Debate: Should we build with plywood or MDO for exterior cabinets? Here's my story

Last month I took on a outdoor kitchen job in Phoenix and used MDO for the cabinet boxes, but my buddy who does the same work swears by marine grade plywood after a job he did 3 years ago in Tucson started delaminating. The MDO held up great in the 110 degree heat so far, but I'm wondering if I'll regret it in 5 years. Has anyone here had MDO cabinets fail on them after a few seasons, or am I overthinking this?

3 comments

3 Comments

jessica92113d ago

Pretty sure my buddy's MDO cabinets in Flagstaff looked worse than my truck after a salt run by year four, but that's probably because he cut every edge on site and never touched them with sealer. lucast81 is spot on about marine ply needing full sealing or it's just a fancy sponge waiting to delaminate. I figure my Phoenix MDO job might last longer than my marriage if I keep the edges sealed with fiberglass resin and avoid direct ground contact with some pressure treated legs. Three years in and no peeling, so I'm calling it a win until I have to eat my words and replace the whole damn thing.

lucast8113d ago

Wait, marine grade plywood isn't the same thing as exterior plywood, right? Marine grade is built for boats not cabinets, and it usually has more plys but isn't treated the same as MDO for moisture. MDO has that resin overlay that seals the surface, while marine ply can still soak up water through the edges if you don't seal them. Your buddy's delamination might have been from not sealing all six sides of his plywood cuts. What kind of finish did he put on those Tucson cabinets?

williamhenderson13d ago

Yo dude, did you try epoxy on those edge cuts? That's what saved my Phoenix shed.