Painting timber panelling/dado board

BeachsideDi

I am wanting to paint over the varnished wood panelling in our family room with a white gloss paint. As it is such a large area with many grooves between the panels which are difficult to sand, can I use ESP to prepare surface before painting?  Any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @BeachsideDi. It's great to have you join us and many thanks for your question.

Over varnished wood panelling, my recommendation would be to go for the shellac-based primer: Rust-Oleum B-I-N Primer Sealer Stain Killer. I have had more feedback on the Rust-Oleum product than ESP on varnished timber. However, both of them are excellent products and ESP is certainly an option to consider and would work on your wall. 

With either of these two products, I would advise giving the walls surface a light sand with 180-240 grit sandpaper before coating them. You won't be looking to remove any material, just simply scuff up the surface. This is not necessary but I feel it will enhance the bond between the coatings. Once you have completed the sanding wipe the residue down with a damp cloth and allow to dry before applying your choice of product.

Please let me know if you need further assistance or had any questions.

Mitchell