All users,
I’ve been pondering a particular finishing problem for some trim in my Mother’s bathroom. Since the wood will be exposed to considerable variation in moisture levels in the form of steam, I chose plywood to mitigate any possible warping. The wood will be painted white to match the colour scheme, but I’m still trying to decide which finish I should apply to help further seal the wood from moisture.
The bathroom is also subject to wide variations in temperature in any one day, especially during the winter (the house was built at the turn of the century and does not benefit from a consistent or thoughtful use of modern building techniques or materials and consequently is terribly drafty), so the finish must be durable against heat and cold alike.
Will a polyurethane finish do, or is something engineered for moister environments like spar varnish required? Any other suggestions are welcome too.
Best regards,
TdB
Replies
Usually trim is nailed in place, making plywood superflous as far as prevention of warping. (And plywood can warp, or delaminate as well.) But paint works well as a sealer, better than clear finishes in general. Just use several coats of a good oil based enamel. It is best to paint both sides of the trim before it is applied, with an extra coat or two needed on the plywood edges, A final coat after the trim has been applied will deal with the "artifacts" of the application process.
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