Sealing MFC for bathroom

[Doc M]

I bought an MFC textured woodgrain vanity unit: https://www.heatandplumb.com/acatalog/n ... t-arn2505d

Our bathroom has high humidity and no extractor.

I doubt very much that this vanity will make it through the winter without sealing - I have no idea what to seal it with. Also, I will be buying a dehumidifier to offset the lack of extractor fan.

I have leftover Zinsser Perma-White satin (that I used on the bathroom ceiling) that I could use on the exposed chipboard (see picture), but I was hoping that I could use some kind of clear varnish or sealer on the woodgrain effect melamine to help protect further against moisture/humidity and prevent the vanity from blowing/warping/deforming. Help!

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Exposed chipboard edges absolutely need to be thoroughly sealed with an impervious material. I'd suggest a good coat of silicone sealant or 2 to 3 coats of oil-based gloss paint or varnish in areas that can't be seen. Forget about water-based anything, though, regardless of brand or price - water is the great enemy.

Don't bother with the melamine. The melamine is a waterproof thermosetting plastic with a very amooth surface and will probably be more durable than any coating you can apply. In any case, I suspect that many lacquers will either not adhere to it or will bubble off; it's worth noting that when overpainting kitchens (which have MFC carcasses) it is essential to sand the surfaces before painting in order to provide a mechanical key for any coating. If you don't sand it the coating tends to peel or bubble off prematurely

 

[Doc M]

Thanks for taking the time to reply JobAndKnock. According to the manufacturer, the exposed chipboard has already been sealed:

https://www.heatandplumb.com/media/premier/fitting-instructions/file-32855.pdf

From that link, it states "Any exposed carcass components have been treated to prevent any water ingress"

I agree, I'll have difficulty getting any kind of adhesion to the malamine. I'll leave that alone. Fingers crossed the unit lasts a few years!

 

[foxhole]

A dehumidifier won’t cope with the rate moisture is produced in a bathroom, you need an extractor fan also cheaper to buy and run than dehumidifier.Better to solve a problem than try to accommodate it.