What to do with MDF stairs

Daisy78

Hi all

So I bought a house recently and plan on putting hardwood floor throughout. Don’t want any carpet as I can’t abide having to hoover carpets and I shed ......a lot! Anyway the stairs is made from MDF. I want to leave a natural finish, no runner but covering it with hardwood isn’t an option either. I’ve no idea what your supposed to do with MDF but I take it you don’t sand it, just polish?

I’m just clueless about this sort of thing. And I’m not exactly great with diy as it is so would have to get someone in to do. But for starters I’d like to know what I should do with the bloody thing! Suggestions please

listermint

Any pictures?

MDF would be quite unusual for a stairs to say the least.

No you don't polish it.

Any pics of it ?

jmBuildExt

+1 never heard of an mdf stairs.. Maybe you are mixing up terms?

Either way... You can get laminate for stairs now...
https://www.quick-step.ie/en-ie/flooring/stair-renovation

jack of all

listermint wrote: »

Any pictures?

MDF would be quite unusual for a stairs to say the least.

Not that unusual surely? Stairs in my house has mdf treads and risers with all other components (strings, handrail, newels and spindles etc) being iroko- the stairs was obviously designed to be carpeted. I painted the lot and no complaints.

_Brian

You could paint them.

listermint

jack of all wrote: »

Not that unusual surely? Stairs in my house has mdf treads and risers with all other components (strings, handrail, newels and spindles etc) being iroko- the stairs was obviously designed to be carpeted. I painted the lot and no complaints.

Ive never personally seen an MDF stairs in person. If they do exist then there were done for cost purposes or intricate or small location.

Why would you use MDF on stair threads its simply not designed for that purpose carpet or no carpet.

jack of all

listermint wrote: »

Ive never personally seen an MDF stairs in person. If they do exist then there were done for cost purposes or intricate or small location.

Why would you use MDF on stair threads its simply not designed for that purpose carpet or no carpet.

Wasn't my choice, but worked out ok. BTW bottom step (bullnose tread and riser below) was solid hardwood.

lawred2

listermint wrote: »

Any pictures?

MDF would be quite unusual for a stairs to say the least.

No you don't polish it.

Any pics of it ?

no it wouldn't

lawred2

listermint wrote: »

Ive never personally seen an MDF stairs in person. If they do exist then there were done for cost purposes or intricate or small location.

Why would you use MDF on stair threads its simply not designed for that purpose carpet or no carpet.

what do you mean?

it's perfectly suited to such purposes

May Contain Small Parts

lawred2 wrote: »

what do you mean?

it's perfectly suited to such purposes

Not at all.

It's too weak. It'll bend down as it's stepped on and sag over time.
Even shuttering ply is a big step up

lawred2

May Contain Small Parts wrote: »

Not at all.

It's too weak. It'll bend down as it's stepped on and sag over time.
Even shuttering ply is a big step up

most stairs fitted in all sorts of developments will use mdf staircases

I think the concerns here for mdf stairs are overstated

tabby aspreme

Mdf could be used as stair risers , but I wouldn't use them as threads, I couldn't see the bullnose lasting and it would eventually sag. But like a lot of products it's the bottom line that speaks loudest.

listermint

lawred2 wrote: »

what do you mean?

it's perfectly suited to such purposes

It's not suited whatsoever for that application. It will bend under load it will sheer at the edges ridiculously easily it will fall apart with any moisture. It's simply not suitable for threads on stairs and anyone that uses it for that application is cutting corners.

MDF has many uses. Underfoot is not one of them

Steve

listermint wrote: »

It's not suited whatsoever for that application. It will bend under load it will sheer at the edges ridiculously easily it will fall apart with any moisture. It's simply not suitable for threads on stairs and anyone that uses it for that application is cutting corners.

MDF has many uses. Underfoot is not one of them

My stairs is painted MDF like the photo posed above, 15 years old and not a bother, no cracks or dents.
It used to creak a bit 10 years ago but injecting PVA into the joints sorted that since.

Steve

Apologies for the poor paint job....

metricspaces

Steve wrote: »

My stairs is painted MDF like the photo posed above, 15 years old and not a bother, no cracks or dents.
It used to creak a bit 10 years ago but injecting PVA into the joints sorted that since.

Hi Steve - is the bottom thread on your stairs MDF? Or did you replace the bottom thread with hardwood like one of the posters above did?

Reason I ask is that my stairs is also MDF. I plan on painting it like you and havea runner carpet up the middle. My concern is the bottom thread, that it will easily get damaged at the corner and once damaged I'll need to replace it. So wondering if I should just replace the bottom thread with hardwood now to avoid this!

Steve

metricspaces wrote: »

Hi Steve - is the bottom thread on your stairs MDF? Or did you replace the bottom thread with hardwood like one of the posters above did?

Reason I ask is that my stairs is also MDF. I plan on painting it like you and havea runner carpet up the middle. My concern is the bottom thread, that it will easily get damaged at the corner and once damaged I'll need to replace it. So wondering if I should just replace the bottom thread with hardwood now to avoid this!

Sorry, missed your post.

Yes the bottom tread is MDF. I gave it a coat of ronseal diamond floor varnish before painting it which hardened it up nicely.

tradesman

The stair treads are most likely to be HDF(high density fibre) as opposed to MDF(medium density fibre) HDF is a stronger material

metricspaces

Steve wrote: »

Sorry, missed your post.

Yes the bottom tread is MDF. I gave it a coat of ronseal diamond floor varnish before painting it which hardened it up nicely.

Thanks! I am going to do exactly as you did, I was just concerned about the bottom thread and the corner of it getting damaged. Good to hear yours has held up well.

I guess worst case scenario if it gets ruined I can always replace that one thread it in the future!

kao123

I have the exact same issue, I recently ripped up the manky carpet with the aim of sanding and varnishing the nice wooden stairs underneath, only to discover the treads are MDF or likely HDF as pointed out by tradesman, so now the issue is how to treat them, I prefer to varnish in some way rather than paint them.

I am wondering if anyone has tried a polyurethane varnish directly or used a clear primer first and then a varnish, polyurethane or other?

listermint

kao123 wrote: »

I have the exact same issue, I recently ripped up the manky carpet with the aim of sanding and varnishing the nice wooden stairs underneath, only to discover the treads are MDF or likely HDF as pointed out by tradesman, so now the issue is how to treat them, I prefer to varnish in some way rather than paint them.

I am wondering if anyone has tried a polyurethane varnish directly or used a clear primer first and then a varnish, polyurethane or other?

They'd still look like MDF . Horrible. You won't make them look like timber with varnish.

Paint them

kao123

listermint wrote: »

They'd still look like MDF . Horrible. You won't make them look like timber with varnish.

Paint them

Yeah I know, I tried to see if they can be removed, but it would appear that the stairs may have been prefabricated and dropped into place, the wonderful MDF/HDF treads are well and truly attached!
Pain in the ...