Hi all! So, I am getting ready to repaint a bathroom vanity. It's made from hardwood, and the surface is slightly shiny from whatever finish was applied originally. It's a long-grained wood, oak, I believe. The vanity is original to the house, which was built in 1991 (I heard somewhere that this may be important as far as what finishes were used at the time, etc).

I am quite adept at painting otherwise, but I've never repainted a cabinet, and have never used oil-based paints, etc. I've read (and re-read!) the wonderful guide by marksr, The Ideal Cabinet Repaint, however, I am still a bit stymied by the project as I do not know anything about the primer that's mentioned, for example. Please note that the vanity will be painted black (satin).

So, my questions are as follows:

• As far as the primer goes, does anyone have any brand recommendations? Are we talking something like this? Zinsser White B-I-N Shellac Interior and Spot Exterior Primer and Sealer (HomeDepot.com)
• Other than the sanding, will there really be no need to strip the old finish off?
• The oil-based enamel or it's water-based counterpart, again, anyone have any recommendations? Which would be better, oil or water? As far as the oil-based goes, is this the type we're talking about? Rustoleum Protective Enamel Oil Based Paint (ToolKing.com)

Please excuse my noobie questions since I am so new at painting with these types of compounds. Help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for reading!

P.S., do let me know if a picture of the finish of the vanity would be helpful, and I'll provide one.

 

Welcome to the forums!

Is the cabinet currently painted? or is it stained/natural? If painted, you might be able to determine the type using one of these methods - http://www.doityourself.com/forum/pa...latex-oil.html

Pigmented shellac primers like Zinnser's BIN is the ultimate primer when it comes to both stain hiding and adhesion. Normally most oil base primers will do ok over factory finishes after a light sanding. Sanding promotes good adhesion but generally there is no need to completely sand off the existing finish. Scuffing up the existing finish is usually sufficient.

Oil base enamels dry to the hardest film = longest wearing. Waterborne enamels dry almost as hard as oil base but won't yellow over time [not a problem with black] Latex has the softest finish although there can be a big difference between brands. The paint you provided a link for should do fine. I'd use a grey [or tinted grey] oil base primer followed by 2 coats of oil base enamel.


btw - I didn't write the guide 'ideal cabinet repaint' It was written by a former moderator named slickshift.

 

Oh, my mistake. It's a stained type of wood; no paint. Thank you so much for your reply, marksr! And oops, for some reason when I looked at the guide, I thought I saw your name as the author. Sorry, slickshift!

Again, thanks so much! I feel much more confident in starting now that I know a bit more about what compounds can be used. Can't wait to start!