Canopy needs refinishing...advice needed

[cindywennin]

My painted, wooden canopy needs refinishing on the inside. Apparently it had some thin spots of paint and was not properly sealed. I am upgrading my lights and figured now was a good time to tackle this project. I need advice on how to refinish this for good.
1) Do I need to take it down to bare wood?
2) Do you seal it and then paint or vice versa?
3) What types and brands of each would you use?
Thanks,
Cindy

 

[mgk65]

Cindy:

I'll tell you what I have planned for my 90g hood. I am installing 2 x 400w MH and 4x110w VHO in a 15" high hood that will sit on the aquarium.

I am using 3/4" oak plywood. I finished cutting all the pieces today.

I have purchased www.systemthree.com two-part epoxy for a basecoat of the inside and the outside. The inside will also have a coat of white systemthree two-part Linear Polyurethane (LPU) and a coat of clear LPU.

The LPU absorbs the UV and protects the epoxy. The epoxy keeps the water out of the wood.

The outside will also have a couple of coats of systemthree spar varnish.

The www.systemthree.com products are used by boat builders, so it is designed for a harsh salt environment.

As far as taking to the base wood; that will depend on the product that you choose to use. Another product that I considered was a single part epoxy. Some will adhere to other paint and some will not.

mgk