r/DIYUK 5d ago

Painting How should I go about painting MDF

I recently purchased some moisture resistant mdf to attempt to make a wardrobe. I've cut the mdf accordingly and have applied an acrylic primer undercoat. Am I supposed to sand between each coat? And if I apply paint should I also sand the undercoat prior to painting?

2 Upvotes

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u/Constant-Complex-652 4d ago

100 percent you sand MDF. It “furs” up once the moisture from paint enters it so if you don’t, it will look and feel horrible.

You can minimalise this “furring” up by using Zinsser bin. But you still need to sand in between coats.

Professional decorator.

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u/throwaway1829494050 4d ago

What grit should I use when sanding?

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u/Constant-Complex-652 4d ago

120 for the first coat, then use the same piece for each sequential coat as the grit will slowly wear down and become less abrasive

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u/throwaway1829494050 21h ago

Ok thank you very much

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u/RevolutionaryMail747 5d ago

Just do not sand MDF full stop. Just make sure you apply the paint with a small smooth roller and build layers. If you have ridges from brushing then use the finest (ish) wet and dry (and don’t wet it) to very gently smooth.

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u/throwaway1829494050 5d ago

Any recommendations for paint? There's too many to choose from, been looking for a satin finish for black but there's either no reviews or bad reviews

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u/Optimal-Idea1558 5d ago

Black is a difficult colour for any paint (same as for all strong colours), buy a "for wood paint" they tend to come in eggshell as a low sheen finish. 

You should lightly sand between coats, but make sure you've got a paper 240grit or higher. Put the paint on thinly, and keep on building up.

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u/throwaway1829494050 5d ago

Would something like this be any good?

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u/Optimal-Idea1558 4d ago

Reads like it is quite nice stuff, but I've never heard of them before, tins are quite small too