hi, i've just moved into a house which needs some serious attention, although mostly cosmetic fortunately! the first task we want to tackle is the bathroom. it's got awful knotty pine wood paneling all over the walls and the ceiling. at the moment we can't afford to be ripping it all out and tiling it so as a 'quick fix' we thought we'd just paint over it all with some white paint. but after doing a bit of investigating online, I'm not sure that this is going to be quite the 'quick fix' we'd hoped! do we need to strip off all the current varnish before going anywhere near it with paint? it seems to have just one (thin) layer of varnish. what's the best route? heat gun? chemical stripper? sand (i have belt sander)? the bathroom isn't huge, but to be honest I don't want to spend any more time in there than is needed as this was supposed to just be a temporary fix until we can afford to totally redecorate it. but at the same time i don't want the paint to just start flaking off in a few months time.... any suggestions/tips? All help appreciated! oh and if you're nosy and fancied a look, this should work: http://photos-e.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v239/96/64/765860642/n765860642_27517002517.jpg
Hi mate, No need to strip off,just give it a light sanding to get a key then paint with satin, trouble with that is, after you have painted it any gaps in the wood will show up, you could do one coat then when dry fill any gaps that will apier with decorators filler then another 2 coats should do it.
thanks plumplasdec, that sounds much less like hard work! so, do you reckon a medium/fine sandpaper would be best for the job?
Do you live in Sweden? What about all those knots? Would they bleed through the paint? As above, use a quick drying (waterbased) eggshell. Dulux Trade Quick Drying Eggshell can be bought in big B&Q stores.
if you are looking for a quick, cheap, tempory fix try a light sanding then a couple of coats of soft sheen emulsion
Unfortunately I don't have internet access set up at home yet, so I couldn't check up on this for replies until this morning and went ahead with what I thought would be best after having a hunt around B&Q's paint aisle. Can I just run past with some of you more knowledgeable people what I did, and you can tell me whether this should work or not...... I sanded the whole lot (not removed all the vanish, just enough to provide a key for the paint - I hope!) Wiped off all the dust Applied 2 coats of 2-in-1 primer and undercoat (interior and exterior) Then 1 coat of a water based matt paint which says it can be used in bathrooms and kitchens. It needs at least 1 more coat of paint I reckon, most likely 2. Do you think this will hold? One of my main concerns was that most 'bathroom' paints say they are not suitable for use in shower enclosures (direct and prolonged contact to water, I guess), but it didn't say this on the one I did buy .....do you think it will be ok or is it likely to flake off/crack in the future?
Hi Carly. That sounds like quite a thorough job! No, it shouldn't flake off at all. As you suspect, tho', it won't cope with a shower environment - surely the panelling isn't in the shower too? The only thing you might notice over time is if the cladding shrinks and expands with changes in moisture in the air. If this happens, you'll see little 'gaps' in the paint where the cladding joins. Good chance you'll be ok, tho'. What colour did you chose? I bet it looks not 'alf bad?!
thanks for the response yes, it really is ALL OVER the bathroom. including the shower enclosure. really, what were they thinking? is there anything you can think of which i can put over the paint to protect it in the shower enclosure?
Hi Carly, I know I'm a bit late in the game, but have you tried ripping out a section of panelling, or removing the bath panel, to see what the walls are like underneath? The panelling was either put onto good walls as personal taste (-lessness) or to hide ripped up, failing plaster, generally in an older Victorian house? Appreciate you've now put alot of effort into converting this pig's ear into a silk purse, but if the walls are good, then at least it shouldn't take too much effort once you do the room properly... In the meantime, if this was my shower enclosure, lined with pine cladding (!!!) the easiest option I can think of is to get two sheets of 4mm toughened glass cut by my local glass supplier to fit inside the shower and install them over the panelling - seal with clear silicone all round to make watertight. Sure, it sounds crackers and it's a complete and utter bodge, but it's quick, simple and'll be watertight until you do the room properly. It also shouldn't cost too much for piece of mind - the whole idea of trying to seal pine T&G boarding as a shower enclosure...!!!!
that idea came to me last night actually (the glass).... BUT not sure how easy (cheap) it'd be to get the glass cut to fit the space i need it for as it would need to be cut to fit around the shower unit itself (plus the mounting bar for the shower head). i had a quick peak behind a small section of the wood cladding, and it appears to be roughly artexed green painted walls. not sure which is worse to be honest! it's a shame that this might not end up working as it's actually beginning to look half decent (slapped on another coat of paint last night). if anyone else does have any bright ideas (but i would imagine we're running out of options now), then please do let me know!! don't suppose there's any kind of varnish which can be put over the paint in the shower enclosure to protect the painted wood? something which is usually used externally and so has to stand up to being battered by rain usually? i know it wouldn't look great, but it was just another thought? any ideas?
