Filling a gap between plastered wall and mdf panelling

ashe

Me and a friend have just installed mdf Georgian style panelling in our living room, girlfriend has been banned from having ideas in future as it weighed a ton and was a real pig to install. 

Anyway it's done now, but because our walls aren't completely straught there is a small gap either side and we didn't want to tilt the panels as then the routed lines aren't straight. I feel like it's too big a gap to caulk and I wouldn't want to anyway, would sandable filler be ok to use between mdf and the wall or would the moisture mess with the wood fibres? Ideally want to avoid having to paint in daft little gaps. 

I suggested using some picture rail at either side but she doesn't like that idea 😂

It's about 1cm max. If I can fill it, presume I should do that before priming the mdf and then paint all with the same primer?

Simonon77

Personally I would go with the picture rail or some sort of quadrant moulding maybe, but filler should work fine. As you say, fill it first, then sand it to blend in with the panel and when you prime it should be invisible

Lorian

Panel the other wall :-)

I've done a lot of panelling with this stuff.  You could use a bead or fill and sand - either would look OK.  Bead will cost more. 

Filling will hide the variations in the wall better than the bead.

I presume you aren't expecting that wall to be damp.

ChilliBob

Do you think it's in a position that might see some movement? If so, perhaps acrylic frame sealant - a bit like a hybrid between caulk and silicone. If not, or not much, I'd use Tourpret filler. Be careful not to get much/any on the mdf, in my experience mdf goes all wooly at the sight of sand paper! Tourpret sands really easily. 

Lorian

Agree on the toupret - not the cheapest but great to work with

ThisIsWeird

Hi Ashe.

Is there skirting below, and dado above? If so, what size of quadrant beading would fit without it sticking out beyond their butting edges? As suggested above, that, I think, would be the easiest, best looking, and most reliable solution.

Even a strip of MDF, of the thickness of the skirting/dado edge (~8mm-ish?) by around 10-odd mm wide, with a bevel edge, would do.

ashe

There is skirting below (or will be) and coving above. My concern with filler is that the panels are mdf so figured there could be a small amount of seasonal swelling which could lead to cracking? A layer of heading would be a lot easier to remove in case of any issues 

Simonon77

ashe said:

There is skirting below (or will be) and coving above. My concern with filler is that the panels are mdf so figured there could be a small amount of seasonal swelling which could lead to cracking? A layer of heading would be a lot easier to remove in case of any issues 

MDF is generally pretty stable and doesn't tend to swell ( unless it gets damp ). Maybe try and work on the other half to accept a small bead instead

ThisIsWeird

ashe said:

There is skirting below (or will be) and coving above. My concern with filler is that the panels are mdf so figured there could be a small amount of seasonal swelling which could lead to cracking? A layer of heading would be a lot easier to remove in case of any issues 

This panelling is full wall height, then? In which case, I'd fit bothe the skirting and coving over the panelling (yes, I know, you were going to do that anyway...) and then choose a beading the same height as the coving and skirting edges. 

ashe

ThisIsWeird said:

ashe said:

There is skirting below (or will be) and coving above. My concern with filler is that the panels are mdf so figured there could be a small amount of seasonal swelling which could lead to cracking? A layer of heading would be a lot easier to remove in case of any issues 

This panelling is full wall height, then? In which case, I'd fit bothe the skirting and coving over the panelling (yes, I know, you were going to do that anyway...) and then choose a beading the same height as the coving and skirting edges. 

Skirting will be fitted over the panelling, but coving already fitted and no desire to remove as have just finished filling and sanding the ceiling to death due to installing ceiling speakers and spotlights, and coving has decorative corners so would introduce its own challenges taking those out. 

ThisIsWeird

Do the decorative corners overlap the main coving? If so, that should give you the 'lip' you require.

Failing that, you'll just need to devise the best solution depending on your chosen solution for that edge.