How to revive timber door and windows frames?

[tonytr]

Hi all,

I am planning to revive the old door/windows timber frames in my house, but I don’t know how to do it. Could anyone tell me how to do it please? Thanks!

[JacobZ · Accepted solution]

Hi @tonytr,

Many thanks for your question about restoring old door and window frames.

Were you looking to use paint or varnish to restore the window frames?

Paint will give a fresh look that can be adjusted to your specific tastes, whereas clear varnish will bring out the natural beauty of the timber.

If you want to coat them with varnish, I suggest Cabot's 500ml Satin Water Based Cabothane Clear Polyurethane Timber Varnish as an option.

If you want to paint them, I would suggest applying Taubmans 1L White Gloss Easycoat Doors And Trims Paint.

The preparation and application process would be quite similar regardless of which direction you choose to go in.
 

Start by sanding back the timber using reasonably heavy grit sandpaper such as Flexovit 80 Grit Timber Sandpaper to remove the existing coating, before using a finer grit such as Flexovit 120 Grit Timber Sandpaper to smooth the timber.

You might like to have a look at How To Restore Wooden Furniture for some guidance on this stage of the process.

Once sanded, use a brush to remove any of the leftover sawdust to give yourself a clean surface to work with.

You should then place down a drop sheet and tape off the area using a wide painter's tape such as ScotchBlue 48mm x 55m Original Multi-Surface Painter’s Masking Tape to give you nice clean lines and stop any of your coating getting where you don't want it.

Following the paint or varnish manufacturers' instructions for application will give you the best results.

You might like to have a look at How to paint trims for some guidance on the process of coating your trims.

Let me know if you have any further questions.

Jacob

[tonytr]

Hi Jacob and all,

After a lot of procrastination, I finally committed my time and effort to repaint the skirting boards and door/window frames with the gloss white paint above. I will try to update the progress on the go.

At this stage, we are sanding them. It seems like they were stained/varnished before (please correct me if I am wrong, I am just a beginner ). I have a few questions:

1. Do I need to sand more or is it all right? 
Before sanding

After sanding:

 

 

2. I dont know what kind of stain they used before (oil-based one or water-based one, my house was built in 70s). What kind of primer/undercoat should I use?

Thanks

[EricL]

Hello @tonytr 

Your sanding effort looks great, I propose using Zinsser 1L White Bulls Eye Primer Undercoat Sealer And Stain Blocker. It is a water-based primer and will prevent tannin bleed through. My best advice is to use masking tape to cover the floor and wall areas you don't want overpainted.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[tonytr]

Thanks Eric. Since it is a water-base primer, does it work if the timber was previously stained/varnished by an oil-based product?

How is this primer compared with the Taubmans 3 in 1? https://www.bunnings.com.au/taubmans-1l-white-3-in-1-interior-and-exterior-primer-undercoat-sealer_p...

Thanks

[EricL]

Hello @tonytr 

Since you've sanded it back to timber it should be safe to use a water-based primer. The Taubmans 1L White 3 In 1 Interior And Exterior Primer Undercoat Sealer should work just as well as it has a tannin blocker feature in it as well. It's ok to use it if that is your preferred brand. If you are using a Taubman top coat then it will have excellent compatibility as they are both from Taubmans.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[tonytr]

Hi Eric, 

There is a door frame to outdoor that is harder to sand. I don't know what kind of material it is and how did they do it, but I cannot sand it back to timber. As you can see there are a lot of areas that are not back to timber. Do you have any suggestion? Ideally I want to use the same primer/top coat with the skirting board, but I am open to all suggestions. 
Thanks

    

[EricL]

Hello @tonytr 

I propose using a 40grit sandpaper on this section if it appears to be very hard. I also suggest using a detail sander to assist with the sanding. Please keep in mind that the lower the number of the sanding pad the rougher it will be. Make sure to finish the surface with a 240grit to get a relatively smooth surface.

The only other thing that comes to mind is to use Poly 1L Polystrippa Paint Stripper in combination with a Craftright 5-in-1 Scraper. Please remember to use personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a mask when using the paint stripper. Please make sure to follow all the safety guidelines printed at the back of the can.

If you have any other questions that come to mind, please let us know.

Eric