Advice on painting tired veneer please

aquaholic

aquaholic

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After long deliberation I have decided to paint the tired and faded veneer on bulkheads and other panels, whilst making a feature of the solid hardwood trims, can i just give a light sanding then undercoat etc....also any suggestions for paint? I am using Toplac on the GRP ceiling liner, would that be ok?
 
Should be OK just sanding, but you should try a small area first to make sure the previous coating does not interfere with the new. Suggest using a matt finish rather than high gloss. If you want to use toplac then cut it with some white undercoat first. Large areas of white gloss show any imperfections and bounce back harsh light. However you may find it much easier to use a domestic paint such as an a acrylic which is easier to get a good finish on large flat areas. finish the hardwood trim with a satin coating such as Ronseal Satin.
 
Tranona said:
Should be OK just sanding, but you should try a small area first to make sure the previous coating does not interfere with the new. Suggest using a matt finish rather than high gloss. If you want to use toplac then cut it with some white undercoat first. Large areas of white gloss show any imperfections and bounce back harsh light. However you may find it much easier to use a domestic paint such as an a acrylic which is easier to get a good finish on large flat areas. finish the hardwood trim with a satin coating such as Ronseal Satin.
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Thanks for your advice.
 
I will be doing exactly what you are proposing this spring or summer to my saloon bulkhead which is currently varnished. Many years of use has left the surface unsuitable for further varnishing.

I will strip off the varnish with a chemical stripper and then fill and repair some dents, old screw holes, torn veneer and redundant cut outs. I will then sand with wet and dry to get the surface smooth again. Undercoats and 2 x top coats, applied with a roller and each coat tipped off with a brush. I have more or less settled on an oil based eggshell from 'Little Green' as it is a very controllable paint to apply and I think is better than acrylic, more natural (but that is subjective of course). The main advantage of Little Green is that it has good holding power, does not run or thin out when applied and is quite easy to tip off after rolling on (4" long x 1 1/2" diameter rollers) as it does not flash off too fast. I came across 'Little Green" when refurbishing an old kitchen after a disaster trying other paints. I don't like matt as it is too flat and gloss is cold on interiors from a personal perspective, hence the eggshell sheen.

I agree with Tranona on Ronseal Satin for the trim, I did all the cupboard doors and they have come up a real treat, tough as old boots as well and easy to apply. I just followed the instructions on the tin, using wet and dry, sanding wet between varnish coats, tack rags to clean the dry wood before varnishing.
 
Many years ago I did the tired veneer in my old Westerly with stuff called 'Patina'.It's a gel in a tub which is applied with a cloth and rubbed on. The results were fantastic and without much preparation either.Try a Google search or Ebay. It's not readily available in your local shop so has to be ordered on line.

Edit: Try https://www.google.co.uk/#q=patina+wood+treatment
 
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International Danboline provides a good base to paint on, but have you considered re-veneering on top of the tired surface, followed by a gradual build up of Epifanes - start at 25% varnish to thinkers then gradually work up to 90% over 8 - 10 coats. The end result is fantastic.
 
Thanks very much for the replies, not sure i would be confident in getting a good finish by re-veneering, more to do with my skill than the product!
 
Think long and hard about paint.. It needs to be perfect not to look..... imperfect.
Look at some project Ebay campers that have had a quick lick (not that I'm suggesting you would do a quick lick-)
 
We've done what you're suggesting, we have acres of varnished veneer and there's nothing sacred about varnished wood! It's dark and old fashioned but painting some panels and leaving trim, beams and doors varnished is a classy and classic yacht look. We used bathroom and kitchen acrylic - because it's acrylic it has high flexibility as wood swells and contracts in heat and damp. Lightly sand then two coats and it looks great, the boat has a lighter and smarter look and stained or flakey veneer disappears :D
 
I quite like the look of white bulkheads. If you use mat paint and roller it on there won't be any marks.Acrylics can be very good and are very easy to apply. If you add a bit of talc they'll lose the shine.
 
I'd have thought Toplac would be fine. Mind you, we used to paint under the deckhead (play decks) with Ranch Paint, as it breathes and seemed to allow the ply to dry, several years between touch-ups where before the paint would discolour and wrinkle as moisture got under it.

Rob.
 
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