Covering over a picture

[Launchbury]

We've just moved house and in one of the bedrooms the door has a picture painted on it, in black matt gloss.

I am using satinwood throughout upstairs (which is self-undercoating as it says on the tin), can I just go ahead and paint over it? or should I try and rub it off first? I'm hoping it will just need 2 coats, but I suppose I should just see how many it takes.

Also, the doors will take a hammering from my lot, I assume satinwood is good as it wipes clean, but I read on this site that diamond paint is really tough - is it better to use something tougher than normal satinwood.

Thank you in advance.

 

[sparkwright]

You will have to sand the whole door before you start painting.

The best thing you can do is keep undercoating, obviously letting each coat dry, until the black is untraceable. Then top coat.

For the first few undercoats you only need to paint over the black bits. Then start undercoating the whole door. However, if the door is mostly black anyway, you may as well paint the whole thing each time.

Lightly sand between coats.

 

[JohnD]

matt black gloss, you say?

 

[maltaron]

If its black gloss (or any oil paint) I would burn off to bare wood (or use paint stripper) and start again.

 

[Launchbury]

Well I say it's black gloss - it looks like it's been on there for years so I just assume it is oil based paint; maybe its gloss or satinwood or something.

If I do as Sparkwright says; 'keep undercoating', can I use the satinwood which is self undercoating or should I use a proper undercoat?

Thanks again.

 

[JohnD]

a proper undercoat has more obliterating power than a finish paint does. If it is gloss then rub it down first to roughen the surface, and also to remove any "step" round the edges, and you will find an oil-based undercoat sticks better than a water-based one.

stripping it off will give better results than just sanding, but is more work.