Paint which surfaces of indoor built-in bookcases?
 

I learned from my first outdoor project that plywood doors painted on
one side will warp when it rains.

But what about indoor bookcases in a climate where the humidity is
moderate most of the time (SF Bay Area)? This installation is three
built-in bays, sitting on a base and screwed to a wood wall. The outside
surfaces and edges of the boxes will be hidden by trim. I don't want to
paint more than I have to but I don't want warped cases in a few years.

Thanks in advance for advice.

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 01:09:15 GMT, Bill Courington
wrote:

I learned from my first outdoor project that plywood doors painted on
one side will warp when it rains.

But what about indoor bookcases in a climate where the humidity is
moderate most of the time (SF Bay Area)? This installation is three
built-in bays, sitting on a base and screwed to a wood wall. The outside
surfaces and edges of the boxes will be hidden by trim. I don't want to
paint more than I have to but I don't want warped cases in a few years.

Thanks in advance for advice.


Finishing all sides will help reduce the chance of warp. Allow the
paint to cure for 4-6 weeks before loading it with books.

Bill Courington

I don't want to
paint more than I have to but I don't want warped cases in a few years.


You already know the right answer. So you want our blessings to take the
lazy way out.

On Fri, 11 Feb 2005 01:09:15 GMT, Bill Courington
wrote:

I learned from my first outdoor project that plywood doors painted on
one side will warp when it rains.

But what about indoor bookcases in a climate where the humidity is
moderate most of the time (SF Bay Area)? This installation is three
built-in bays, sitting on a base and screwed to a wood wall. The outside
surfaces and edges of the boxes will be hidden by trim. I don't want to
paint more than I have to but I don't want warped cases in a few years.

Thanks in advance for advice.

Paint everything and for goodness sake, don't use latex paint, unless
you want to have books permanently glued in position.

"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote in
m:

I don't want to
paint more than I have to but I don't want warped cases in a few
years.


You already know the right answer. So you want our blessings to take
the lazy way out.

And with a foam roller, you'll be done in no time. Since it won't show,
you don't have to use your fussy work. You only need to sand to 120 grit.

Use the good primer, though.

Patriarch

I asked Jeff Jewitt that question regarding a chest I was making. Did I
have to use the same finish inside as outside. I was using a hybrid Target
varnish on the outside but wanted something odorless (shellac) for the
inside. He said no problem. He said the only time he worries about finishing
both sides of a unit the same is when the piece receives minimum support
such as a table leaf. JG

Bill Courington wrote:

I learned from my first outdoor project that plywood doors painted on
one side will warp when it rains.

But what about indoor bookcases in a climate where the humidity is
moderate most of the time (SF Bay Area)? This installation is three
built-in bays, sitting on a base and screwed to a wood wall. The outside
surfaces and edges of the boxes will be hidden by trim. I don't want to
paint more than I have to but I don't want warped cases in a few years.

Thanks in advance for advice.

"Bill Courington" wrote in message
...
I learned from my first outdoor project that plywood doors painted on
one side will warp when it rains.

But what about indoor bookcases in a climate where the humidity is
moderate most of the time (SF Bay Area)? This installation is three
built-in bays, sitting on a base and screwed to a wood wall. The outside
surfaces and edges of the boxes will be hidden by trim. I don't want to
paint more than I have to but I don't want warped cases in a few years.

Thanks in advance for advice.

By all means shellac the outsides and backs. Won't hurt, might help.
Zinsser makes shellac primer.

However, the realist in me says books are more likely to have their way with
wood than moisture.

Thanks all for the advice. I will paint everything that isn't glued.

By the way, I talked to my local paint store about latex and sticking
books. They said that Benjamen Moore _exterior_ latex will work fine,
but it needs 30 days to fully cure. It may be different with other
brands.

Bill Courington wrote:
Thanks all for the advice. I will paint everything that isn't glued.

By the way, I talked to my local paint store about latex and sticking
books. They said that Benjamen Moore _exterior_ latex will work fine,
but it needs 30 days to fully cure. It may be different with other
brands.

I try to paint/varnish when the air is dry or dry-ish but as much as I like
painting some things I've gotten into the habit of using polyacrylic over
acrylic. (I write acrylic because I think very few paints are still latex.
Most if not all paints are now acrylic or acrylic-latex.) Anyway, a couple
of coats of polyacrylic over paint gives you look of paint with the
protection and good attributes of polyacrylic.

Josie