How to strip water based semi gloss paint off of existing oil based paint on door frames?

Hey there,

The situation is this: my partner and I have begun painting our apartment walls which includes the door frames. The door frames are made of metal with what I am sure is some kind of oil based cream coloured paint. I attempted to paint over them with Taubmans Water-based Enamel Semi-Gloss paint, however not only did I not think to sand the door frames before I put on the first coat I was under the impression that as the door frames had already been painted I would not need to use any sort of primer. You can see that the result is less than impressive. The technique I used was quite poor (I was lead to believe that the first coat could be rough as it was just to cover and the second coat would neaten it out.)

This is an example of how the paint has set in one section. I can't really get any other better photos unfortunately.

We have 6 door frames that look like this that we need to strip back and start again. I've used Acetone to strip the paint which gets mixed results (some places strip better than others) and I have also borrowed an electric sander as manual sanding appeared to take too long with slow results. The electric sander works, however it appears to be removing the original coat of paint and is showing the metal underneath.

I suppose my question is this: Is it worth the time to strip the paint right down to metal and start again? Or is it best to keep going with the acetone (or any other effective means of removing the paint) to strip the paint back to the original cream colour and work from there?

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

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Comments

EricL

Hello @JamesMarshdale

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about painting your steel door frame.

Your objective is to remove the water-based paint you've put on the surface of the oil-based one. It's not necessary to sand all the way back to steel, but the surface must be sanded down to a very dull finish with the majority of the new paint removed. Because the majority of the oil-based paint is still attached to your steel door frame, I suggest using an oil-based primer. An example would be the Zinsser 1L CoverStain Primer Sealer Stain Blocker. Once the primer cures you can then use a water-based topcoat.

I suggest having a look at this discussion - How to paint metal door frames by @homediynoob. Please note that although we recommend using the Dulux 1L PRECISION White Maximum Strength Adhesion Primer this is on the condition that all the paint will be stripped from the steel frame.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

JamesMarshdale

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/42224#Comment_42224

Hey Eric,

Thank you for the response. In regards to sanding down the paint, which grit sand paper would you recommend to get the job done? Also would I be able to use an electric sander to get the job done or should I be doing this by hand?

Thank you!

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/83254#Comment_83254

How well adhered is the paint you applied @JamesMarshdale? If it can't be scratched off easily, then you might just have to sand it enough to remove the brush strokes, and that would only require 180-grit sandpaper.

You can use an electric sander, but as you've experienced, it's hard not to go through the bottom layer of paint, too. Personally, I'd be using the electric sander; it's not a big issue if you can go back to the steel.

Just to clarify, was the issue that you could see brush strokes? I wouldn't exactly say the finish you've shown is bad; it would be quite acceptable by many people's standards. You might like to use a short nap roller when re-applying your new paint. You've likely experienced this issue due to touching areas that have already begun to cure. It's best to lay the paint on, then go back over the area to smooth it out, and then not touch it again. The paint will self-level, and by touching it, you can interrupt this process.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

JamesMarshdale

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/106503#Comment_106503

Hey there Mitchell, the issue wasn't so much that you could see brush strokes (although it was a lot more obvious in my case, it's hard to show in the photos) it was also that the texture of the paint was rough to the touch and had a patchy textured surface, whereas the original coat of paint was quite smooth and flat. I figured the best thing to do now was to remove the new coat and start again since any coat I put over this one would be just as rough and uneven.

If I use a short nap roller, would I still need a brush to cut into the corners of the door frames?

Thank you!

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/120443#Comment_120443

Hello @JamesMarshdale

There are areas where the short nap roller will not be able to reach. It will therefore still be necessary to use a cutting brush to paint those areas.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your door frames freshly painted.

Eric

JamesMarshdale

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/129038#Comment_129038

Hey there,

After a bit of messing around and trial and error, we decided to strip back all of the paint to bare metal and start over with the Dulux Precision Primer and using a paint sprayer to get the top coat right. Stripping the water and oil based paint went surprisingly well and was substantially faster than sanding and playing with acetone to strip just the water based paint and leaving the oil based stuff!

While I was stripping all of the paint off I came across this grey putty that had been layered over where the screws connect the frame to the wall. I'm fairly sure that to hide the screws properly when I paint I'll need to reapply it, only problem is I have no clue what the hell it is. I've attached a photo of it below.

There are other places where the putty completely came off but this one thankfully stayed where it is just enough for me to snap a photo. Can anyone please tell me what this stuff is called? I'm sure I will need to reapply it before I paint again.

Thank you!

JacobZ

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/134484#Comment_134484

Hi @JamesMarshdale,

It is likely a bog that can be used on metal such as this Selleys Plastibond Heavy Duty Bog.

Ensure you follow the mixing instructions on the Plastibond closely and wear a mask as it has a strong smell.

You can apply it using a Pro Renovator 50mm Plastic Scraper and sand it smooth before painting.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

JamesMarshdale

Hey again,

I'm still going with the paint stripping and such and I've pulled these out of the door frames. I'm fairly sure they were put there to stop the door rattling when it's closed as well as to stop the door from slamming into the metal frame when it closes. I need to get more of these as a lot of them have fallen apart over time but because I have no idea what they're actually called I don't know what to ask for in store or where to look online.

Does anyone have an idea of what the actual name of these things is?

Thank you!

EricL

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/42717#Comment_42717

Hello @JamesMarshdale

It appears to be some form of rubber bumper gromet guard, the closest product I have that does the same job is the Surface Gard 8mm Clear Round Rubber Bumper - 25 Pieces. These are stick on types and not the plug in variety that you have. If you can preserve the ones that you have, I suggest reusing them on your door.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

JamesMarshdale

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/83490#Comment_83490

Hi there Eric,

Reporting back in about the door painting dilemma, I have a Wagner Spray Gun and I have a can of Dulux Precision White Primer. When it comes to diluting the primer, the instructions in the spray gun say to water down the primer by 10% however the instructions on the primer can say do not dilute. I've put a two coats of primer on already with mixed results (mostly good, just a few spots that seemed iffy which I can fix by sanding) however I need to give another coat to certain areas that got slightly missed. Before I start with the next coat, which set of instructions should I follow? Do I do what Wagner recommends and dilute the primer with water or do I do what the primer can says and don't dilute?

Thank you!

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/107509#Comment_107509

Hi @JamesMarshdale,

According to the product's datasheet, a small amount of water (no more than 100mls per 1 Litre) may be added. So, if you are having issues with the paint flowing through the sprayer, it can be diluted. However, I'd start with 50ml per litre.

Mitchell

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