bathroom

[Ritto]

i'm going to make a side panel for the bath, plus some coverings for the pipes behind the basin and toilet.

is ply the best kind of wood for this job? if so which kind?

any comments/tips etc would be appreciated

 

[RichA]

I'm no expert. But don't like ply myself.

I'd go for mdf (perhaps moisture resistant). With some beading to finish it off.

Alternatively, you could use tongue & grooved boards. Harder to instal (?) but looks good in the right bathroom.

Rich

 

[petewood]

Don't use mdf where it may get wet. Use exterior grade plywood (t&g would be ok as well).

A few years ago I made a bath panel for myself from a softwood frame with a veneered plywood panel. This has been wet a lot of times and still looks new. At the same time I made a small corner-shelf unit to go over the bath. I made this from veneered mdf offcuts thinking it wouldn't get too wet. I carefully sealed all the edges and then sprayed the unit with high quality laquer. After about a year the mdf started to swell causing the veneer to split and they now need replacing. The only way water could have got in is down the side of the screws holding the thing together.

 

[Ukwoody]

I agree try not to use mdf in the bathroom if you can.

Woody