Painting pine door and skirting boards

Mrsmason

Myself and my 2 teenagers are off now for the summer and I’m seriously thinking of painting my pine woodwork white. Is this too big a job for us? It’s a 4 bed semi detached house. My worry is when we start the teens will get fed up and I’ll be left to it myself. Thank you

looksee

Yes you will get left to it yourself However, if you have the interest and energy go for it.

You might find it better to take down the doors (unscrew from frame, easier to reattach).

Put it flat on something like a well covered table or trestles (and cover the floor if you are indoors). Carefully apply masking tape to fittings. Clean off any grime and dust, wipe off with white spirit. Apply undercoat/primer then topcoat. Use a small roller where you can and a brush for corners and fiddly bits. Its worth sanding and wiping off the top and bottom edges, they are usually rough and unfinished and collect dust.

Skirting use masking tape on wall and floor, paint as doors.

Of course having painted the pine you will find that the walls look a bit sad, so you might be better to fully repaint rooms rather than trying to do woodwork everywhere.

You don't have to paint doors white - skirtings and architraves look nice white but doors can be a colour.


Edit - yes, re-reading your post, a 4 bed semi is a heck of a lot of painting, you might be better to go room by room.

theteal

OP, I've just had new banisters and doors fitted and it has really highlighted how sad the old paintwork (door frames, stair skirts) is so I'll be doing a similar job. Having renovated (properly gutted) a few rooms in the last year I'd like to think I'm somewhere slightly above novice level in the DIY field so my advice would be to take your time and get the masking tape done right, with that in place, the paint will fly on, you don't have to be as careful - also I find baby wipes are a gift!

As above, the teens will lose interest quickly.

dok_golf

There is no need to take doors off. Remove door furniture. Put masking tape over the hinges. Cut to size with sharp blade. If the are panelled, google the sequence to painting a paneled door. Use knotting solution or a shellac primer on knots. Water based white paints will drag with a brush. You would be better off going slightly off white. Its more forgiving.

Lex Luthor

dok_golf wrote: »

There is no need to take doors off. Remove door furniture. Put masking tape over the hinges. Cut to size with sharp blade. If the are panelled, google the sequence to painting a paneled door. Use knotting solution or a shellac primer on knots. Water based white paints will drag with a brush. You would be better off going slightly off white. Its more forgiving.

ya agree with this suggestion, we did a good few last year and used fleetwood french white and its much nicer than white and will probably age better

any preference of using Fleetwood Terminator over Zinnser BIN? Have used BIN all over the place here recently but heard that the Fleetwood T is easier to work with and the brushes can be cleaned with white spirits?

I have to dump the brushes after using them on BIN every time

dok_golf

Thats incorrect about white spirits and Terminator. It's a shellac as well. Don't bother cleaning the brushes. Leave in a tin with an inch and a half of BIN or meths at the bottom. If the brush goes hard, leave it in BIN overnight, It will soften up again

AaronMic95

Expect that your teens will not be there until the end of the project, but you'll be fine for as long as you're interested in this kind of task. Be prepared though as this isn't an easy task unlike what most people think. What about giving the kids incentive if they see the project through? Just one simple tip, make sure you get high quality brushes or rollers.

jellybear

I am doing all doors and skirting boards in a 4 bed house at the minute...and spindles on the stair case, we have 2 staircases... I'm regretting starting it already!!:P

It's a lot of work and does take a good while! Prep can be tedious but it's definitely worth it. Just make sure you stock up on masking tape!!

screamer

jellybear wrote: »

I am doing all doors and skirting boards in a 4 bed house at the minute...and spindles on the stair case, we have 2 staircases... I'm regretting starting it already!!:P

It's a lot of work and does take a good while! Prep can be tedious but it's definitely worth it. Just make sure you stock up on masking tape!!

It is a lot of work you’ll need primer and sealer, but if you’ve already varnished them they should be ok without primer. My absolute top tip is to get a gloss roller, you can do the grooves with a brush and then flipping fly around with the roller to smooth and even the finish, it’s magic and will take the work out of it.

brisan

Once you open a can of paint you will have to do the whole house
Ceilings walls skirtings will all look faded beside the new paintwork
As a home owner for 38 years this is just the reality