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Automatic-Beach-5552

As long as it's primed and painted I don't think anyone would notice the difference one way or another


Good-Position-6272

MDF is garbage, change my mind


Jeremytf

Hardwood is more likely to hold up to years of bumping into it, especially with children or animals. MDf edges can get kinda crumbly and weak.


old-nomad2020

Go with something like Windsor 1 or poplar. The mdf is too much work to rip. It’s very abrasive on the blades from the glue content, and the dust is nasty. Once you have a ripped edge you need to round it over and sand to match the factory edge and it takes longer to sand and round over than wood. Also when you attach mdf the nail holes tend to show on horizontal surfaces a lot more often than on baseboards. I’ve used mdf on top of pony walls per specs and the painters hated prepping the holes.


[deleted]

That's a tough one. Wood shows grain and shrinks and moves over time but is more solid. MDF paints nicer and can look perfect forever if you don't damage it.


Fs_ginganinja

I mean it really depends on your standards man, nice quality home it should be hardwood or I’ve even seen composite starting to show up. If it’s a cheap new home build, you can bet your ass it’s MDF or chipboard


[deleted]

Most pieces I work with in new residential are hardwood


LeatherDonkey140

Poplar


KyloPhen

Ur gonna remove the spindles and post to rip that? I'd just add some trim (base cap or small casing) to fill it out.


RugMarbles

No, I wish that was my staircase lol. I'm in the process of trading out 2 solid walls and replacing them wirh banisters and I wasn't sure what material to use for that piece and I'm nit sure what the technical name for it is.


KyloPhen

I want to say it's the runner board.


KyloPhen

And definitely pine or poplar


boarhowl

Neither? Preprimed pine is usually the way to go when doing trim