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I have fallen in love with textured MDF panels used to make walls.

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Oh boy that's beautiful. But raw, it's almost impossibly fragile. The question is : How can I make it harder, stonger to go through the life? Should I give it 2 primer coats and paint? mix something in the primer? I have NO idea, and am a little worried.

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  • Here is what i have found : Fibreglass resin or epoxy resin, mdf soaks it in readily and once set is almost water proof. Its great for the side/end grain as it glues all the fibres together enough that they can be polished glass smooth. here : woodworkforums.com/f9/cheap-paint-seal-harden-mdf-surface-69295
    – menardmam
    Commented Jan 29, 2012 at 16:38
  • and that : While working with some MDF I started thinking if applying a generous coat of thinned Kondra secret finish would by virtue of soaking in and drying actually harden the damage prone edges of MDF. Yes I know solid wood is a better choice in some cases, but what about my idea. Any merit or is it a waste of time? I was thinking of applying the finish giving it ample time to harden, topcoating with Sealcoat and then apply the final finish.
    – menardmam
    Commented Jan 29, 2012 at 16:41

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MDF is actually a pretty durable material, and these panels should certainly hold up to occasional hand touch. However, if furniture or other hard objects get banged up against the panel it would be possible to damage any crisp edges, and I don't think there is any finish you can apply to prevent that type of damage from occurring. The finish will make it easier to clean and act as a barrier for moisture.

I think that spraying the finish would definitely be the way to go no matter if you go with clear coat, paint or anything else, since brush marks would detract from the pattern. Considering the cost of the panels, that you probably would prefer to finish them in place after they are installed, and how difficult it would be to perform a 'redo' on a panel with texture, you might want to consider hiring out the finishing. At least experiment on some cheap panels of normal MDF before attempting the real thing.

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  • Is it possible to mix polymere or another type of hardener INTO the paint like epoxy or ciment to make the wall more like gyps !
    – menardmam
    Commented Jan 29, 2012 at 16:36
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Final decision, 2 coat of primer, and 2 coat of super high quality latex paint... For the edge, under the primer, it have been coated with Fibreglass. I cannot say for the future, but now, today, seem hard enough, as hard as a drywall and can withstand small bump. For the future, if broken, i will repair it with ciment. thanks to you all !

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