Best interior building material?

[maud gonne]

We want to put in a modest kitchen (some counters & cabinets). (Now it's a big empty space with a refrigerator and propane two-burner on a too-high shelf) To avoid rot, what do you recommend the counters & cabinets should be made out of?

[David M]

We opted for solid plywood cabinets and concrete counters.

David

Ninole Resident

[Kapohocat]

Dave! Can you send me a pic of your concrete counter tops? []
I have a great book on all sorts of concrete Concrete at Home by Cheng.

Maud - pretty much go with anything "solid" and avoid anything with "laminate".

So if the product says "solid Laminate".... pass it by.

[Rob Tucker]

Plywood is a laminated product unfortunately. Perhaps Cat is referring to melamine plastic laminates (formica) on particle board.

While my own home uses no wood structurally I am an old cabinetmaker and milled my own lumber for furniture and cabinet work. So in my termite proof building I now do have termites in the furniture and cabinets. I wish now I used our 3/4" cement panels for the cabinet bodies...

[Kapohocat]

yup... that was it Rob!

[maud gonne]

So... no to plywood because it's a laminate? But yes to plastic laminate on particle board? Sorry, I'm still unclear.

[Kapohocat]

Yes to plywood. There are some especially nice ones like birch that isnt too expensive. No to laminate especially on OSB/particle board.

OSB is like having a big sponge as cabinents.