Sticky Residue on Wood Door

[Apophany]

Hey,

We have an old wooden door that the previous owners which has some super sticky residue left on it from the previous owners along with accumulated hair and dirt D: gross!

Originally I thought I'd sand it off and then repaint, but I've just tried sanding with a machine using 80 grit at the highest setting and the residue doesn't seem to budge much, so now I'm thinking I need a different approach.

Are there any good solutions we could mix up that might dissolve or remove the residue? And then maybe after the residue is removed I can try a light sand and paint. The residue covers basically the entire door, rather than just one area

 

[justigator]

I take it you don't know what it is residue of? White spirit shifts an awful lot of sticky stuff, at the expense of stinking out the house if used inside, possibly for several days. Try on a patch, preferably with the door outside if possible?

 

[foxhole]

What sanding machine? Needs 40grit to start .

 

[Apophany]

I take it you don't know what it is residue of? White spirit shifts an awful lot of sticky stuff, at the expense of stinking out the house if used inside, possibly for several days. Try on a patch, preferably with the door outside if possible?

Yea no idea! I thought maybe they stuck some kind of decal on the back of the door because it was a kids room, but they must have taken it off a while ago since there's so much hair/grime stuck to it now. Unfortunately we don't have an outdoor space but I could try white spirits

What sanding machine? Needs 40grit to start .

It's a Bosch Home & Garden 200 AES - I guess I could try with 40 grit. The 80 really didn't seem to do much, maybe just moved some of the stickiness around

 

[JohnD]

is it solid or veneered wood? they might have oiled it.

oxidised oil forms a gummy varnish and is practically impossible to remove.

Have a look at the price of replacement doors before investing too much time and effort.

If they are hollow doors they are more or less junk.

 

[Apophany]

is it solid or veneered wood? they might have oiled it.

oxidised oil forms a gummy varnish and is practically impossible to remove.

Have a look at the price of replacement doors before investing too much time and effort.

If they are hollow doors they are more or less junk.

I think it's solid, they're pretty old, the house is victorian but I'm not sure they're original. The central wood panels are very thin and they're quite misaligned so the door isn't really in good condition in the first place.

The only reason I'm hesitant to just replace is that I believe we need to replace with a fire door since it's leading to the hallway which is the only route out of the house in case of fire. I know no one is going to enforce that, but if we ever needed to claim for insurance then they'll instantly deny the claim because of that! Any excuse! Getting a fire door isn't cheap I don't think compared to a regular door

 

[JohnD]

I think it's solid, they're pretty old, the house is victorian but I'm not sure they're original. The central wood panels are very thin and they're quite misaligned so the door isn't really in good condition in the first place.

The only reason I'm hesitant to just replace is that I believe we need to replace with a fire door since it's leading to the hallway which is the only route out of the house in case of fire. I know no one is going to enforce that, but if we ever needed to claim for insurance then they'll instantly deny the claim because of that! Any excuse! Getting a fire door isn't cheap I don't think compared to a regular door

Most of them are made of dense chipboard with an ornamental skin. If you are going to paint them they don't need to be veneered. I like them because they have reassuring solidity and are good at blocking noise. This is why I have them on bathroom and WC doors as well, for privacy. You need to replace the door lining ("frame") and I like lift-off fire hinges, which again are very strong. Fire doors are very heavy, as you will discover if you ever need to take one off and put it back. You will need an experienced professional carpenter, no DIYer or handyman will fit doors as correctly.

You can get four- and six-panel doors which may be in keeping with the age of your house. As the chipboard has no tenons you can fit horizontal sashlocks which I like, with doorknobs. The rules around firedoors change from time to time so you'll need to conform to the latest regulations at the time you make the change.

How many stories does your house have? If it has not been altered since it was built you may be under no obligation to fit firedoors.

 

[foxhole]

If it’s from stickers lighter fuel will remove , does not leave a residue like white spirit .