I have a lot of wood in my bathroom, some in worse wear than others, its really ugly.
So I want to paint it. My question is what paint do I use, do I need primer/ undercoat/ special bathroom paint?
I'm more concerned about the wood which is the window sill and the wood which holds the sink basin. I also have to paint a previously painted wooden panel on the bath.
I'd suggest a quality primer (Killz would be a good brand) and then a high-gloss latex, perhaps with an anti-mildew additive (most paint departments will have anti-mildew bases designed for high moisture areas).
Couple more factors to consider before you paint. Whenever repainting old work, preparation is the most important step in the process. Old finishes need to be very clean, all soaps, residues removed and surfaces sanded or chemically deglossed. Be aware, any paints before 1978 may contain lead and should be tested and handled properly to avoid any health risks.
Surfaces should be primed, if there is any bare wood, I like pigmented shellac, like Bin's Bullseye primer. Over old paints, a good high hiding primer like Kilz if fine. Always do a quick buff sanding and damp wipe down of the dried primer before applying top coats. In bathrooms, I usually prefer a latex enamel semi-gloss paint. The choice of full gloss or semi-gloss is simply a personal preference. An enamel give you a very hard finish that cleans well and will hold up for years. Always use a good quality brush. Please, no bargain basement $0.99 specials. A quality job comes from proper prep, quality products and the right tools. Good luck.
For the home bathrooms I just use a good primer and then a semi-gloss latex. However, at work we always used oil based paints in the bathrooms there. The heavier usage in a high water/humidity environment made latex not work out so well.
