Painting new interior wood doors

moneylover

Hi, carpenter has just finished fitting nice new 4 pannelled wood interior doors. They are to be painted and when my son asked how many coats he said a coat of combined primer/undercoat plus two top coats. We are glossing the doors and gloss is so much harder to put on nicely. So could we do
One primer/undercoat (I presume this is white?) followed by one undercoat and then a gloss coat? The doors are very smooth, ready for painting the wood is not knotted.

Is it fairly easy to take handles off and put on again? Forgot to ask him - such a lot of work covering them all up and you still have to get the edge just right.

And, a last question, what size brush would it be best to work with?

Many thanks - have had so much help from this forum!

daveyjp

There is a method for painting panel doors correctly - Collins DIY book has an excellent guide. You don't start at the top and work down, you work in sections. It works really well.

You can prime, undercoat then gloss or use a combined primer/undercoat then gloss.

You are actually better taking the doors off completely to paint the, taking off all furniture then rehanging when dry. Handles are usually easy to take off.

I used a small roller for the priming/undercoating and it worked really well. Then used about a 3 inch brush for the gloss.

want2bmortgage3

I hated painted my pre-primed cheap white doors, next time I would go for pine doors where I just have to apply oil to, instead of paint!

olias

If you can undo a screw, you can take off the handles!

Olias

misgrace

daveyjp wrote: »

There is a method for painting panel doors correctly - Collins DIY book has an excellent guide. You don't start at the top and work down, you work in sections. It works really well.

.

You paint the panels first, then the horizantals, then the verticales.

If the knots havent been sealed, then you need to seal them, then apply a primer, or primer/undercoat if you prefer, when dry, gently sand, then apply at least 2 UC, slightly thinned, then your top coat of gloss.

You can do 1 UC, but your doors will look crap, and as they are new doors, and your starting from scratch, you want then painted properly and of course to look nice

moneylover

Hi, have done primer , is general consensus that we will need two undercoats?

27col

I would suggest two undercoats. If only because you are less likely to rub through, when you rub down prior to top coating. I would also suggest doing both sides as soon as possible, in order to prevent any tendency for the door to warp.

misgrace

moneylover wrote: »

Hi, have done primer , is general consensus that we will need two undercoats?

Moneylover, do the two undercoats, its worth it for the quality of the finish, you will regret it if you dont.

I know it seems like a long job to you, but like I said previously, they are new doors, and you want to have looking good.

Even if you use the primer/undercoat that comes in one, still do the two undercoats, thats what I would do, you will thank me later. :j:D

moneylover

Am convinced!!! Now have to convince husband who is co-decorator! Spare a thought for me over Easter you know what I will be doing - 9 doors, two sides, 3 coats of paint - thats a lot of hard graft! But, I always get good advice on this board. Thanks everyone.

Red_Cat

I painted some new pine doors last year and put knotting stopper compound on the knots to stop them weeping in future and ruining the paintwork. I then primed and painted as normal on top.

Ionkontrol

I've stopped painting internal doors gloss white as it yellows within a year and have to repaint them. Now I paint them in stainwood and it hasn't yellowed in 8 years.