Old door in need of some TLC

[mattrgee]

Hi all,

The door to our new house needs repainting but we want to do the job properly and achieve the best possible finish. The door has a few cracks and has had many layers of paint applied over the years.

Should we be stripping it bare and repairing the door or just getting everything to same level and applying a fresh coat of paint?

Many thanks.

Pics below:

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• mattrgee
• 30 Sep 2012
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• mattrgee
• 30 Sep 2012
• 1

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• mattrgee
• 30 Sep 2012
• 1

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• mattrgee
• 30 Sep 2012
• 1

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• mattrgee
• 30 Sep 2012
• 1

 

[joe-90]

Just give it a really good rub back with green sandpaper (120 grit) and then one of those sponge sandpaper blocks. Undercoat, sand, undercoat, sand and then top coat.

 

[simchan101]

I think it all depends how good a finish you want. It looks like a grand, old door hiding under all those layers of paint. If you have the time and patience, remove all the furniture and strip it back to bare wood with a heat gun and start again. The lines of those mouldings will look sharp and crisp again.

If you want the best possible finish:
Strip with heat gun
Sand (p80)
Prime
Fill any dings or cracks (2 part wood filler)
Sand filled areas (p120)
Undercoat
Sand (p120)
2nd undercoat if any thin areas
Light sand (p120)
Gloss


I did my old front door recently and every day when I return home, I'm glad I made that extra effort to make it beautiful again.

 

[vibrobullit407]

Just be careful as with it being an old door some of the paint layers may contain lead. You do not want to be stripping with a heat gun if they do. Might be a better solution if (you want to strip) to use a chemical stripper!

 

[simchan101]

Sound advice from a health viewpoint. My suggestion would be to invest in a proper half-mask respirator suitable for lead paint removal when using a heat gun. Will cost you about £50 with all the gas and particulate filters. (ABEK1 gas filters, P3 particulate filters)

Chemical stripping is painfully slow compared to a heat gun, that's if you can find one that actually works since dichloromethane was banned, and you still have the noxious fumes and acid burns to contend with. There are water-based strippers available but again, you need the patience of a saint.

 

[simchan101]

...or you could try a wallpaper stripper. See my thread 'removing oil-based paint with steam'. Surprisingly, this actually works and is great for indoor use as no lead is vaporised. However, it's a bit slower, and as you'd be working outside, you could take advantage of the speed of a heat gun. Still wear a mask though!