MDF kitchen kickboards and water.

[Lbob131]

Kitchen  mdf  kickboards  all need renewing after  10 years. Children  splashing water at the sink, general spills  and mopping up  has ingressed  into  the mdf making it swell  and the veneer  has  peeled off.

What is the process to stop this happening?
And do  any kitchen  fitters  use  any such  remedy?

 

[Stone Message]

For MDF I have used a couple of coats of polyurethane to seal and then a top coat of whatever blends in. My kick boards have been in place for about 11 years and look quite tired but only from knocks and are quite sound. My top coat was black paint - none left so not sure if it was oil based or low odour.

I also use 2 or 3 coats of polyurethane on the cut ends of kitchen work tops before jointing.

Peter

 

[sancho57]

As Peter said, seal the heck out of it on all surfaces and edges.

MDF when wet turns into termite droppings

 

[Klemm]

using MDF in a kitchen you'll want to think of moisture occuring in places you won't notice. For example a dishwasher housed in a cabinet made of MDF.
If you build something like that you really want to protect areas that will not normally see any moisture at all.

By the time you see any evidence of a leak or moisture it will be (too) late because it will have penetrated the MDF and swelled it like the preceding post said. Coat the parts before assembly. Polyurethane can do the job as Peter said.
Hans

PS: don't ask me how I know . . .

 

[Holmz]

On a sink cut out I use epoxy... Poly should work too, but I see those canoes coated with West Systems and I got the picture pretty quick.

 

[Distinctive Interiors]

Bob,

You can get a flexible Plinth Seal to fit on the bottom of your plinths.

Here's a link to what I'm talking about.   https://www.locksonline.com/Plastic...390N0AqqPSnHNO38I3o1OEs0CZHnoxV-niRoCIlLw_wcB

This one is transparent, but if you shop around you can buy them in different colours & widths to match your thickness & colour of plinth.

I normally run a bead of silicone in the seal before fitting it to the bottom of the plinth.

Hope this helps!

Tim.

 

[Lbob131]

That seal is clever. Perhaps  the more discerning  kitchen  fitter  will use  such a product.

 

[bkharman]

Don't use MDF. Why not pine or poplar? 

I know that stuff at the ready in the UK is different but I wouldn't put MDF in a kitchen or bath ever!

Just my way of thinking I suppose.

Cheers. Bryan.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Distinctive Interiors]

As a general rule, kitchen plinths (kick boards ) in the UK and Europe are made from chipboard or MDF and are supplied pre-finished in a thin coat of Melamine or Veneer.
On the high end cabinets, the plinths can come with a pre-fitted flexible seal to prevent the sort of problem that Bob has got.
The separate seal that I linked to is an option on those plinths that don't have it pre-fitted.

 

[wkearney99]

...But but I wouldn't put MDF in a kitchen or bath ever!

Me neither, seen too many situations where the damned things swell up like a sponge if any water get to them.

Rather odd they've had to compound the error by making a plastic sealing channel.  As opposed to not using the wrong materials to begin with.  Go figure.

But then my neighbors that moved to Germany pointed out their tendency to build all the houses out of masonry but kitchen appliances and cabinets are not permanently installed.  Even in rentals!  So, yeah, well, there's THAT.

 

[leakyroof]

Just replaced one kickboard in our Kitchen that had been in service since 1996 when we installed new cabinets. Went with PVC trim board, looks just like the Melamine covered MDF that was there, and with a fine cutting Miter Saw blade cut on one end, looks smooth enough that you don't notice it's not finished with Melamine like the other kickboards. 

 

[Gregor]

But then my neighbors that moved to Germany pointed out their tendency to build all the houses out of masonry but kitchen appliances and cabinets are not permanently installed.  Even in rentals!  So, yeah, well, there's THAT.

In case you define 'permanently installed' as 'tear down the house to remove the kitchen' I don't wonder why they are not (here in germany), houses here tend to last 80+ years on average (and kitchen furniture usually dosn't).

That kitchens are not permanently installed in rentals might also stem from the fact that it usually won't take long till they look 'used' (expecially for the glossy look fad that spread some years ago) and most tenants usually want to have a new kitchen (for whatever reasons) when they move in.

So Kitchens are either not part of the deal (tenants bring their own and take them with them when moving out) or are are cheap (assembled from off the shelf modules and a top cut to length) so it dosn't hurt that much discard them (or at least replace the top and fronts) when the tenants move out. So no point for a landlord to spend excessive money on a kitchen for a rental.

If you want you can easily obtain a build-in kitchen, which would be 'permanent' in the way that you'll need a screwdriver to remove it.

Out of curiosity: How is that handled in the states?

Back on topic:

What is the process to stop this happening?

You can easily seal them against water with a coat of D3+ grade wood glue, for example.

 

[leakyroof]

But then my neighbors that moved to Germany pointed out their tendency to build all the houses out of masonry but kitchen appliances and cabinets are not permanently installed.  Even in rentals!  So, yeah, well, there's THAT.

In case you define 'permanently installed' as 'tear down the house to remove the kitchen' I don't wonder why they are not (here in germany), houses here tend to last 80+ years on average (and kitchen furniture usually dosn't).

That kitchens are not permanently installed in rentals might also stem from the fact that it usually won't take long till they look 'used' (expecially for the glossy look fad that spread some years ago) and most tenants usually want to have a new kitchen (for whatever reasons) when they move in.

So Kitchens are either not part of the deal (tenants bring their own and take them with them when moving out) or are are cheap (assembled from off the shelf modules and a top cut to length) so it dosn't hurt that much discard them (or at least replace the top and fronts) when the tenants move out. So no point for a landlord to spend excessive money on a kitchen for a rental.

If you want you can easily obtain a build-in kitchen, which would be 'permanent' in the way that you'll need a screwdriver to remove it.

Out of curiosity: How is that handled in the states?

Back on topic:

What is the process to stop this happening?

You can easily seal them against water with a coat of D3+ grade wood glue, for example.

  Apartments tend to be built, furnished with a Kitchen, and you the renter move in.  The renters move in and out of the apartments, the Kitchens stay in one place... [wink]
While in 10 or more years a Kitchen will look dated or out of whatever the current fashion, but in Rental Units it might stay untouched except for painting and minor repairs for years. Bathrooms and bathroom fixtures can often go even longer between refits esp. if Tile Work would be required .

 

[Steve-Rice]

Waterproof MDF is available here in the U.S.  If your lumber supplier doesn't stock it, perhaps they can order it for you.