What will it cost?

We made our way to Bunnings on Monday evening around 5:30pm. It was a quiet time and gave us the opportunity to speak with someone in paint about some of our options. First we looked at primers.
The median price range was

• $20.73 for 470ml

• $33 for 1Litre

• $87.93 for 3.75L

Obviously the savings are reasonable. So we will be buying the larger tin.
 Next we had a look at paint. We have decided to use water based paint for its ease of cleaning. Did you know the Australian government may be getting rid of oil based paints within 15 years?

• H20 enamel 4Litres was $66.72 for 4L. 

•  Aquanamel  was $74.25 for 4litres but paints on with ease. 

Stain and varnish: together or separate?
We have used a combined stain and varnish in the past but might try taking a little more time to use the stain first followed by the varnish. Why? Apparantly staining alone sinks into the timber and shows more of the grain. It also gives a more even finish. Using a combined stain and varnish can look more like a paint rather than a smooth varnished stained surface. I, Mr, am skeptical about this advice. But as we haven't perfected the stain and varnish to date we may give it a go.

Varnish prices were

• $11 for 250mL

• $26 for 1Litre and 

• $60 for 4Litres

For those items where we cannot remove glass panelswe looked at masking tape. Some would easily allow the stain or paint to bleed through. Scotch has a blue tape for around $10 for 55m.

Paint brushes were last on the list and we found the price difference significant. The brushes we will be using will be synthetic as they have softer bristles and will be easier to use. No hairs will come out on the surface and if well looked after will last. The bigger the brush the more paint it can hold. We also noticed the better quality brushes had layers of bristles (like a layered haircut for the ladies). For the varnish the softer the bristles the better.

For our three door hutch we will need

- 1 x 3.75L primer $87.93
- 1 x 4L paint $74.25
- 1 x 1L varnish $26
- 1 x stain around $30
- 1 x scotch tape blue 55m $10

Approximate total required =   $228.18

Still need to add sandpaper and handles for the cupboard doors but it's a start!

---Mr & Mrs---