ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Not as interesting as stalking girls who like McDonalds, but this is what I've been doing over the past week off work: I'm on my sixth coat and twelfth day...with another three coats to go on teh same side of one sodding door.


It all starts last week when my mum wanted her front door painting. Simple enough so I oblige and go to the paint shop and get some custom mixed Gloss and matching undercoat. Sand, apply 2 coats of undercoat, then coat the gloss.

Oops, it all goes Pete Tong as turns out this gloss is pretty thin and I painted it on too thick and its slumped in the bevels. Even though I brushed out runs for an hour after painting it still slumped overnight and looked gash.

So I wait for it to cure for a few days so I can sand it back. It wouldn't cure. Two days later its still too soft, even in the thin areas. So I said f**k it, took the door off and got the nitromors on it. Took the top paint layers off, but wouldn't touch the older paint (but left it too rough to paint over). Ran out of nitromors, so tried cellulose thinners, same effect. Hightailed to it B&Q and bought more nitromors and it still wouldn't touch it even though I laid over cling film to allow it to penetrate and not dry out.

I ended up borrowing a heat gun and burnt it off...I counted eight coats of paint on this door, two of which were coats of gloss that the previous painter hadn't rubbed down properly (as it was still shiny and had no scratches! ) No wonder the paint wouldn't cure after it skinned! (can't breath into wood).

So monday primer, tuesday undercoat, wenesday, still grainy, so rub flat and more undercoat.

So today I pop over to rub it down and finally get a coat of gloss on. Only for my Mum to say, "You know what, I don't like this colour, its too purple, I wanted it to be more Red, I think I'd rather had it painted black"!

Arrrrggg FFS, why didn't you tell me this BEFORE I put on the undercoat!!!

So, back to the paint shop, in fairness they credited me for the Gloss even though I used some of it as it didn't match their colour chips (thumbs up to Brewers ), So now I buy black undercoat and black gloss and go for the "10 downing street" look (super shiny, with no brush marks, I'm tempted to take the door to the spray booth at work and spray it ).

So, assuming the black covers well (Johnstones this time, which I know works ok), I'm looking at painting one side of the same door NINE times over 14days.


FFS next time I'll tell her to get a PVC door

Hanley

If I was you mate I'd sack it off and go and grab a McDonalds

Hanley

You know if it was anyone but your mum they'd be wearing the purple paint by now

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

I picked one up on the way past back from teh paint shop.

A McDonalds that is. Not a burger muncher

Hanley

I've just spoken to Rob on the phone and he said from where he's sitting, looking through his binoculars, your mum's front door looks great

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Oh no, I know where this is heading


< awaits comments about the state of the back doors >

J4CKO

iTrader: (1)

I have done a couple in the last week and they need three coats by and large, can get away with two if the paint underneath was ok, if its been filled it takes more.

jonc

There's an easy solution to this.....buy a new door!!

speedking

Please name and shame the thin gloss that doesn't dry.

Hanley

Also post up pictures so the thread can be closed

marcevs72

iTrader: (5)

i am in the middle of a level 2 painting and decorating diploma at plymouth college as starting own decorating business since leaving army and to gloss a door spot on you should take back to bare wood,treat any knots then a good primer,2 coats of undercoat with a quick sand off after to flatten any surface/brush marks then only use an oil based gloss as the new water based ones are crap and take loads of coats.start with the smaller inside panels then the top,middle and bottom horizontal parts then finally the left and right hand main sides.2 coats of decent gloss (dulux/wickes trade or gliddons) and should be spot on.our course is sponsored by brewers and spot on for help

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Albany Gloss. Their undercoat went on beautifully.

It would been ok if I had put it on thinner and the door flat on the work bench, but it was very opaque and door was still hanging. And applying it thinly whilst trying to maintain a wet edge is tricky.

It was almost like I hadn't stirred the tin ( I had, plus I shook it up and left it upside down for ten mintes before opening ) or it had been over-thinned. Maybe there's a problem with the mixing machine (not sure if they add thinner in the colour tints).


It not drying is probably a combination of it being thin, it slumping, and the door having so many coats of gloss that hadn't been prepped properly (it was previously painted by decorators...who obviously forgot their sandpaper and scotchpads ).

Turbohot

You are extraordinarily patient, Ali. Hope your mum is paying you for the job.

I would have given up a quarter way through that "burning the paint off with the heat gun" business. I would have said to my mum "Right! I quit. Now where's my food you cooked for me, and my twenty quid for the job?"

IMO that Nitromors is sh!te, so are the heatguns. Things like doors and cupboards etc. are better off dipped to rid stubborn paint/gloss layers.

rossyboy

iTrader: (8)

errr, shouldn't this be in DIY?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Cheers, thats pretty much what I've done now...well, upto the point before applying the gloss.

I always opt for oil painst, used teh DIY one coat and water based stuff before and its horrible. So I usually stick to the trade stuff.


Patience of Job, thats me She owes me a few sunday roasts thats for sure.

I don't think Nitromors is anywhere near as good as it used to be. Probably some of the key ingredients have been taken out due to the fumes. If I had a big enough container, I'd have nicked some waste brake fluid from work (have a few drums which gets collected by the recyclers) and dumped the whole door in it to pickle overnight. I've done thet before with smaller items. .

Heat gun did the job, 2000watt Sealey thing with variable heat. Along with a nice sharp shavehook to get into the bevels. Took a while, but it was far more effective than the Nitromors. There was some tubs of Polycell stuff at B&Q that calimed to penetrate down 15 layers, but I did a quick google on the phone and that was apparantly rubbish.

IWatkins

Is media blasting an option? I've got a 50+ year old oak door to strip and repaint soon and a media blasting outfit just down the road.

Hanley

Report him to a moderator....oh yeah.....eerr......

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

It would be...but this was all done on the easter weekend.

The dash to B&Q was on satuday for more Nitromors just a few hours before they shut. Sunday was the time when I realised the Nitromors just wasn't hacking it and everything was shut.

I'm having a moan not asking for advice.

Hanley

Well in that case fill yer boots

marcevs72

iTrader: (5)

We are still using big cans of the original nitromors in college and its lethal stuff.shame the stuff you get now is crap and weak because of the lower voc content.

mamoon2

You can get the Oak door "dipped". It'll come up like new, ask your local timber yard for details on local companies.

Regarding paint.....

Primer (if new wood)
Undercoat
2 x coats Satinwood

Satinwood is much better than gloss. Gloss went out with the 80's

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Everything in the house was all satin or eggshell throughout the 1990's, so getting a bit board of it all now

Time for some glossy bling on bits and bobs to highlight the more decorative features.

...thats the next job doing all the internal work. All the door are going to be pickled though, and I won't be painting them though , nor the previous decorators, seeing they left 1mm deep brush marks in satinwood paint FFS.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

To make a point of it: Previous "decorator's" effort on the lounge window sill:




My effort on the bedroom window sill (which I did some time last summer when I redecorated that room):




Both with the same tin of paint (found it on the shelf in the garage, was still ok, so I used it).


Front door is still a W.I.P.

marcevs72

iTrader: (5)

i was taught the 2 doors in a house you do perfect is the front door and the back of the toilet door as they get seen the most,espcially when having a dump! let first coat of gloss dry then wet flat with 2500 grit then apply 2nd coat and will come up like a mirror.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Cheers.

Not got that far yet. Had a minor cissing and dust (static?) issue. So had to go down to 600grit and work my way up to 2000grit (don't have anything finer). Washed off the door outside with scrubbing brush and hosepipie and left it inside to dry over night.

So totally dry, no contamination. Fingers crossed