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Determining what doors are made of and painting

Determining what doors are made of and painting


  #1  
Old 09-10-16, 10:25 AM
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Determining what doors are made of and painting

We're getting ready to paint our house and are also considering painting all interior doors. I have a few questions about this.

1. Our house was built in 2001. The doors are obviously hollow and not wood. Is there a way to tell what material they're made of? We think it's melamine, but not 100% sure.

2. If they are melamine, is there a special procedure to paint them? I ran across one article that suggested using XIM Primer Sealer Bonder prior to the top coat. Any other suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,

Andy
 
  #2  
Old 09-10-16, 11:38 AM
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They are probably masonite doors. They paint nicely, most have a wood grain but some are slick. Repainting shouldn't be an issue but you need to know what type of paint is currently on them. http://www.doityourself.com/forum/pa...latex-oil.html Latex enamel can be applied over latex enamel with no primer needed, oil base enamel can be applied over either without a primer but to apply latex over oil base enamel you'd need a primer.
 
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Old 09-11-16, 04:15 AM
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marksr. I used that link you provided and tested a spot on a door. The paint came right off onto the rag, so it must be latex or (as the article said) some other water-based paint. Attached are two pics of the doors. They do have the faux wood grain.

Is it safe to assume these are masonite and can be painted over easily?


Attachment 70718Attachment 70719

Thanks,

Andy
 
  #4  
Old 09-11-16, 04:21 AM
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Ya, that looks like a masonite door. All you need to do is sand lightly [just to scuff up the existing paint] and repaint with a good latex or waterborne enamel.
 
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Old 09-11-16, 06:56 AM
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marksr, we're hiring a company to paint the house and I doubt they'll scuff it up (or if they do, I'm sure they'd charge for it).

We probably have about 12 doors to paint. Is it a necessity to scuff them? If so, I'll probably end up doing it, as we're looking at a month out. I want to make sure we get good results.

Thanks,

Andy
 
  #6  
Old 09-11-16, 06:57 AM
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I'd also suggest cleaning the doors before painting.
Just normal hand oils around the knob area can keep the paint from sticking.
 
  #7  
Old 09-11-16, 10:33 AM
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Cleaning never hurts! just be sure to rinse off the cleaner's residue. Generally if I notice any areas that have grime on them I wipe those areas down with liquid sandpaper or mineral spirits. I always scuff sand woodwork prior to repainting! but not everyone does I suppose you could call them up and ask.
 
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Old 09-11-16, 11:34 AM
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Thanks for all the info marksr. One last question. What you you mean by "liquid sandpaper"?
 
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Old 09-11-16, 01:11 PM
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I meant to type liquid deglosser liquid sandpaper is one brand of deglosser. It's a solvent that melts/cleans paint allowing for better adhesion. It must be used sparingly over latex paints!
 
  #10  
Old 09-12-16, 06:56 PM
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That makes a little more sense lol

OK, I think I have all the info I need now. Thanks so much for all of your advice marksr!

Andy
 
 

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