David Smithz wrote:
Hi there,

I recently had fitted a new (Homebase - knotted Pine - £20) pine door
from Homebase onto my bathroom. I was just going to use Ronseal quick
drying varnish for the door as other doors in the flat have similar
pine doors that have been stained or varnished.

Then I noticed the bathroom varnish and although the door does not
get wet, the bathroom can get very steamy so I thought it was
probably worth going for this instead (at least on the side facing
the bathroom).
Being a complete novice:

1) Is it worth going for this instead of the quick dry?

No, manufacterers add the word 'bathroom' or kitchen' to paint and varnish
for one reason only, to add to it's price - I swear I saw last week in B&Q,
a tin of paint with the title 'Kitchen ceiling paint' - WTF?

2) Can I get away with using my £1.99 set of brushes from B&Q. (5
brushed in this set) as disposal brushes for this job?

If you like, although I wouldn't use them personally, but neither would I
purchase expensive brushes if they were to be used only once or twice.

3) I intended to use making tape around the handle and hinges to stop
varnish getting on them . Wise?

Fiddly and largely a waste of time, tape and effort, the hinges don't
matter, you can varnish over them (but don't allow runs), the handle and
keeper can be cut in easily enough.

4) Anything else I should be aware of or other tips to help me get a
good job.


Give it a good stirring first (tipping some into a clean container
beforehand to minimise mess)
Don't overload the brush - dip in no more than a third of the length of the
bristles each time, and don't scrape it off on the rim like an amateur, dab
it onto the inside of the tin to remove excess before applying it in even
strokes.

I thought I would just lay a sheet of cardboard under the door, do the
inside side first, then squeeze out and do the outside.

Squeezing past a wet door is rarely a good idea.
Go inside bathroom and close the door so that it is only open about a foot,
and wedged from the landing side, paint the bathroom side and the edge with
the lock.
Remove the wedge.
Open the door almost as far as it will go, but wedged from the bathroom
side, paint the landing side and the edge with the hinges.
Leave it wedged open until it's dry.

Once done I will move on to my new living room glass pine door (has
lots of glass pieces in it to let the light through). For this I
thought I would use masking tape to protect the glass panels in the
door.

You may need masking tape for this if your cutting in skills are minimal :-p

HTH