Asked on Nov 23, 2013

How to waterproof a cabinet I am using for a bathroom vanity

Trisha
by Trisha
I am going to refinish an old dresser and have a copper sink to put on top as a vanity in my bathroom. Any ideas on how to waterproof the wood without putting layers of poly on it?
  15 answers
  • Debbie Harris Debbie Harris on Nov 23, 2013
    If you're going to go to the trouble of cutting the dresser to put a sink in it cover the wood. Even if it is with glass.
  • Yvonne Yvonne on Nov 24, 2013
    Hi Trisha, have you thought about putting a nice piece of marble or another natural stone for the top surface and mount your sink into that. As for the rest of the cabinet as long as it has a stain or paint it should be fine.Just dont forget to caulk around the sink. It will also give it a more high end look. I hope this helps. good luck Yvonne
  • Mary I Mary I on Nov 25, 2013
    Several coats of polyurethane, the kind used on boats, should do the trick, without the cost of glass or stone.
  • Elaine Simmons Elaine Simmons on Nov 25, 2013
    I used to have a vanity made from a dresser and I put several coats of WATERBASED varnish on top. The reason I used waterbased varnish is that it does not dry yellow like marine varnish does.
  • Mary Mary on Nov 25, 2013
    I used several coats of poly on mine and it did not hold up at all, I'm going to try the waterbased varnish next.
  • Pat Dollar Pat Dollar on Nov 25, 2013
    Use a two part epoxy. It is a self leveling pour on product that will absolutely protect the surface. You will need to protect the flooring with cardboard and cover the cabinet sides with plastic and masking tape. Check with your local hardware stores such as Lowe's or Home Depot.
  • Gwen Gwen on Nov 25, 2013
    Check out the "Miss Mustard Seed" blog. I know she just put a wooden chest converted to a sink cabinet in her master bathroom and she has a blog entry about it.
  • Terra Gazelle Terra Gazelle on Nov 25, 2013
    Make sure the poly is for outside. I use poly special for porches. It takes the wear and water.
  • KathyBH KathyBH on Mar 18, 2015
    My EX and I had a small (25 ft.) old wooden ocean boat a the marina. It had a lot of wood trim which two or three times a year would use "Marine" varnish on. The water just beaded up and ran off the varnished wood. We also used it on a wood deck at home, worked really well. A little expensive by the gallon but sounds like you may only need a pint.
  • Apply several coats of the poly for sure.
  • Marlene Haigh Marlene Haigh on Aug 24, 2015
    I used outdoor poly and it lasted for 20 plus years on all my bathroom wood.
  • Terra Gazelle Terra Gazelle on Aug 25, 2015
    A few coats of marine poly will do it...or several coats of outdoor poly. Either one will last for years, and was made for wet, outdoor use.
  • Jonnie Hammon Jonnie Hammon on Oct 17, 2015
    Poly, or a. deck sealer, both would work.
  • Marlene Haigh Marlene Haigh on Oct 18, 2015
    I used outdoor poly and it does last for years
  • ShirleyAG ShirleyAG on Oct 22, 2015
    I painted my cabinet, so can I still put a poly on top of it to waterproof my revamped cabinet?