Honestly, I get why folks like MDF for trim, but I’m just not sold on it long-term, even with all the sealing tricks. I’ve flipped a bunch of houses and every time I go back to check on MDF aft...
I hear you on the MDF. I tried it once in my 1920s place, thinking it’d be a quick fix for some battered baseboards. Looked fine at first, but after a couple winters—cracks, swelling, and those corners just didn’t hold up. There’s something about real wood that just feels right in an old house. Like you said, “you can sand out nicks instead of patching mushy corners.” I’ve had good luck with poplar too. It’s not cheap, but it ages gracefully, and you can actually repair it instead of replacing whole sections. PVC just never felt right to me either—too shiny, almost cold.
Honestly, I get where you’re coming from with the wood, especially in older homes. But I’ve used MDF in a bunch of flips—mostly newer builds or rentals—and if you prep it right, it’s not as bad as people make it out to be. The trick is priming every single edge, even the back, before it goes up. Yeah, it’ll never beat real wood for character or longevity, but for a quick turnaround and keeping costs down, it does the job.
Poplar’s great, no argument there—just wish the price hadn’t shot up so much lately. Sometimes buyers can’t even tell the difference once everything’s painted and caulked. PVC... I’m with you on that one. Looks weird in most interiors unless you’re doing something super modern or dealing with serious moisture issues.
I guess it just depends on the house and who’s going to live there. Not every place needs to be bulletproof for 50 years, especially if you’re turning properties over fast.
I hear you on MDF for flips—it’s cheap and easy, and if you seal it up, it can look decent for a while. But in my old place, I tried swapping out a few damaged wood casings with MDF just to save a buck, and man, it didn’t hold up. Any little nick or water drip and it swelled or chipped. Ended up ripping it out and going back to wood. Maybe I’m stubborn, but there’s just something about the heft and feel of real wood trim, especially in these drafty old houses. PVC’s a no-go for me too—feels like putting Tupperware on the walls.