Am designing cabinets for a large hospital and they will be made of
MDF. The hospital construction supervisor told me to seal the bottoms
of the cabinets because their cleaning crew soaks them with mop water
and MDF comes apart when it gets wet.

We use automated systems to cut these things out so for the toe kick
area, we can replace the MDF with marine grade plywood. I have larger
end panels on these cabinets and don't think we can replace that MDF
with marine grade plywood. Years ago I sold a cabinet system made in
Denmark that had an opaque waxy coating on all the MDF that had to face
mop water. I was told it was shellac. It looked and felt waxy to me
but apparently worked well. Unfortunately the Danish manufacturer is
no longer imported into this country.

Anybody got any suggestions as to what to use to coat the bottom edges
of MDF to keep the water out. It should be an almost neutral color
since the guys applying it will get some on surfaces that show.

Thanks