Stripping and re-painting an old door

mvpr

Hi there,

I was going to repaint the front door of an old Georgian House. It has about 10 layers of paint on it at this stage, so I thought I might strip all the paint off first.

I have a heat gun I could use, and some nitromores lying around somewhere.

Is this the right way to go about it?

If I have stripped all the paint off, should I put primer, then undercoat, then gloss on?

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Thanks

mad m

It will be a labour of love for you.

Heat gun/blow lamp is quicker than nitromores, leave the nitromores for the hard to get at bits or moldings. You would want to take every precautions for lead paint being present. Make sure to cover floor and watch out for smoldering bits than might catch fire.

When your using nitromores get some steel wool, apply nitromores,leave for a time and rub the applied bit of wood with the steel wool. Get some shave hooks to help you with the stripping of door. When your finished with the nitromores and are happy with the end state of door,wash door down with water as it neutralise's the nitromores. Also make sure to take off all furniture from door when doing it.

If the door turns out to be hardwood under all those layers then use aluminum wood primer, if not then use, normal wood primer, fill door with polyfiller (you will have lumps&bumps), sand down filler, undercoat,fill again and undercoat again, then gloss.

Never put a thick coat of paint on at one time, thin out the undercoat a little, several thin coats is much better than one/two thick coats.

Happy stripping/god love you.


P.s Might be easier if you can, take door off hinges and put on a treacles while stripping. Also nitromores around pregnant women is not recommended, teacher in tech told me that eon's ago and its stuck in my head.:)

mvpr

Thanks for the advice Mad M - much appreciated!

Yeh, dont think I'm gona get this one sorted in one weekend... Will be worth it though!

About precautions for lead paint - what might I do for this?

mad m

Actually if the door is as old as I think it is, then it will have layers of lead based paints. Anything painted up to or around the 1960's/70's will have some sort of lead in the paints. Burning off with a heat gun or blow lamp will give off fumes which might be harmful to you and those around.

Also heard of a product called Klingstrip or Peelaway

Here is a link Peelaway

Check this also...Peelaway info

bushy...

Try to get " Spontex" instead of steel wool , looks much the same but is made of flat strands of metal instead of wire , it doesn't clog as easily.

GreeBo

Have you checked out getting it dipped?
Much easier, cleaner and faster, if your door is suitable (most older doors are)