February 11, 2004

Building Garage Cabinets

Tim,

I would like to build a cabinet system in my garage, however, I am concerned about moisture and "pests." Would medium density fiberboard (MDF) be a suitable material for this project?

What would be the best sealer (paint, etc.) to use to help with the "pest" issue and the moisture issue?

Peter (Chicago, IL)

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Peter,

I am very partial to 3/4 inch thick A/C Douglas Fir plywood. This product has one superb face, the A side, and one somewhat rough surface - the C side. When finished with three coats of water-based urethane, it will perform as well as any material I can think of. I just finished building my lovely wife Kathy a custom sewing center and some open shelves in our laundry room using this plywood. 3/4 inch wide by 1/4 inch thick screen molding glued and nailed on the exposed edges of the plywood does a great job of finishing off the plywood. The look is fantastic.

I am not a big fan of MDF in damp areas as it can develop sags.

Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB

Posted by Tim Carter at February 11, 2004 08:24 PM