Plywood choice almost ruined my kitchen job last month

I had to pick between Baltic birch and MDF for some painted cabinets. I went with the Baltic because I thought it would stay flatter, but it cost me an extra $200 on a single kitchen. The grain kept showing through two coats of paint and I spent 3 extra days sanding and priming to get it smooth. Meanwhile my buddy used MDF on a similar job and his finish came out perfect in half the time. Has anyone else had trouble hiding birch grain under paint?

3 comments

3 Comments

christopher94327d ago

Wait, did you seal it before painting? I messed that up my first time too, had to sand everything back. Baltic birch always bleeds through if you skip a shellac based primer, which adds even more time. MDF is definitely easier for paint grade, no argument there.

xenaf5127d ago

Did you try a coat of shellac first? That saved my project big time.

murphy.abby27d agoTop Commenter

Yeah, shellac is a lifesaver for that stuff.