Painting wooden cabinet in bathroom

Emthestrange

Hello all! I started a thread a couple of months ago with some clueless noob questions about painting a bathroom where I'd recently removed wallpaper. Got some great advice from several of you -- thanks so much. Went with Gardz primer, splurged for the Benjamin Moore "Ben" paint, and then promptly learned my lesson about the need to get quality brushes and rollers.

The next part of my little bathroom makeover is to put up a small cabinet. Bought a used but nice wooden cabinet with a light stain (not sure what kind of wood). My plan is to sand and paint the cabinet. Before I get started, though, I wanted to ask for advice about the best course to follow for painting previously stained wood for use in a humid environment. For not having a fan, this bathroom is not as humid as I'd expect, but still want to avoid any mildew, peeling paint, or warped wood disasters.

Any advice for a kind of primer or paint for this project? I used Gardz on the plaster walls, but it's water-based, so I'm thinking it would be a bad idea on wood. I also have bin shellac primer -- would this be a good option? For paint, I have the Benjamin Moore "Ben" eggshell latex paint. In a happy world I'd be able to cheapskate my way through this using the stuff I already have (would love to brag about this whole project costing me less than $200), but I've also been reading about wood primers as well. What do you think?

Thanks again for the advice. Reading and occasionally posting here has really helped me out and prevented some costly mistakes down the road.

chrisn

sand it all down (lightly), remove all dust and prime with the bin( you will need to open windows, use a fan, wear a respirator if needed) and paint with the Ben, done

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Emthestrange

Thanks much, chrisn! Do you suggest washing it down with a TSP solution before priming? Some of my googling has mentioned that and some hasn't.

jschaben

If you've anded it, there isn't much point in washing it. I'd just wipe it down, preferably with mineral spirits but just a water moistened cloth will work just to get any dust off it. BIN is a great primer, I use it whenever there is a question of what to prime with. It does smell some but I don't find it all that objectionable.
The leftover Ben should be fine for the topcoat.

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John Schaben

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chrisn

SOME?

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sdsester

Hugh? Sanding will not get any oils and other gunk off and if you hit it with mineral spirits you most certainly want to get any residue left off with something like TSP. I know they are not supposed to leave any but they often do. If you washed it down before you sanded you can wipe any dust off and be good to go.

The smell of BIN does not bother me that much either after all the years using it now and then. But it is alcohol based. Remember killing bugs for high school biology by soaking cotton balls in denatured alcohol and plunking them in a closed jar? See the parallel? One painter in a closed and poorly ventilated room with walls soaked in alcohol?

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Emthestrange

So based on this I think I will definitely skip the mineral spirits!

Yes, I remember doing this in bio. The one time I used the shellac primer in a room I had all four (large) windows open and fans running, and I still felt dizzy! Yuck.

I'm going to wait for a good day to prime the cabinet outside where the ventilation is good.

Thanks again, everyone!

jschaben

Some are more sensitive than others. The key is decent ventilation.
Brushing or rolling is one thing, spraying the stuff is a whole different ball game.
Hardly able to compare to a bug jar.... I used formaldehyde or ether myself

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John Schaben

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