TheMitchells Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 As part of our renovation of the cloakroom, we plan to build a cupboard for the sink to sit on with Jali doors to allow the heat out of the vent which will be covered by the unit. I plan to use 18mm plywood onto a frame and am looking at Wickes (its open and close so hoping i can sneak out and get it - doubt the police would consider it essential). They have softwood and hard wood but say the hardwood is not structural so should i get the softwood? It seems the opposite to expected. I'd have thought the hardwood would be better? Any thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 You are building it onto a frame, that is the stuctural bit, so I would not worry about getting non structural ply. To be honest I would go and look at what they have and choose based on the finish of the face that will show. "Construction industry" is still open during this lockdown. Go dressed in your "builders" clothes and you should be okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyshouse Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 Cheaper to buy a unit with sink and taps than some sheets of ply! I used to rebate the frame and house 1/4 ply into it then varnish the whole lot, grooved into door frames and proper hinges, all ply edges protected Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SimonD Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 By structural it means for structural purposes in build so can be used for sheathing walls and roofs, for example.Your cupboard is not structural so the hardwood non-structural ply would be fine for this. In your instance it's more important to look at the glue and whether it's interior or exterior - external being more water proof. As for the softwood ply Wickes list, , it's a terrible face quality at C+/C finish which means it may be no better than shuttering/hoarding plywood. This can have various voids and the face just isn't very nice = think lots of knots, including where they've fallen out and maybe be badly patched and filled. It can take a lot of effort to make this look good for a paint finish and you probalby wouldn't want to just varnish it unless you're looking for a rough/rustic finish. Even an exterior B/BB face plywood can be touch and go if you want a nice finish but it's a lot better for painting. The hardwood version will have a better face as it's pre sanded so should be good for a paint finish. Just make sure you seal up the edges for use in the bathroom. Price is also terrible, I'm sure you can get C+/C grade plywood online for half the price. Even the big orange is cheaper. Last year the big orange stocked what was a very nice faced exterior softwood birch ply at a good price. However, looking online they may have changed supplier as it doesn't look like the same stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Temp Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 Any particular reason to use plywood? If you are going to tile it consider wedi board instead. Easy to cut compared to plywood and doesn't need any sealer. Some plywood is pretty poor quality. Have a look at the edges to see if bits have already come off. Get some filler same trip? MDF takes paint well but perhaps not recommended under a basin as it will get wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMitchells Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 Thank you for all the tips - I am going to tile the wall but need a cupboard as the heating vent is behind/underneath the basin and we want a small cupboard to store odds and ends. I have seen Jali doors which will allow the heat out the cupbaord without having to extend the vent which would be difficult and look a bit silly. Our basin will sit on the cupboard. I did look to buy one but it would need to be an odd size so easier to make one to fit. It fits in the end of the loo so only 88cm wide. I did manage to go to Wickes today and the hardwood ply is really smooth and will make an ideal cupboard. The edges looked okay. and I think I'd prefer that to mdf. Photos to be uploaded when its done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMitchells Posted January 16, 2021 Author Share Posted January 16, 2021 Well, I bought the sheet of mdf and the OH cut it all up. I am now in the process of painting the pieces. two coats each of undercoat, rollered on. it only takes a few minutes to paint then several hours to dry as its so cold in the garage. So the next quesiton is which is the best paint to use? I need something hardwearing. we have a dog and the hall gets lots of use so it must be tough. and ideally not gloss as i think that would show up the imperfections. I did wonder about car spray paint as that must be pretty tough but it would be a pain to spray all those pieces. Would a couple of coats of a satinwood be sufficently hardwearing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyT Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 Depends. Did you use a water or oil based undercoat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMitchells Posted January 16, 2021 Author Share Posted January 16, 2021 water based. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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