Wooden unit in a bathroom - possible or mad?

[el_Pedr0]

I'd like to build a simple floating shelfing unit in my bathroom and would like to know if there's anyway of doing it without it becoming a nightmare.

It'll be next to the basin, so the soap bottle will go on it, and innevitably there will be some water drips getting onto it.

I've done a model of it:

I'd like it to be walnut, or similar.

Now, if this wasn't in the bathroom - I'd just create a skeleton out of pse redwood, and clad it with walnut vaneer mdf for the top and bottom, and then some solid walnut for the edges of the shelf.

But of course I'm worried about water.

does anyone have any advice as to how I can create something like this that preferably uses natural materials, but won't be a water-ring, mdf-swelling nightmare?

 

[Oddbod70]

I did something a while back. I used moisture resistant (not waterproof!) veneered MDF. The core was coloured green IIRC. Stuck together with biscuits and PU glue and finished with a few coats of 2 part lacquer polished to a gloss finish.

Not a natural material in sight - but it looked good!

 

[el_Pedr0]

Thanks @Oddbod70 - what was the veneer, natural/melamine? And did you do anything special to protect the ends of the MDF - did you use iron-on tape, or did you joint it somehow into another piece?

Edit: And what's your choice of 2-part lacquer?

 

[el_Pedr0]

I've been doing some more reading about materials. It sounds like MFC has come on some way from MFI in the '80s. Could I create a high-end look with that? One concern is that edges would be banded with that 2mm ABS edging and you can see the solid pastic colour on the radius.

What about veneered ply?

 

[Oddbod70]

Hi,

I used cherry faced moisture resistant MDF. I have a vacuum press so I veneered it myself. You may be able to find it online but it might be a search. Normal veneered MDF is easier to come by and would do.

You can veneer MDF yourself as long as it's not too large a bit. Google "how to's". It's really not scary.

I edged it with veneer, glued and clamped. I almost certainly used Rustins Plastic coating. You need to flat it back and polish it.

Veneered Ply should do OK, it's usually good quality.

Yeah, people sometimes look down on man made boards, but they are pretty useful, and you can make some lovely stuff with them. It doesn't have to be MFI-like!

 

[TheTiddles]

I have a teak veneered MDF splashback behind the shower room sink, hard wax oil finish, regularly cleaned with bathroom cleaner and stuck to the wall with adhesive, looks fine after many years. Same room has a teak veneer cabinet, the only solid is the door frames, again doing fine. The paint on the doorframe and walls however has given in to the effects of humidity
Aidan

 

[el_Pedr0]

Thanks @TheTiddles . Well an MDF splashback is certainly a great test!

Lots of questions for you: How did you seal or join the edges? Or did you veneer the edges too? Did you use water resistant MDF? Did you veneer it yourself, or just buy a standard veneered board? What's your choice of hard wax oil?

 

[thomashenry]

It'll be absolutely fine. I don't know why people get so worried about wood in bathrooms. Make it from real wood.

 

[Oddbod70]

It'll be absolutely fine. I don't know why people get so worried about wood in bathrooms. Make it from real wood.

Yep, and they made those funny sailing thingies out of wood for millenia. And the malt i‘ll be sipping later spent a good few years in a wooden barrel too.

 

[TheTiddles]

Yep, and they made those funny sailing thingies out of wood for millenia. And the malt i‘ll be sipping later spent a good few years in a wooden barrel too.

If you’ve ever worked on a wooden boat, you’d be less convinced.

 

[TheTiddles]

Thanks @TheTiddles . Well an MDF splashback is certainly a great test!

Lots of questions for you: How did you seal or join the edges? Or did you veneer the edges too? Did you use water resistant MDF? Did you veneer it yourself, or just buy a standard veneered board? What's your choice of hard wax oil?

Edges are trimmed in solid them overlayed with the veneer. I used commercial teak veneer, I think it’s MRMDF as that’s what I always use. Glue is standard PVA and the finish is hard wax oil

Aidan