Painting MDF - A Slightly More Involved Finish Than Usual

[EViS]

I will be ordering this cladding from Interlam to cover an internal wall. The cladding is made from 19mm MDF board.

I would like to achieve a similar finish to that in the images on the Interlam site where the high-flat-points are a darker colour to the recessed parts of the pattern.

The MDF will arrive unfinished, hence I'm looking for the following pointers:

1. Should the MDF be primed prior to painting?

2. I will be spray-painting the entire boards first in order to achieve a smooth finish. What type of paint should I use on the MDF? The rest of the room is painted with Farrow & Ball Emulsion. Can I use the same emulsion or would I require a timber paint?

3. How would you go about painting the high-flat-points a different colour? I'm thinking a very firm and wide roller would be best in order not to get paint onto the recessed parts? But what type of roller for a smooth finish? Or is there a better way of doing this?

Any advice much appreciated .

 

[foxhole]

I doubt you can achieve those finishes with diy skills and certainly not with emulsions as they splatter when sprayed.

 

[RigidRaider]

I'm no professional but I've done a fair bit of decorating. You're on your own here and will need to experiment. I would use plain emulsion sprayed into the texture, maybe a couple of coats, allowed to dry thoroughly, then I would actually hang the board upside down and roller it gently from below so that any excess didn't dribble into the "weave". I would also expect to need to do this a couple of times to get good cover although with Farrow & Ball or Little Greene paints you have superb opacity already. Come to think of it I might even spray it from below for the same reason, going round afterwards with a damp sponge to collect any drips.

 

[Jasonb]

I would say its all painted exactly the same and its just the way the light is falling on the surface that gives the look of a different colour certainly on the first couple of images

If you want it to look like image 4 then once sprayed use a lightly loaded foam 4" roller to pick up the edges.

You are likely to need a lot of high build primer as any MDF that has been CNC routed like this will have a very open "grain"

Jason

PS any reason why you have used external paint on your interior walls?

 

[EViS]

I doubt you can achieve those finishes with diy skills and certainly not with emulsions as they splatter when sprayed.

Is that across the board with emulsions or are certain brands better than others?

Also, do I use an emulsion on MDF or a wood paint?

 

[EViS]

I'm no professional but I've done a fair bit of decorating. You're on your own here and will need to experiment. I would use plain emulsion sprayed into the texture, maybe a couple of coats, allowed to dry thoroughly, then I would actually hang the board upside down and roller it gently from below so that any excess didn't dribble into the "weave". I would also expect to need to do this a couple of times to get good cover although with Farrow & Ball or Little Greene paints you have superb opacity already. Come to think of it I might even spray it from below for the same reason, going round afterwards with a damp sponge to collect any drips.

Very good idea about hanging the board upside down when applying paint to the high flat-points. Will certainly think about doing this.

Only issue is that I will be hanging the board up by drilling through it at 600mm centres and countersinking screws, I will then fill the holes and paint over. If the board has already been sprayed prior to mounting, I may not be able to hide all the screw holes too well, what do you think?

 

[EViS]

I would say its all painted exactly the same and its just the way the light is falling on the surface that gives the look of a different colour certainly on the first couple of images

If you want it to look like image 4 then once sprayed use a lightly loaded foam 4" roller to pick up the edges.

You are likely to need a lot of high build primer as any MDF that has been CNC routed like this will have a very open "grain"

Jason

PS any reason why you have used external paint on your interior walls?

I do agree about the light in the first couple of images, however in the 4th one and on the hardcopy brochures I have, it certainly is a different shade of paint.

I'm not using an external paint on interior walls, what drew you to that conclusion Jason?

 

[Jasonb]

I'm not using an external paint on interior walls, what drew you to that conclusion Jason?

The fact you said "the rest of the room is painted with F&B Masonary paint"

You can certainly spray it with Their emulsions but you need an airless sprayer, if you try thinning it enough for high pressure or HVLP it will be very watery and the moisture will keep raising the "grian" of the MDF and it will also take a long time to build up a sufficient film thickness

J

 

[EViS]

I'm not using an external paint on interior walls, what drew you to that conclusion Jason?

The fact you said "the rest of the room is painted with F&B Masonary paint"

You can certainly spray it with Their emulsions but you need an airless sprayer, if you try thinning it enough for high pressure or HVLP it will be very watery and the moisture will keep raising the "grian" of the MDF and it will also take a long time to build up a sufficient film thickness

J

Ah yes, must of had the rendering job I just completed on my mind .

Can you (or anyone else?) recommend an airless sprayer?

 

[iancairns]

Hi EViS
Well, as it was so long ago, you have probably sorted yourself out but.....
Airless sprays are our business and we have supplied these for many, many years. They have come down in price to such a degree that the home DIY're can now spray like a pro.
Have a look at the semi pro/DIY section of our site yss.co.uk and you will see the variety offered. For most models, there is a video showing the operation. Certainly something to whet your appetite or, if it is too late forget it
Cheers
Ian