MDF panel

[eagle_3464]

Has anyone used MDF panels for interior sheeting in your wheelhouse? I know the 5/16" T&G is cheaper but also more time consuming to install. My concern would be that the MDF would swell and crumble from moisture. Even if I use T&G, I want something brighter for the top half of the walls and ceiling. Anyone have something to recommend?

[PurpleFloyd]

MDF will not tolerate moisture well unless it is totally sealed on all sides and edges and even then it only tolerates it to the extent whatever you seal it with will hold the water out.

Personally I would never recommend MDF for a wheel house. It is certainly inexpensive the first time around but if you use it the second time around will come much sooner.

[Pleasant]

I have not used it, yet, for lining a fish house but I am considering using LP smartside next time, would be about half the cost of MDO

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

Use T&G for the bottom, and FRP (fiberglass reinforced panels) for the top. Depending on ceiling height, you should have very little waste.

LP smartside will be EXTREMELY heavy.

[eagle_3464]

Thanks LRG, I was thinking along those lines but FRP is usually quite thin. Do you need a backing panel or will it be rigid enough on it's own?

[my4x4yj]

Put the FRP in my Ridgeline, as the deal I got from the dealer for closeout model did not come lined. The panel went in easy against the spray foam insulation and used truss head screws to secure them and then latex calking to seal the edges, on the third year now and all works great yet, easy to clean up when gets dirty, just scrub it down with soapy water, when you haul waterfowl gear and an atv things get muddy. I used a circular saw with the finest tooth blade I could find and a jig saw to cut the sheets to fit as well as a drywall file to shape and clean up some edges, finished the 8 x 12 house in about 6 hours.