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Default Staircase (New)

Just had a new staircase fitted
I requested a solid pine one but the builder has fitted a part Pine part MDF
one
as its a bit late to have him rip it out and we are going to carpet it, I
guess the only recouse
is for him to drop the quote
Question to the group, Are these MDF steps OK? any known problems, should
they be sealed with something?
TIA
--
Vass




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On May 31, 11:16 am, "Vass" wrote:
Just had a new staircase fitted
I requested a solid pine one but the builder has fitted a part Pine part MDF
one
as its a bit late to have him rip it out and we are going to carpet it, I
guess the only recouse
is for him to drop the quote
Question to the group, Are these MDF steps OK? any known problems, should
they be sealed with something?
TIA
--
Vass



I'm sure that's not your only recourse.

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Vass wrote:

Question to the group, Are these MDF steps OK? any known problems, should
they be sealed with something?


Its a fairly standard material to use for them these days. Its
dimensionally stable and hence does not tend to cup and twist like
planks can. Hence it stays quieter. Under carpet it would be fine. No
need to seal with anything in particular, but there is nothing stopping
you giving it a coat of quick drying varnish if you want.

Since you specified real wood, I would either ask for a small discount
(say 10-20%) or use it as a bargaining chip later when you want
something from the builder.

--
Cheers,

John.

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"John Rumm" wrote in message
...
Vass wrote:

Question to the group, Are these MDF steps OK? any known problems, should
they be sealed with something?


Its a fairly standard material to use for them these days. Its
dimensionally stable and hence does not tend to cup and twist like planks
can. Hence it stays quieter. Under carpet it would be fine. No need to
seal with anything in particular, but there is nothing stopping you giving
it a coat of quick drying varnish if you want.

Since you specified real wood, I would either ask for a small discount
(say 10-20%) or use it as a bargaining chip later when you want something
from the builder.

thanks John
feel better about it now
cheers
--
Vass


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On May 31, 1:16 pm, "Vass" wrote:
"John Rumm" wrote in message

... Vass wrote:

Question to the group, Are these MDF steps OK? any known problems, should
they be sealed with something?


Its a fairly standard material to use for them these days. Its
dimensionally stable and hence does not tend to cup and twist like planks
can. Hence it stays quieter. Under carpet it would be fine. No need to
seal with anything in particular, but there is nothing stopping you giving
it a coat of quick drying varnish if you want.


Since you specified real wood, I would either ask for a small discount
(say 10-20%) or use it as a bargaining chip later when you want something
from the builder.


thanks John
feel better about it now
cheers
--
Vass


You aught to tape some ply on the stairs as there is work going on
that will damage them. It is fairly unusual to get uprights (risers
that are not either mdf or ply, these days.)

A coat of 1 part varnish to 1 part meths or turps will give it some
protection from watermarks.

I'd opt for a price cut as you are stuck between other needs. But why
did you not check the thing when it was delivered? It would have been
fairly easy to replace the risers if the thing was still unfitted. Not
an easy job but doable.



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adder1969 wrote:
On May 31, 11:16 am, "Vass" wrote:
Just had a new staircase fitted
I requested a solid pine one but the builder has fitted a part Pine part MDF
one
as its a bit late to have him rip it out and we are going to carpet it, I
guess the only recouse
is for him to drop the quote
Question to the group, Are these MDF steps OK? any known problems, should
they be sealed with something?


Yes they are OK, there are INFINITELY better than solid pine, which will
warp, shrink, crack and creak after a bit.

No they don't need sealing unless you are painting them. Or you have
urinating pets.

TIA
--
Vass



I'm sure that's not your only recourse.

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"Weatherlawyer" wrote in message
ups.com...
On May 31, 1:16 pm, "Vass" wrote:
But why
did you not check the thing when it was delivered?


Was at work, left them to it. fitted and screwed when I got home.
--
Vass


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On 2007-06-01 09:02:07 +0100, "Vass" said:

"Weatherlawyer" wrote in message
ups.com...
On May 31, 1:16 pm, "Vass" wrote:
But why
did you not check the thing when it was delivered?


Was at work, left them to it. fitted and screwed when I got home.


Personally, I'd make them change it; inconvenience or not.

Certainly I wouldn't accept having the thing with a bunch of dents and
dings. With wood, you can at least (usually) remove surface dents
using a damp cloth and an iron as long as no material has been gouged
out. I very much doubt that that can be done with MDF.


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On 1 Jun, 09:35, Andy Hall wrote:
On 2007-06-01 09:02:07 +0100, "Vass" said:
"Weatherlawyer" wrote in message

oups.com...
On May 31, 1:16 pm, "Vass" wrote:


But why
did you not check the thing when it was delivered?


Was at work, left them to it. fitted and screwed when I got home.


Personally, I'd make them change it; inconvenience or not.

Certainly I wouldn't accept having the thing with a bunch of dents and
dings. With wood, you can at least (usually) remove surface dents
using a damp cloth and an iron as long as no material has been gouged
out. I very much doubt that that can be done with MDF.


