Finish for a Plywood Bathroom Vanity? - Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from Gordon who asks:
“Hi Marc. I have a customer who has requested a bathroom vanity, where the sink sits in the middle. My problem is that she is requesting it be made all of wood and I am worried about a top that could be exposed to sitting water. Is there a finish you would recommend that would hold up under those conditions as well as something that might not be too hard to apply? I talked my customer into a plywood top versus all solid wood. I assume this is the best way to go to prevent expansion and contraction. My second worry is sanding through the veneer if I have problems with the stain and getting a perfect surface.”
And this was my response:
“This is one of those cases where you have a tough decision to make. True standing water protection just can’t be done without the use of a thick film finish. But most folks don’t want their vanity top to look like a bar top. So you need to do something with a thinner film. But the thinner you go, the less protection you have. So, that’s the game you have to play. In cases like that, I let the customer make the decision, since ultimately they have to live with the results. If you want the beauty and look of true wood and wood grain, you simply can’t pile on the finish. So it might not be a bad idea to make up some sample boards so the customer can see the look she will get from each level of protection. You can start with maybe a simple wiping varnish, 3-4 coats. Then move up to a full-strength varnish, 3 coats. Then move on to a spar (marine varnish), 3 coats. Then move up to a poured epoxy finish, which will make it look like a bartop. I think this is probably the safest approach and will help you deliver the product with confidence.”
“Using plywood here seems to be a wise choice. With the humidity swings in a bathroom, you want as much stability as possible. Just be careful when you trim it out, because that’s where you will burn through the veneer if its going to happen. Flushing up the trim is always the risky part. As for the rest of the ply, a light sanding with 180 grit is all you should have to do before finishing.”
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Dear Marc, I am just starting out to explore my woodworking skills at home. I attampt to build my own kitchen, but to make things more interesting, I want it to have a tipical modern Italian look. Would it ever be possible for you to create another one of your one of the greatest tutorial videos ( I am not sucking up, I realy mean it) in respect to kitchen cabinets building and designs.
Thank you for your time,
Your Biggest Fan
Dmitriy.
back in the day i have used fiberglass resin to water proof plywood. just a thought. it’s a clear finish but very tough. it can be sanded. i would try it with a top coat of polyurethane for the sheen.
Maybe you could use a wood that is happy in water for the top. Something like teak, ipe, rosewood, or the other oily woods. I don’t know how large the top is, but if it is large and the wood expensive, you could resaw the wood into 1/8″ veneers that get glued up on top of a plywood base. I’d even consider using exterior sheathing ply since it is hidden anyway and it is made to hold up to a reasonable amount of rain when used in house construction.
Now, as for a finish on the oily wood, that’s something to bounce back on Marc :-)
Please post your final decision… many projects from now, I want to redo the guest bathroom vanity and wanted a top of ipe.
maybe he also might want to try a post cat lacquer. that would give it some good protection. or a pro grade wb poly.
I’ve used a two-part brush on epoxy finish, obtainable in gloss or satin. Hard as a rock when finished, and the satin removes the plastic look. Not nearly as thick as the pour-on stuff. However, cover the complete top in at least one coat (I use 2-3 coats on the tops, which I do in solid timber, no cracking issues with the epoxy at all so far).
Gordon, I re-did our bathroom vanity about three years ago. I found an inexpensive butcher block top to use for ours. It is made of rubber wood, and finger joints were utilized to join shorter pieces. I stained it dark (to match the rest of the vanity and to hide the finger joints) and then used 4 coats of a wipe on poly. I attached it to the base using figure eights. After three years of high humidity changes, and my wife dropping and sliding her curlers, straightening irons, and other items… it’s held up quite well.
I just made a 4′ x 8′ kitchen island countertop with undermount sink out of vertical grain pine…recycled wood from an old local bowling alley. After some research, a tung oil based product called Waterlox seemed to be the best. Has a simi-gloss finish and can be rubbed with some 0000 steel wool for a matte finish. After working with it and seeing the results first hand…that it what I would recommend. No build up…soaks in and “protects the wood fibers”.