  not in this situation. Fire rating is on the outside face of the wall not inside

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