Painting old tongue & groove in bathroom

[Pootles2010]

We need to do up our bathroom - its really hideous, but really don't have a lot of money to throw at it.

It's got a lot of tongue & groove, which is varnished pine, with a lot of knots in it. How easy will this be to paint? Does anyone know how I should prepare it, bearing in mind its a bathroom and also that the wood is knotty?

Would really appreciate any advice! Thank you!

I've done exactly this in the past. First check whether there is any stickiness or evidence of resin leaking from the knots. If not, then the previous treatment - the varnishing - would seem to have sealed them. In this case I would give the wood a light sanding to provide a key and paint with a couple of coats of satinwood/eggshell/gloss paint as is your preference for finish. All of those will be durable in a bathroom.

If there is evidence the knots aren't sealed, so stickiness, residue around the knots, etc, then again give the wood a light sanding and apply a good primer to seal. Follow the primer with a couple of coats of paint of your choice, but don't use emulsion as it won't stand up to the moisture in a bathroom.

It makes a massive difference, getting rid of the 1970s sauna look: well worth it!

Oh thank you! Did you not put a varnish on top of the paint then? That sounds much easier than I thought it would be!

Varnish over paint?! No - satinwood, eggshell and gloss paint all have a durable finish which resists moisture and can be easily washed down. I used satinwood in the bathroom I painted - less smelly, easier to apply and quicker drying than gloss plus it doesn't have a very shiny finish.

Sorry stupid question! There's one bit in particular I was worried about water damage with - its the lip at the top of the bath panel, and seems to get soaked every time. Hopefully new shower screen should sort that out! Think I will go with Satinwood. Thank you for your help

Before you do any painting then, I would suggest you make sure any gaps at the top of the panelling or where the panelling meets the skirting boards are sealed so there is no danger of water getting between the panelling and the wall.

I use this on the wood in the bathroom including a washstand I have the basin on
Sadolin Superdec Satin Opaque

Lots of colours to choose from or you can have your own colour mixed
Also use it on our external windows