Painting over varnish General decorating topics, questions and answers. find help, tips and advice on completing your decorating projects

[Crikey]

I have a whole lovely wall of 70s style varnshed wood, sauna style.

I am reluctant to pull it down as I have no idea what is lurking underneath but quite fancy painting it.

As it's varnished what's the best way to prepare the surface? Do I need to strip all the varnish off or is there an easier way in this day and age of paints for every conceivable job?

Any tips would be gratefully appreciated. :D

[rosebery]

You will need to give it a really good and thorough sanding down and wash well with sugar soap and/or white spirit.

Then apply a coat of Dulux Ultra Grip Primer. Thi is a two part water based primer. You MUST prime BTW as paint doesn't adhere varnished surfaces very well. You could also use melamine primer.

Then decorate with a couple of coats of undercoat and gloss or satin wood.

HTH

Cheers

[Crikey]

Rosebery

Thanks for your help.

It's going to be a hard graft but thanks for all the tips. You're a star.

Cheers,
Crikey