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Updated over 6 years ago on . Most recent reply

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Jonathan Howard
  • Somerville, MA
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Painting over finished wood trim

Jonathan Howard
  • Somerville, MA
Posted

Hi All - I'm under agreement for a condo that has finished natural wood trim.  Good news is that there is no lead paint.  Bad news is that it looks very out of of date.   I want to paint it white but am losing sleep at night thinking about having to sand off the finish.   Does anyone have any experience with deglossing products aka "liquid sandpaper"?   Would stripping entirely be the smarter option?

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Jim K.#3 Investor Mindset Contributor
  • Handyman
  • Pittsburgh, PA
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Jim K.#3 Investor Mindset Contributor
  • Handyman
  • Pittsburgh, PA
Replied

@Jonathan Howard

Hi, Jonathan. Here's one way to do this. There are other ways.

You need to scuff sand the trim by hand with 100-grit paper. You're not going for a deep sanding to bare wood.

You need an oil-based primer like Kilz Original to start with after the scuff sanding. This is oil-based primer. It costs about $19 a gallon. You thin it with mineral spirits, you do cleanup with paint thinner or mineral spirits. Wear a respirator with organic vapor cartridges as you apply it. Do two coats with foam rollers or (preferably for better coverage and because mini-rollers die in solvent-based paint) a natural-bristle brush. Black China bristle brushes are best for this and good ones (Purdy) are very hard to find. White China bristle brushes are much easier to find.

Kilz Original primer sands very well after it dries. Get out your 220-grit sandpaper and pad/detail sander after both coats fully dry (24 hours).

You will want to apply a high-quality water-based semi-gloss or gloss paint over this primer. This stuff will usually be marketed as a "water-based enamel." This terminology is misleading, but just ask the specialist at the paint store for the best waster-based trim paint he has. You can expect to pay upwards of $40 a gallon for this stuff. Use Purdy XL or a similar high-quality artificial bristle brush and foam rollers. The paint will be marketed as "paint+primer" and "one-coat-coverage." Ignore these lies.

For super bonus points, do two to three brushed coats with the paint thinned three parts paint to one part of a product called Floetrol. Check out the web for handy tips on how to use Floetrol. Floetrol is used with paint-spraying equipment but it also works to smooth out brush/foam roller marks.

Points to remember:

-- Avoid using "premium stripper" with methyl chloride, no matter how bad the finish is. You need SCBA breathing gear to use enough of the stuff over and over again to make your job easier.

-- We use a product called Citristrip that works well on small problem areas. It just takes time. You should use plastic scrapers/putty knives to scrape it off.

-- Do not aim for perfection. Perfection takes a lot of work.

-- Take doors off their hinges and paint them on sawhorses. It's easier and gets you to a better finish even though it takes longer.

-- Deglosser is a convenience product that works OK on finished wood, but it's primary use is as a quick-fix around light switches and often-touched painted drywall surfaces where there's lots of filth/grease on the wall. It will not get you to the long-lasting finish you need on a whole condo's trim.

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