Whoever put cladding in the shower cubicle needs shooting. I can't think of a worse thing to use (other than wallpaper). If you used glass you would have to use toughened glass and the cost would be horrendous. It's no good painting it with exterior paint as the water will get between the grooves in the boards. I'm surprised you don't have a soaking wet wall in the shower area. I presume that the shower is in a cubicle and that there is only one wall in the cubicle that is cladded. What I would do as a very temporary measure is to buy a shower curtain (B&Q etc.) and fix this to the wall, with the sides of the curtain coming around the sides a bit and the bottom overhanging the shower tray. This should prevent most of the water from soaking the boards if you are careful when using the shower but it may not look too pretty
Just noticed you picture and I see that the shower is over the bath. OK, a new suggestion which I have done for customers a few times. You can buy a fairly cheap square shower rail that you can fix to the ceiling with curtains on all four sides. That would solve your problem. Just make sure before you buy it that if you screw the rail to the ceiling the curtains will be long enough for the ends to go into the bath. If the curtains would not be long enough, then buy a rail that can be fitted to two of the walls and fit it lower down. The only problem with this method is that the rail will be a bit flimsy and may pull the wall plugs out if you draw the curtains too enthusiastically I seem to remember that I got them in B&Q or Homebase
Or, having had another look at your picture, a cheaper option still would be to fix a shower curtain to the cladded wall (same as the one in your picture) which you can draw when showering and pull back when finished. Or, buy some clear perspex (Wickes) to use on the wall insted of glass. You should only need to fix it 3 - 4 feet above the top of the bath and you should be able to cut it around the shower fittings with a jigsaw. If you silicone it when fitted and use mirror screws to screw it to the wall (the type with domed chrome caps) it will look Ok and you will be able to see your great paint job through it.
Berlington Bertie- thank you! "Or, buy some clear perspex (Wickes) to use on the wall insted of glass." I think I'll go for that option. I reckon I can get away with just attaching it below the shower fittings too, as there's around 3 feet between the bottom of the shower fittings and the top of the bath. Hopefully this won't end up costing too much or give me too much grief trying to attach the thing to the wall (I have to admit that I'm not a great DIYer, however much I'd love to be! I feel bad admitting that here, of all places!). If all this does end up working (please!!!), I could post a photo here if anyone would be interested?! And thanks again Bertie, you've been great with all your suggestions
No prob, Carly. There is no shame in admitting you are not great at DIY, the shame is when people who know nothing try advising others. You are probably 100 times better at your regular job than I would be. It should be a piece of cake to fix to the panelling. Try to get the thinnest (it will be the cheapest) perspex. Use the mirror screws as I suggested and don't forget to seal all the joints with silicone. Clear would be the best as it will not show up so much against the clear perspex and seal around any cuts, screw holes etc as well as the top of the bath. Use masking tape to keep the silicone clean and neat. This solution should work OK for a while at least until you can do the job properly. Post the pics when it's done and if you run into any snags, just ask. Despite all the banter on here most people genuinely try to help and give good advice based on their own experience
Sorry, another question...... Another option was just suggested to me- applying a coat of waterproof PVA over the top of the last coat of paint (instead of the perspex). Anyone have any idea if that would work?
Get the tin of PVA and pour it over the head of whoever suggested that particular use for PVA. Would be an absolute disaster as PVA is not at all suitable for that application and is definitely not waterproof.
Haha, I think I might get a slap (hard) if I did that OK, basically my partner has had enough of this whole bathroom fiasco (and I'm getting close to that point too!), and doesn't want to spend any more time or energy on it. The PVA solution was suggested by a friend, and I was hoping this would be a compromise.... So, something like this: http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/156521, would definitely not do the trick?