Outside doors

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Lincolnshire
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I have to repaint some very old wood doors the paint is well faded weatherd and cracking.
I have an idea of the preperation needed but are there other things I need to know about?
I know the old paint may have lead in it and due to the size and there are 6 doors I was going to use a heat gun and a decent mask and gloves.
I will need filler and sanding equipment scrapers decent brushes ect thing That I am not to sure about is what paint will I need primer /undercoat? not quite sure about that bit. And do you think I should burn off all the paint and start from fresh? I understand its not going to be a five minute job and prep is every thing here. thank you G
 
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If the doors are old its almost certain they will have a had a coating containing lead. This being the case do not burn it off. Wet abrading is the way to go or a chemical stripper. A mask is no good if you burn off lead, you need a respirator but that does not protect those in the immediate environment both during and subsequently.

If you strip the door you will need primer, undercoat and top coat and its also worth knotting prior to primer
 
i agree that a chemical stripper is the way forward here. when sanding down the best option is wet sanding to keep harmful lead dust to a minimum. i would also knot the door before prime then 2 undercoats before a finish coat, with plenty of sanding in between. if you are unsure weather the paint contains lead you can buy test kits before carrying out any work. i do not know who would stock these in your area but im sure a decorating trade center will point you in the right direction.
 
I think using a chemical stripper is ok but I would need gallons of the stuff and would cost a fortune.
I think burning would be better and don't you think theres to much hype on H&S here? it was not that long since we had leaded petrol and we must have burned a few ton of that over many years?thanks g
 
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the problem with burning off the lead paint is that you are very close to the fumes and could inhale a large quantity. burning off is a cheaper option but the health issues do out way this. i would recommend tracking down a test kit just to make sure. if you are determined to burn off the lead then a respirator would be essential as a mask will not be any benefit. all said and done its down to you which route you take. hope this was helpful.
 
Thank you I have since had a bit of a read on leaded paint and yes I think I should get a test kit and get it checked out,If its not lead based then I am laughing if it is then its a whole new ball game and looks to be a right pain :(
 
fingers crossed that its not lead then. if it is its not the end of the world as i have said previously chemical stripping would suffice. i know its messy but its a lot safer as long as you wear the appropriate PPE, i.e. mask, goggles and gloves. its not too expensive either.
 
There is always the option of getting the doors dipped which will save lots of work and the potential release of noxious lead fumes. However, you have to be aware that dipping can dissolve the glue in some doors and thus cause weaknesses in the joints and also that the doors will need to be allowed to dry thoroughly for several weeks before you can start to apply any paint system.
Just another option for you to consider.

EDIT: Just realised they are external doors and so dipping may not be a practical option.
 
I have to repaint some very old wood doors the paint is well faded weatherd and cracking.
I have an idea of the preperation needed but are there other things I need to know about?
I know the old paint may have lead in it and due to the size and there are 6 doors I was going to use a heat gun and a decent mask and gloves.
I will need filler and sanding equipment scrapers decent brushes ect thing That I am not to sure about is what paint will I need primer /undercoat? not quite sure about that bit. And do you think I should burn off all the paint and start from fresh? I understand its not going to be a five minute job and prep is every thing here. thank you G

The paint system on these doors is still offering you a great deal of protection, and I think to remove it would be unwise, a far better option would be to take the advice offered by dcdec with regard to knotting if needed spot priming and then just a re-paint. Doing it this way will tend to offer you double the protection.

Dec
 
i'm assuming these doors are in a bit of a state and if they have been painted over and over without stripping back for years and the molding might not be as sharp as it should. the only way of gaining good definition on the moldings will be to strip. this would also get rid of the tired paint.
 
Judging by the initial post offered by the op he or she described the doors as weathered and starting to crack, to the best of my knowledge there was no mention of mouldings, when a paint system breaks down and a re-paint is required there is seldom a need to strip. The correct method with regard to abrasion and any further prep would be the key to offering far more protection than the existing coating was in a sense capable of.

Dec
 
How about some pics to see? The experts (ie not me) will be better able to advise....
 
I'm with dec, there's no reason why you cant remove cracked/flaking areas and scrape off or strip round mouldings (if there are any), be a lot easier than complete removal of the paint system.

Not being funny but never understand when someone comes on and answers a question by just re-iterating what i or someone else has already said, had already mentioned don't burn, respirator,knotting, wet abrading, chemical stripping, it just protracts the post, fair enough if you disagree or offer an alternative like Mr Hs' dipping idea, surely a small line to say you agree is far better and prevents confusion.


Just to add that i seriously can't remember the last time i stripped anything the only thing that usually needs stripping is the bottom 18 inches of weathered garage doors
 
dec
you are correct in what you say with regards as sanding and over painting will offer more protection due to the paint layers underneath. however depending on the deterioration of the existing paint system it can be more cost and time effective to strip and start again. with out photos and seeing the extent of the degradation there is no definitive answer just possible solutions. i have seen myself spending far more time sanding a door smooth when stripping and priming would have been far less time consuming.
 
i came on and said i agreed.

the only reason i reiterated about the respirator was that the op seemed to disregard health reasons as these were not made apparent. also i did bring forward the fact that the op could buy a test kit to determine wether lead or not, thus letting him know wether he could burn off more safely or even dry sand as it is not definitive that there is lead present.
 

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