Advice needed on whether to varnishing a Baseboard

[REGP]

Folks I've got a bit of a dilemma, I have to replace my baseboard with one made of a timber frame with a 9mm ply top.

As it will be located in a garage I understand it has to be painted or varnished to protect it from moisture and eventual warping.

This leaves me with a couple of questions
   Would exterior varnish provide better protection than paint?
   I want to fix some cork sheets on part of the top, if I varnish it first would I have to use some special adhesive     be to get the cork to stick to the varnished surface?

Can anyone advise about this or maybe point me to a reliable reference source.

Ray

[Malc]

Varnish or gloss paint would be good for a location that could get damp. Do both sides or it will warp. If you use a good adhesive like PVA, it should stick down the cork. You could use a contact adhesive like Evo Stick, but I think PVA would be fine and less hazardous.
If you are worried, a few judicious panel pins would help. If you put them underneath where the track goes, you won't notice them.