How to seal particle board shelves for bathroom?

Submitted by TheLordofRiverdance t3_11cvmyw in DIY

I bought a particle board shelf for the bathroom, and wanted to seal it up so moisture from the shower steam wouldn’t distort it.

Some of the boards have exposed divets and threads for assembly.

Is there a spray or easy way to seal them up and prevent the boards from absorbing moisture?

I’ve tried looking this up, but oil based polys yellow over time; silicone sealer spray will obscure the texture of the veneer on the particle board and water-based polys will ruin the boards.

I’ve read you can paint over the edges, or apply caulk, but would paint or a think layer of caulk be enough?

What about Krylon acrylic coating?

https://imgur.com/a/CrIEjQd

5

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

AllThePrettyPenguins t1_ja5cpmz wrote

An exhaust fan should remove a lot of the airborne moisture, but perhaps that's not the optimal material for that environment? Think of particle board and MDF as sponges made of wood. There will always be a tiny hole or crack, a flaw in the factory finish and moisture will migrate in and out. You might get a few decent years out of the unit but it over time...

12

[deleted] t1_ja5h88p wrote

I don't know how easy it is to paint everywhere but enamel paint should keep it waterproof. Acrylic is water resistant when dry.

3

Deskco492 t1_ja5vzgs wrote

water based poly is fine. acrylic paint is also waterbased. its fine

It will absorb the first coat, but itll seal it and that 1 exposure wont affect it.

You can make raise panel doors from MDF, and the paint seals the MDF (though you gotta sand the shit out of it after the first coat)

1

LadyAsharaRowan t1_ja6dm30 wrote

Paint it with polyurethane. They also have it in a spray can.

1