Really I'm with Andy on that one. MDF looks sht, its damaged as well,
its not what was ordered, and the odd spills that do occur IRL will
make a pigs ear of it, leaving you needing expensive remedial work in
time. Pine otoh will last a century easily, look fairly good, be more
or less spillproof, and can be repaired in situ as well. (Hardwood
would be better.)

If you pay for the mdf, youre paying him to pull one over you. I dont
like doing that. I'd withhold payment on the staircase unitl it was
sorted out. As you cant do it in short term, maybe book a date later
on to have it sorted out. Builders dont like that sort of thing, but
it is their responsibility, the job is not ok, and they start to
behave once they've had a reality check.

OTOH there are cases where its best let go... all we can do is offer
some options.


NT

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wrote:
On 1 Jun, 09:35, Andy Hall wrote:
On 2007-06-01 09:02:07 +0100, "Vass" said:
"Weatherlawyer" wrote in message

ups.com...
On May 31, 1:16 pm, "Vass" wrote:


But why
did you not check the thing when it was delivered?
Was at work, left them to it. fitted and screwed when I got home.

Personally, I'd make them change it; inconvenience or not.

Certainly I wouldn't accept having the thing with a bunch of dents and
dings. With wood, you can at least (usually) remove surface dents
using a damp cloth and an iron as long as no material has been gouged
out. I very much doubt that that can be done with MDF.


Really I'm with Andy on that one. MDF looks sht, its damaged as well,
its not what was ordered, and the odd spills that do occur IRL will
make a pigs ear of it, leaving you needing expensive remedial work in
time. Pine otoh will last a century easily, look fairly good, be more
or less spillproof, and can be repaired in situ as well. (Hardwood
would be better.)


shows how little you know.

MDF will outlast pine by a long way, and wont crack split warp and creak.

Pine is total utter ****e.

MDF may only be cardboard, but its GOOD cardboard. ;-)

Pine, is, and always has been more or less the cheapest and worst wood
one could use, for when one could not afford anything better.

Stripped pine or unpainted pine, of course meant you couldn't afford the
paint.

Personally, I'd pay them to take the rest of the pine out altogether.



If you pay for the mdf, youre paying him to pull one over you. I dont
like doing that. I'd withhold payment on the staircase unitl it was
sorted out. As you cant do it in short term, maybe book a date later
on to have it sorted out. Builders dont like that sort of thing, but
it is their responsibility, the job is not ok, and they start to
behave once they've had a reality check.

OTOH there are cases where its best let go... all we can do is offer
some options.


NT



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On 2007-06-01 12:39:30 +0100, The Natural Philosopher said:


MDF will outlast pine by a long way, and wont crack split warp and creak.


It machines nicely as well. However, getting dings out is a challenge.




Pine is total utter ****e.


In many cases true.




MDF may only be cardboard, but its GOOD cardboard. ;-)


In the right applications




Pine, is, and always has been more or less the cheapest and worst wood
one could use, for when one could not afford anything better.

Stripped pine or unpainted pine, of course meant you couldn't afford the paint.

Personally, I'd pay them to take the rest of the pine out altogether.



I'd have gone for hardwood, but that's another discussion.

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The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Personally, I'd pay them to take the rest of the pine out altogether.


Having made a set of strings out of 1" MDF once (which due to an
architects inability to count never got used), I would not use it again
for the strings a staircase with rebates. You are putting it under
stress in its weakest direction, especially when the treads and risers
are well wedged. It would only require a damp atmosphere for a couple of
days and the supporting part of the string would simply de-laminate from
the rest of it.

So pine for the strings works well, MDF for treads, and MDF or ply for
the risers.


--
Cheers,

John.

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|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
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On 2007-06-01 21:45:44 +0100, John Rumm said:

The Natural Philosopher wrote:

Personally, I'd pay them to take the rest of the pine out altogether.


Having made a set of strings out of 1" MDF once (which due to an
architects inability to count never got used), I would not use it again
for the strings a staircase with rebates. You are putting it under
stress in its weakest direction, especially when the treads and risers
are well wedged. It would only require a damp atmosphere for a couple
of days and the supporting part of the string would simply de-laminate
from the rest of it.

So pine for the strings works well, MDF for treads, and MDF or ply for
the risers.


Even with kicks and dents?

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On 1 Jun, 12:39, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
wrote:
On 1 Jun, 09:35, Andy Hall wrote:
On 2007-06-01 09:02:07 +0100, "Vass" said:
"Weatherlawyer" wrote in message

roups.com...
On May 31, 1:16 pm, "Vass" wrote:


shows how little you know.

MDF will outlast pine by a long way, and wont crack split warp and creak.


What it does is blister up where a little water gets on it, till after
a few years it looks like sht. Pine otoh happily lasts a century.
Stairs are not a great app for pine, but give me pine over mdf any
day.


NT

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