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One of our vanity doors is in very bad shape after a leak some time ago. Now I'm trying to save it if possible. I've managed to sand away the very bad swells

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However the bottom feels rather fluffy. 

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Can I just use any undercoat and paint it with any interior paint?

Any advice appreciated.

Ack
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John M.
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    Dig it a grave, Salute, and Bury it. Why real woodworkers despise MDF, illustrated nicely. – Ecnerwal Apr 06 '20 at 12:51
  • I agree with Ecnerwal you could try to build it up and repaint but by the time you did that you could buy enough wood to replace both doors. the filler will not hold or did not hold for long when I tried to save some decades back and it was a waste of time. – Ed Beal Apr 06 '20 at 13:29
  • @EdBeal Is it a good idea to just build a new MDF following this tutorial? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfDQkHrE6lc – John M. Apr 06 '20 at 13:55
  • @Ecnerwal I wish I was more handy and more tools to replace it with a proper door. – John M. Apr 06 '20 at 13:56
  • @JohnM. Make another door with MDF, and you'll be back in the same spot again one day. I use MDF in totally dry spaces like a pantry, but would never use it in a bathroom or kitchen. There's just too much risk of moisture damage. – JPhi1618 Apr 06 '20 at 14:17
  • @JPhi1618 Right. But can pine be glued like in that video? – John M. Apr 06 '20 at 14:27
  • @JohnM. It can, but you can't find 1/4" pine anywhere. Or 1/2" for that matter. Making doors from real wood is normally done with a set of router bits to cut the profiles for the door frames and sometimes the profile for the panels. You then start with 3/4" stock and go from there. – JPhi1618 Apr 06 '20 at 14:53
  • To answer your question , I do not work with MDF except trim on rentals for the very issue you have. I would rather get a sheet of birch or oak faced plywood or even filled & sanded shop grade that will not fall apart from getting splashed with water the hardware will not pull out as easily compared to mdf and the new doors will last. The comment by Ecnerwal Is right! When I was still learning from my Dad we bid a friend’s kitchen. The sawdust wood did not survive a week (broken pipe) after cabinets installed, Dad charged them the same for just the lowers. Later did uppers when they crumbled. – Ed Beal Apr 06 '20 at 17:31

1 Answers1

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Everyone has already noted in the comments how and why MDF is not a good material to use around water or moisture and that you'll likely have future issues so that is not addressed in this answer. This answer is for the case that you still wish to go forward with your work, perhaps as a temporary fix.

Can I just use any undercoat and paint it with any interior paint?

Because water is a no-go it is necessary to use an oil, alcohol, or lacquer based primer first and then, after sealing, you can use latex water based paint as desired.

Here is a couple of articles with other related information that might helpful

Ack
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