[handystanley]

I am in the process of finishing a pocket door that will be used between our master bedroom and bathroom. The door is made out of Douglas Fir.

On the bedroom side and the exposed edge the wood will be exposed. Therefore I am planning on staining it with a natural stain. The plan on the bathroom side of the door is to paint it because of the painted bead board in the bathroom.

So my question is, should I stain the two surfaces first and then paint the bathroom side of the door or should I paint first and then stain? Or does it not really matter? My concern is finish absorption / bleeding in the wood.

Any suggestions or comments would be helpful.

Thanks!!

 

[CharlieM1958]

I guess you could argue either way. Personally, I'd stain and finish the bedroom side completely, then paint the other side. That way, you can be a little sloppy with the stain because the paint will cover it, and any paint that gets on the finished side should be easy enough to wipe off while it's still wet.

 

[MyFathersSon]

I'm with Charlie-that's the way I've always done it in similar circumstances-and for the same reasons.

 

[handystanley]

Thanks to the both of you.

I had sent an email to Minwax early this morning with the same question and they replied the same way as you two idd. Stain first then paint.