Bathroom cabinets have to be top of the line. All that water and humidity can be murder on cabinets. Especially cheap ones. You’ll generally end up paying more in the long run than you would if you invested in buying quality cabinets at the very beginning.
With the advent of quality RTA cabinets, the savvy homeowner doesn’t need to pay out the nose for quality-material bathroom cabinetry. That’s because of the wide range of quality materials priced right that you can assemble yourself.
Best Material for Bathroom Vanity Cabinets
Most bathroom cabinets are made out of one of two materials: natural wood, or pressure compressed wood board (plywood). MDF, or particle board, is commonly used to make cheaper cabinets, and when sealed properly, can be used in bathroom cabinetry as well, but a proper sealing job is hard to find.
Here at RTA Cabinet Store, we make sure that each and every line of RTA bathroom cabinets we sell are constructed to withstand humidity and warping (and mold!).
MDF & Particle Board
A cheaper MDF cabinet covered with a vinyl face has tiny joints that you might not see with your own eye, but which are very penetrable and allow water in. Then the thirsty particle board drinks it up and expands. It will almost always contract again, but each time it expands and contracts it will change the matrix of the pressed-together particles. Over time it will begin to crumble and break apart, oftentimes under the facing, creating bubbles and eventually rotting away the cabinet itself.
Particle board has an even shorter lifespan after it is exposed to water and humidity. It can also be covered with a vinyl face but usually only on the outside. The inside of the cabinet is fully exposed should there be a leak in the bathroom vanity cabinet.
Wood
Properly sealed and stained wood, solid wood-backed veneer RTA cabinets, or properly sealed laminated cabinets withstand the demands of the bathroom very well. Properly sealed wood has no pores for the water to soak into.
All of the holes in the wood have already been filled with a permanent sealant, whether that be a treatment or a stain. This leaves no room for the humidity to get in, and will make sure that your cabinets stay in pristine condition.
Take it from us, over the years we’ve heard many complaints from people who came to us after cabinets they bought elsewhere didn’t hole up in the bathroom. Usually someone (dealer or customer) tries to cut corners by using non-bathroom specific cabinetry.
Let us save you the trouble and help you find the best material for your bathroom vanity cabinet. Or better yet, get an appointment with one of our knowledgeable design consultants to design your bathroom for free.
