Expert: Jamie Yocono - 1/12/2008

Question
I have a bathroom cabinet that was leaking water and damaged the bottom cabinet.  I simply want to re apply a skin of similar color to the bottom of cabinet.  Where do you find supplies such as this in small quantity?

Answer
Hi Mike,

You didn't really mention what sort of material you were needing the skin to be made of, but here are a few suggestions. Since the wood has water damage, it's probably spongy and not really good for gluing a skin to it. I suggest making a new bottom, and simply laying it over the top of your damaged bottom. A couple of screws will hold it in place, or could glue it down with some construction adhesive.

I recommend using a plastic laminate over a piece of thin exterior plywood. That way, if it gets wet again, the plywood won't delaminate on the edges. You could try calling a few countertop companies- they often have pieces of countertop that they've cut out for installing sinks, so they might sell you a piece already covered in plastic laminate.

You could also buy a small sheet of plywood at Lowes of Home Depot, they sell small pieces called Handi Panels, and cut it to size. Then use some spray contact cement to attach a piece of laminate to it. Trim with a router bit and you've achieved the same thing as above.

You could also tile it... lay down a piece of cement board on the damaged area, sink a few screw to hold it in place, and glue some tile to it. Grout it and you've created a waterproof cabinet bottom.

I would call some tile places, some countertop stores, or simply a few cabinet shops to help with this project. They usually have a remnant bin and sell small quantities of material that would be perfect for what you need.  If you know any plumbers, they might be helpful, too, since they often install sinks and have those sink cutouts laying around.

Good luck, hope this helps.

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com