What's the best surface preparation for repainting gloss enamel on wooden doors and window frames?
Question:I'm too lazy to strip the old paint off or sandpaper everything.
In England I would wash the old paintwork down with 'sugar soap' but in Thailand I can't find it in the shops. Does it have another name or a chemical formula?
Answers:
I think "sugar soap" may be trisodium phosphate. Sometimes it's just labeled TSP. It is used just the way you describe for washing down woodwork before repainting. It removes all dirt and grease and prepares old glossy paint to be recoated. Sure beats sanding.
I'd go for a coat of exterior emulsion. covers anything.
Don't bother if it's gloss - so long as it is not flaking - just rub the surface with sandpaper or wire wool to give it a 'key' - then prime as normal and gloss when dry
No worries, All you need is it keyed up by using an abrasive like wire wool, then paint over the top. . even better if same colour, but if not use and exterior undercoat...
One fast way to strip paint is--believe it or not--oven cleaner. Spray it on, let it sit, and power wash it off at the carwash.
If you can get a Zinnser stain kill paint and apply a coat of that, generally any kind of paint will stick to the stain kill. Don't be fooled into buying a paint sealer, you want a stain kill, Kilz 1.2.3 is another brand. It is white in color so if you are going over white it will need a little tint so you know where you painted. Stain kill paint is NOT a finish coat. It goes on blotchy but that's ok. Let that dry and then paint over it. Read the can for drying times and finish coat times. Oh and there are different types of stain kill paints, water based, oil based and alcohol based. Choose water or oil based upon they type of finish coat you are going to apply. Another hint about alcohol based stain kill paint, it is a supurb sealer, so if anyone has pet urine stains and pet urine odor, apply alcohol based stain kill 1 foot wider than the stain and that odor and stain will be gone, then get rid of your pet.
You didn't say if it was interior or exterior. It is just as important to know if is latex or oil base. Oil base will stick to either but you will have trouble if you put a latex over an oil gloss. There are products such as Liquid Sander that will prepare a glossy surface for painting. Preparation is the most important part of the job. Sanding, priming and cleaning the surface. My suggestion would be to use an oil base paint. Good luck!
buy something called Liquid Sander; you just paint it on and it dulls the finish so you can paint over it.
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