Painting Over Tongue-n-Groove

[Boatman Al]

Hi,

 

My newly purchased boat has tongue and groove timber lining throughout. I want to white/magnolia it out. Has anyone done a job like this before?

 

Does the tongue and groove need sanding off to ruff up the varnish finish? Do i need to primer it? What type of top coat is suitable for interior living on a boat. Eggshell? I imagine a matt water based would be the wrong thing due to condensation.

 

Any tips and advice would be great.

[Guest]

Hi,

 

My newly purchased boat has tongue and groove timber lining throughout. I want to white/magnolia it out. Has anyone done a job like this before?

 

Does the tongue and groove need sanding off to ruff up the varnish finish? Do i need to primer it? What type of top coat is suitable for interior living on a boat. Eggshell? I imagine a matt water based would be the wrong thing due to condensation.

 

Any tips and advice would be great.

 

Do it when it is as dry weather as possible. When it shrinks slightly in the warmer weather the gaps show terribly. If you paint when it is really dry you get sufficient paint in the gaps so if it expands and then shrinks back the gaps don't show as badly.

[David Schweizer]

Hi,

 

My newly purchased boat has tongue and groove timber lining throughout. I want to white/magnolia it out. Has anyone done a job like this before?

 

Does the tongue and groove need sanding off to ruff up the varnish finish? Do i need to primer it? What type of top coat is suitable for interior living on a boat. Eggshell? I imagine a matt water based would be the wrong thing due to condensation.

 

Any tips and advice would be great.

My initial response is don't do it, cherish the timber grain for it's own beauty, but if you are set on paint, so be it. I haven't used any of the modern acrylic paints onto an existing oil based finish, but I suspect that being water based, they may not be that durable. I would recommend oil based eggshell paint, which is designed to go onto wood, and will apply over sanded varnish. It is becoming increasingly difficult to buy oil based paints, especially egshell finish, in DIY outlets. However Dulux still make it, but you will have to go to a professional paint suppliers like Brewers and have the colour you want mixed for you.

 

You may hear stories of Dulux oil based paints yellowing, following an EEC ruling on the type of spirits they can use in them, but I believe this problem has since been overcome.

[Chalky]

Do it when it is as dry weather as possible. When it shrinks slightly in the warmer weather the gaps show terribly. If you paint when it is really dry you get sufficient paint in the gaps so if it expands and then shrinks back the gaps don't show as badly.

 

If you get too much paint on it will not allow the wood to expand and contract and will then either warp or split.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Chalky

[Guest]

If you get too much paint on it will not allow the wood to expand and contract and will then either warp or split.

 

Quite probably - but the trick is not to get too much but sufficient.

 

You don't have to ladle a second coat on the joints as they are already covered with one.

Edited June 5, 2012 by MJG

[frangar]

Did our engine room with Craftmaster over varnished T&G...sanded it well...degreased well...no probs even a few years later (Got them to mix a semi matt off white for above the gunnels which covered well)

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[Ally]

I agree with the eggshell oil based...that's what we use, and have it mixed in a trade base paint. However, the comments about paint not allowing movement between timber,....not convinced! It will never exhert more force than timber or steel, and will simply crack apart with the wood joints. Boat owners are mostly used to joints opening and closing with temperature...just accept it and allow it imo.....you ain't going to change it!

Oh, and yes, strip the wood and use a primer like Zinsser 123.

ETA of course I am used to doing it the easy way and priming then first top coating it all before it is fixed, then just a final coat when in place, which in all fairness is much a simpler task!

Edited June 5, 2012 by Ally

[STUBAG]

Hi,

 

My newly purchased boat has tongue and groove timber lining throughout. I want to white/magnolia it out. Has anyone done a job like this before?

 

Does the tongue and groove need sanding off to ruff up the varnish finish? Do i need to primer it? What type of top coat is suitable for interior living on a boat. Eggshell? I imagine a matt water based would be the wrong thing due to condensation.

 

Any tips and advice would be great.

 

On our first boat Clover which was tongue and groove throughout, we wanted to brighten it up and used Paint and Grain which we got from B & Q (think its a Ronseal product) and it worked beautifully. Comes in a range of colours and you get the graining combs and brushes with it, its very easy to use and very effective. Can't recommend it highly enough.

[Cheddleton John]

For what it's worth, the earlier replies seem to have covered most of this:

 

1. Sand the existing surface to create a key

2. Prime any bare wood

3. Undercoat

4. Eggshell* topcoat

5. Eggshell topcoat (second)

 

*A Satinwood finish could be used instead of Eggshell.

 

How the timber behaves post painting will depend upon its quality, whether it has been allowed to dry out properly, fluctuations in temperature/humidity but if it does split it really doesn't matter as a paintable, flexible filler/sealant will soon take care of any damage.

 

Dulux Eggshell in white is available in Homebase, B & Q etc, Wickes normally stocks it in Magnolia.

Edited June 5, 2012 by Cheddleton John

[Peter-Bullfinch]

We used the Ronseal wood graining kit from B&Q on all the white radiators and also the white fridge door on the boat. Even my very critical wife says they look good and are a good match to the surrounding wood. No problems at all with paint lifting when the radiators have been on for long periods. We varnished over the graining afterwards with good quality yacht varnish.

I know that graining radiator and other metal surfaces sounds strange but I have to admit they blend in now much better. We did practise first with an old panel to check if would look ok.

[Boatman Al]

thanks for the replies.

 

so today i started the task. ive lightly sanded down all the T&G. I plan to apply zinnser 123 primer. then top coat is with eggshell. the eggshell will be oil based, but the primer is water based, albeit a shellac primer which apparently sticks to anything. is the difference in bases a problem?

 

i found another zinnser product called BIN but can see the difference between the BIN and 123 varieties of zinnser primer.

[smileypete]

thanks for the replies.

 

so today i started the task. ive lightly sanded down all the T&G. I plan to apply zinnser 123 primer. then top coat is with eggshell. the eggshell will be oil based, but the primer is water based, albeit a shellac primer which apparently sticks to anything. is the difference in bases a problem?

 

i found another zinnser product called BIN but can see the difference between the BIN and 123 varieties of zinnser primer.

BIN is quick drying shellac based, adheres to smooth surfaces and seals knots better and PONGS until dry. 123 is acrylic based, not as good as BIN in some ways but no pong.

 

Google 'zinsser BIN vs 123' or try a local decorators merchant for advice if you like, I'd prefer BIN between varnished T&G and anything oil based.

 

Edit: Aluminum wood primer is good for priming/sealing knotty wood but the eggshell may not cover it as well.

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

Edited June 10, 2012 by smileypete