lumber vs. resin materials

[Packard]

I am remodeling a bathroom.  I needed some 1/4 round molding.  For a wet a location MDF molding is unacceptable.  Since this going to get painted, I assumed that finger-jointed and primed molding would be the least expensive.  It was not.  Resin molding (paintable or pre-finished) was about 1/3 cheaper. 

I never compared before.  Has this always been the case?  Or is this because lumber is so expensive now?

And how long before the resin people realize this and jack up their prices?

I recall that when the price of home heating oil shot up from $0.79 per gallon to $4.00 per gallon that the pellet fuel people quickly raised their prices to match the oil company prices.  They knew that they only had to be 10% to 20% cheaper than oil to sell.

The resin molding people will wake up soon.

 

[Birdhunter]

I’ve had almost all of our exterior wood (like around windows) replaced with PVC. It paints well and never rots. Probably be good for any wet areas.

 

[Packard]

The other advantages are:

1.  You can use regular woodworking tools to cut this stuff.
2.  It does not cause oxidation on fasteners.
3.  When painted it looks just like wood.

But even though it is currently cost-effective, it historically has cost more than wood.  At some point we can expect the resin trim to be re-priced at levels equal to, or somewhat higher than wood.  They think of themselves as selling a premium product, better than wood and priced accordingly.

But for now, a bargain.

 

[madjalapeno]

I did all the wainscotting and trim in our bathroom remodel with PVC. No regrets.

 

[Packard]

I did too.  But that decision was based on the profiles of the plywood versions, and the need for sanding on the real wood versions.  MDF looked fine, but was not suited for a bathroom's humidity. 

The manufacture did specify that paint or primer be 100% acrylic.  The primer I used was and I have hand no issues with adhesion.

 

[Steve1]

Depends on the material. 
I like PVC -- as mentioned, easy to work with, never rots, and can be permanently glued.  I have made several PVC fabrications that use no fasteners at all - just PVC cement.  However, the cutting dust is a bit annoying how it clings.
But I used some polyurethane crown one time, and don't like it much.  Too flimsy.  Really wants to follow every wave in the wall/ceiling.