I didn’t get this out in time for week 2’s link up at the One Room Challenge blog, but week 2’s work certainly happened!
This week I altered my og window trim and tile sill coverup.
I traded the wood for mdf and shrunk the sizes as well. The sill is still a 1×6 (5.5” deep) but the surround trim is now a 1×3 (2.5” wide) instead of the 1×4 I used everywhere else.
Wood v MDF moulding
The only reason why I made the switch was, of course, the cost. Wood prices are wild, y’all. I can think of a few scenarios when I would stick to wood for a project like this, but these windows didn’t make the cut.
If we were restoring a historic home, totally. If this was the last time I’d be recasing our windows, 100%. But in this case, the trim is mostly just for looks and I know I want to experiment with some more methods/layouts before committing to a style I want forever. You could say I’m dating around for the *right* one.
So cheaper is best.
After the price difference, the beautiful thing about MDF is its surprising durability. Once it is primed and painted, it’s practically as bulletproof as wood would be. The only true difference is how much more susceptible it is to water damage.
I doubted mdf for the sills because of the proximity to the windows, but our windows have tight seals and I’ve never seen a leak in the last 7 years and 7 or so hurricanes. Also, I opted for that preprimed goodness AND will be painting all of the trim the same color & sheen as the walls. (Coming up in week 3!)
Other perfect projects to trade wood for MDF
Before I ever started DIYing, my father-in-law replaced our baseboards with MDF and they look gorgeous. It’s literally just 1/3 the cost. For a fixer upper, starter home like mine, it’s ideal and it opened my eyes.
In the spirit of being pretty passive and generally just learning how to get more for less, I’ve been building my own everything over the last few years. Building the skills is necessary to me. I like to personalize & customize EVERYTHING, but cannot and will not pay for someone else to do it (they never seem to get it).
Naturally, most of my first drafts are not successful, so I started budgeting that in lol and MDF makes everything more approachable.
My first DIY cabinets are 100% MDF and live in our laundry room/mudroom/pantry. I’m still getting used to the idea of that combo…. But they’ve been up over a year and they are incredible (and primed and painted).
My DIY fireplace <3 (still deserves its own post) is 98% MDF minus the wood mantle and grout-stone coating. A little wood glue made this thing the most sturdy project to date.
One day I’ll be creating moulding boxes throughout my living room and that will definitely be MDF.
Week 3’s to dos
I’ve already caulked the window trim, so next up is wood filling and painting everything.
This upcoming weekend is going to be wild with bounce haus business, so I need to start immediately. Here I go!
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