Aquapanel or MDF for bathroom cupboard?

FunkyMunkey

HI,

I'm in the process of building a cupbaord for my bathroom. The side of the cupboard, marked in red, will be against the end of the bath (which will have a fixed head shower over it at the opposite end), and will be tiled:



Do I need to use Aquapanel for this part of the cupboard, or can I get away with just tiling over some MDF? I'm using Aquapanel for the bath panel, but it's quite expensive.

Any help would be appreciated!

FunkyMunkey

Any opinions?!

GavB79

You should be ok if you're tiling the whole thing. I have plasterboard walls in my bathroom which I've tiled over and they haven't fallen apart so far. MDF is a lot more durable than plasterboard too!

cmrule

plywood wont shrink or warp and can withstand high humidity.
Wont MDF just warp?? (edit: unless you se a moiture resistant one but thats probably more expensive than aqua panel.)


Should be ok if its well sealed i guess.

Martyn_H

I had a MDF vanity unit and it looked fine until the water penetrated the sealant. If you use MDF, cut it outside as I've heard that the dust may cause cancer.

My advice is to use Aquapanel as it is can withstand getting damp.

Snow_Dog

Aquapanel is the better choice as its up against the bath with shower. The problem comes with ply, mdf or plasterboard when you get a hairline crack in the grout or the bath moves slightly and breaks the silicone bead.

FunkyMunkey

Thanks all. I think I'll just use AquaPanel. It's not worth the risk for the extra £25