I am going to build my first DIY Rack over this holiday weekend and I have a couple of questions. I bought sterilite tubs that are 24x16x6 but I cant find any 16 inch melamine. I checked every lumber store in my area. I found some 24 inch stuff at home depot but it looks like it has some sort of crappy painted finish. I found a nice 4x8 sheet of 3/4 inch veneer plywood. It has a very nice smooth wood grain finish and I can get it for $30.

Should I design the rack so that the lids stay on the tubs since the wood will not be a sealed finish? I could be wrong but it seems like the wood could get nasty since it is not sealed. What would be the downfall, if any, to having the lids on the tubs?