>>could i use heat tape without warping or spliting? i don't think it would split. also could i paint it or would it just soak up the paint.

I use heat tape with melamine although it is in routed channels it would be similar to particle board. I have never had problems but them most problems with warping are due to humidity which I don't expose to the bare particle core of my melamine. It also warps due to it being thin but I use 3/4" so it is not a problem.

Spliting is a problem with actual wood not particle board, I have seen particle board split but it was due to external forces not heat tape or moisture.

Particle board soaks up paint like sponge so you will want to prim it first. A lot of primer is tintable so if you are useing a dark paint get the primer tinted to match. Your finish will look much better. Often they tint primers one part per gallon of the tint used for actual paint. For example I need one gallon of forest green which requires so many parts then a gallon of primer just needs one part. Your primer will look weird but the finish is good. When I tinted the primer for my forest green it looked like Seafoam green or GE green for those Electrical or Space guys.

Good luck
Jeremy
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"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds" July 16, 1945 Robert Oppenheimer

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