Front door gone wrong!?

[HireAPro]

Hi,

I've painted my pvc front door last week with dulux quick dry exterior gloss.
I give it a v quick sand down and then applied two coats of the dulux. First the paint didn't stick and some of the previous colour can still be seen on ridges and secondly the paint has since started to wrinkle in some places... Am I using the wrong paint or where did I go wrong?

I painted a similar door on my last house and it came up alright but this one isn't looking good any advice?

 

[misterhelpful]

I would never recommend painting a uPVC door but it can be done. You should use a specialist primer such as International uPVC primer or Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 before applying any gloss. If you don't it is highly likely that even if the gloss sticks, it will soon flake and peel.

To ensure adhesion, you should really remove the paint you have applied and use a suitable primer. I think the only way to do this without damaging the door would be with a water based stripper. If you don't want to do that then the only option is to rub down the wrinkles, apply another coat of gloss and keep your fingers crossed.

A puzzling thing with PVC is that if you accidentally get paint on it you can never remove it, whereas if you want to paint it, it never seems to adhere!

If you have yellowing uPVC, it is worth trying to clean it with T-cut, which can often work wonders, although it does require a fair bit of elbow grease.

 

[HireAPro]

The door may have been painted over already but it certainly is now.
I guess at this stage the best I can do as you say is to rub it down and go for another coat.

Another factor could have been the very hot and windy day on which I painted it?

Note to self .. Glossing externally in high wind is doesn' t make for a clean job!

Cheers

 

[TheDec]

Hire A Pro,

Abrading plastic surfaces prior to painting is not recommended, the only prep required would be to wash the area with a mild detergent or white spirit. With regard to applying your paint on hot day this would have caused your paint to flow better and indeed would have made your job easier.

Therefore if you were again to abrade the door and apply another coat, it simply would'nt work. Your only alternative now would be to remove your paint, wash down. You could either apply one of the primers already mentioned, or if you wish to stay within the Dulux range one of their Supa Grip Primers.

Dec

 

[HireAPro]

How would I get the paint off?

Sounds like a lot of work elbow grease and mess.

 

[TheDec]

You say in your first post that you used Dulux quick drying exterior gloss,
thinking only of the trade paints. Both gloss systems would be water based (Weathershield or the Ecosure range) would I be correct in assuming this.

Dec

 

[HireAPro]

Yeah I used Dulux Weathershield retail I believe its water based.

 

[TheDec]

I thought as much, and this is where the root of your problem has occured. If you had used an exterior alkyd based gloss bearing in mind that you have already abraded the door you would have probably got away with it.

You also mentioned the painting of another door, one of which as yet you have had no problems with, if the same paint was used you can expect this to fail as well.

I would imagine this paint has become brittle because it has not formed a bond with the plastic, so removal may not be that difficult, in the first instance sand back the paintwork taking care not to damage the door, you may find a scraper very handy as well. hot not boiling water can as well help.

Try the above methods and see how you get on, it will however depend on how long ago you painted it yet worth a try. If it doesn't work it will have to be a non chemical paint stripper.

Dec

 

[HireAPro]

Thanks for the advice .. any example of good paints I should have used then?

 

[TheDec]

Any Trade quality oil based gloss would be fine, by the way if you have to hand a pressure washer that would help to shift it.

Dec