painting front door. unsure what type

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Looking at painting my front door as I have noticed the paint flaking off at the bottom and want to get it sorted, however I am unsure how to approach it and was hoping for a bit of help.

I think the front door is original to the house (about 18 years old). It has a blue top coat. However under the blue there appears to be green paint and under this it is solid white.

Unsure as to the door material so not idea where to start. Thought it was plastic due to the solid white base.

I have attached some pictures to see if people can help. Once I know where I stand with the door I can find out how to go about prep/painting it.

I would ideally like it to change the colour to a black or grey colour however would keep it dark blue if easier as reading through the forum it appears black is a hard colour to paint well, especially for somebody like me with no previous diy (first house)

Sorry for the big pictures, no idea how to make them smaller

Thanks.


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test it with a magnet. It looks to me, from the lock edge, as if it might be a steel-clad door with a wood filling. It does not have the look of a plastic door.

stand back and photograph the front.
 
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IIRC those door were galvanised steel, so don't scrape or sand hard as you will scratch the zinc plate and it will start to rust. I don't know if they have plastic foam insulation that would be damaged by a heat gun, but I think it may. I remember Magnet used to sell them, but they were discontinued about 20 years ago.

Chemical paint strippers are not much good now that the toxic chemicals have been removed.

I suppose sand lightly to dull the surface, patch-prime any bare metal with a metal-preservative primer. On the edges and mouldings, wire wool will be less quick to cut through the edges.

Now that we have identified that it is a pressed-steel door, someone may have a better idea.

I presume it will be quite a secure door, and I have an idea it might have lift-off or loose-pin hinges, which makes it easier to work on. Treat the bottom and top edges very thoroughly, as they are often neglected but can allow damp penetration. You can probably get a modern BS mortice sashlock, of the same brand, to swap in and match the dimensions of the old one.
 
cheers for that john.

Thought it might be something a bit different. Guessing I will have to get down to the diy shop and get some metal-preservative primer and paint.

Will it be a case off sanding off all the loose paint, putting the primer on any of the bare white areas and then painting with whatever colour i choose. Or will i have to put any undercoat on etc.

cheers
 
if the white factory primer is still present, you are not yet down to bare metal. The surface below will probably be grey zinc plate, which is quite soft, and steel below, which will rust if not treated.

If the existing paint surface is good, you will not need an undercoat, but you will do on any newly primed patches. I prefer an oil gloss on steel, not a water-based paint.

As a rule of thumb, any paint which is adhering firmly does not need to come off.

Use the inside of the door to practice your painting. The outside of your front door is on show to the world so should be as smart as you can manage.
 
there is no grey on show. the only colours i can see is the green and under that white, so guessing it is not down to the metal yet.

Does that mean i wont need a primer then, just an undercoat on the white bits once i have sanded off the loose paint or will i just put the gloss on.

Then an oil gloss over the top to paint.

Given my previous attempts at painting think i will do the inside first :)

thanks for the help
 
I've painted lots of those type of doors, which have a tendency to flake at the bottom and in the corners of the panelling, and the best method I found was to:

1. Remove the door furniture, including the weather bar if possible.
2. Remove the flaky patches of paint back to a sound surface.
3. Sand the entire door lightly with 240 or 300 grit (depending on how rough door surface is) wet and dry paper (used wet), remove the residue and allow to dry.
4. Fill the chipped/flaked areas with a two-part, easy-sand car body filler.
5. Sand the filler smooth and flush with the surrounding paint.
6. Apply an all purpose primer to the filled areas. (A car body spray primer will also be suitable, and may be available in a colour close to the finishing paint you use ;)).
7. Very lightly sand the primed areas with 300 grit wet and dry paper and wipe away dust.
8. Paint with your chosen finishing paint system - if it is something that requires an undercoat then use it. Otherwise, use two topcoats.
9. Replace the door furniture.
10. Enjoy the jealous looks on the faces of your neighbours!*

*Stage 10 is optional! :p
 
Thanks for that misterhelpful.

Guessing my lack of diy skills are going to be tested with that one.. Will have a look into getting what I need then see how it goes when I have a free couple of days.

How long should it take to do.. Other than the bottom the rest of the door is in good condition
 
It sounds a lot of work but should really only take a matter of hours in total, although you are not likely to get it all done in the same day.
The filling and priming part may not even be necessary if you can sand back the flaky areas enough to feather the edges in without going through to bare metal, so it could be possible to do it all in a day depending on your paint systems drying times. Water based paints will allow a couple of coats to be done in a day but can often dry too quickly on exterior surfaces, leaving a poor finish.

I would estimate a couple of hours max. preparing and filling one morning, then 30 mins in the afternoon sanding filler and spot priming. Then, it just comes down to how many coats of paint you require - each shouldn't really take any longer than 30 - 45 mins. Just remember to lightly sand between coats to de-nib and take off any dust particles that may stick to the wet paint, and try to do your final coat when there is no wind.
 
Cheers for that. Got it right in my head now I think. Will give that a go when I get a bit of free time.

No doubt I'll be back with more questions when I actually get started.

Just one more thing. Do I have to go blue again due to the blue that's on our can I go black or grey instead
 

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