Painting over polyurethane cedar planks? [pic]
#1
11-06-13, 12:25 PM
Painting over polyurethane cedar planks? [pic]
I have a room that is pentagonal, and about 20 years ago cedar planks were put on 4 of the walls. I am in the process of updating the room. One wall had wallpaper which is now removed so it'll be painted but I am trying to decide what to do with the cedar.
I have no plans to remove it as I do like wood, just not really the dirty dated wood and colour. There are lots of nicks in the wood that need sanding.
I was thinking that I would wash the walls with TSP or similar and give a light sanding. Then, combine some flat alkyd ceiling paint with paint thinner and "whitewash" over the polyurethane, or maybe just using some oil-based covering primer.
The reason I don't want to just paint it is because then I would have to coat it in expensive alkyd primer and yet another coat of paint on top of that, and after all that I would just have painted planks with no grain showing. This isn't a horrible thing, but what is the point of wood walls if you just paint the grain?
(Click to embiggin)
Here's a pic showing the front windows:
Other side (windows and coverings gonna be replaced):
Back wall (a door is going to go where you see the TV wall mount):
I have no plans to remove it as I do like wood, just not really the dirty dated wood and colour. There are lots of nicks in the wood that need sanding.
I was thinking that I would wash the walls with TSP or similar and give a light sanding. Then, combine some flat alkyd ceiling paint with paint thinner and "whitewash" over the polyurethane, or maybe just using some oil-based covering primer.
The reason I don't want to just paint it is because then I would have to coat it in expensive alkyd primer and yet another coat of paint on top of that, and after all that I would just have painted planks with no grain showing. This isn't a horrible thing, but what is the point of wood walls if you just paint the grain?
(Click to embiggin)
Here's a pic showing the front windows:
Other side (windows and coverings gonna be replaced):
Back wall (a door is going to go where you see the TV wall mount):
#3
11-06-13, 12:49 PM
No matter what type of paint you use [including solid deck stain] you'd need to sand and prime the poly first. If you went the white wash route I'd think you'd need to also apply a top coat of poly to keep the white wash from rubbing off.
Personally I like the natural cedar but I have painted similar walls in the past; 1 coat oil primer followed by 2 coats of paint [usually a satin/eggshell enamel, latex or oil base]
Personally I like the natural cedar but I have painted similar walls in the past; 1 coat oil primer followed by 2 coats of paint [usually a satin/eggshell enamel, latex or oil base]
#4
11-06-13, 01:07 PM
Well I do have gallons of clear Varathane from building a log cabin so that part isn't an issue, I just am not sure about the practicality of using 2+ buckets of paint/primer to cover wood walls. Maybe I will just clean and sand it then put another coat of oil Varathane on it.
If I do that though I still have to stain the ledge you see in the pics to match the yellowy cedar (it is pine but I have a stain to hopefully match the cedar) so I don't want to do that till I make a decision.
I think I will buy a small thing of alkyd flat white and do a test spot.
If I do that though I still have to stain the ledge you see in the pics to match the yellowy cedar (it is pine but I have a stain to hopefully match the cedar) so I don't want to do that till I make a decision.
I think I will buy a small thing of alkyd flat white and do a test spot.
#6
11-06-13, 02:19 PM
[quote]Had you not said cedar, I would have said that all looked like pine.[quote]
lol, yea, you know, I'm just going by what I was told by the person who installed it, but it does look like knotty pine. I don't think it is red cedar but some other version. Here is the back of one of the boards (bare wood):
So the more I think about it, the more undecided I get.
Maybe I should just sand it and re-poly it clear? That might give me the look I want instead of having to do anything to it.
I do love the look of wood I just hate this particular colour, which I thought was just from the old Varathane-on-cedar but what do I know?
The Varathane we used on the cabin is water-based and gives a true natural look.
lol, yea, you know, I'm just going by what I was told by the person who installed it, but it does look like knotty pine. I don't think it is red cedar but some other version. Here is the back of one of the boards (bare wood):
So the more I think about it, the more undecided I get.
Maybe I should just sand it and re-poly it clear? That might give me the look I want instead of having to do anything to it.
I do love the look of wood I just hate this particular colour, which I thought was just from the old Varathane-on-cedar but what do I know?
The Varathane we used on the cabin is water-based and gives a true natural look.
#7
11-06-13, 02:28 PM
Water based poly/varnish dries clear and doesn't alter the look of the wood any other than giving it a sheen. Oil base poly/varnish deepens the colors naturally in the wood and ambers some as it ages. I'm not sure how well a water based varathane will adhere to an oil base poly/varnish. Your walls might just have an oil base varnish and no stain, if a water based coating was used - it was likely stained first [going by the color]
http://www.doityourself.com/forum/pa...latex-oil.html I don't know for sure if this method works on varnish/poly.
http://www.doityourself.com/forum/pa...latex-oil.html I don't know for sure if this method works on varnish/poly.
#8
11-06-13, 05:33 PM
It was painted with clear oil based Varathane. I am currently gonna just strip off the old Varathane. Now that I've stripped a few planks I can tell it's most definitely cedar - it smells like a sauna in here!
Any suggestions for what grit to use? I tried 100 grit on my orbital sander but it's wayyy too slow. It does come off cleanly, just kinda slow.
Any suggestions for what grit to use? I tried 100 grit on my orbital sander but it's wayyy too slow. It does come off cleanly, just kinda slow.
#9
11-07-13, 05:05 AM
The quickest way to strip the old varnish is to 1st use a paint and varnish remover and then switch to sanding. Other than that, start with a coarse grit and finish up with a finer grit. If you don't use a stripper, I'd start with 80 grit, maybe 60 if it's too slow - just make sure you don't chew up the wood. 120-150 grit should be good for the final sanding. Always sand with the direction of the grain!!
#10
11-09-13, 07:44 PM
Thanks for the tips! The flat the stripping part isn't too bad, but it's tough getting into the grooves. I've been using a "mouse" triangle sander for the grooves but it's still awkward and time consuming. OH well.
Any suggestions on what to use to finish it? Just water based clear polyurethane?
Any suggestions on what to use to finish it? Just water based clear polyurethane?
#11
11-10-13, 04:04 AM
They make little detail scrapers, they come in different profiles. That will make cleaning up the grooves a lot easier/quicker.
The choice of finish coat depends a lot on what you want it to look like.
The choice of finish coat depends a lot on what you want it to look like.
