How to seal chipboard bench and cabinet against moisture?

[ZoeFox]

Absolute novices doing a kitchen renovation here. We have just installed a laminate/chipboard bench top and cabinets in the kitchen. We had to cut a hole in the bench top for the stove and in one of the upper cabinets for the range hood exhaust and are worried about moisture getting into the cut edges. We are really unsure what the best product would be to seal the edges. Would it be edge banding? Or some kind of paint sealer? Or both? Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @ZoeFox. It's brilliant to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about sealing cabinetry.

Cabinetry and benchtops are typically constructed of water-resistant chipboard. When installing your rangehood and stove, you'll use a supplied foam gasket or silicone to prevent water from penetrating and accessing the exposed chipboard. However, if you like, you can paint the exposed edge to provide additional protection to it.

Even around a sink, which is the most likely place to see moisture exposure, only a bead of silicon, which the sink is pressed down on, prevents water from penetrating underneath. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell