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I have about a dozen interior doors (raised floating panels, solid wood rails & stiles), right now they are stained a darker oak color. I would like to paint them a semigloss white or off-white.
I intend to sand all 6 sides lightly, alkyd prime, & then topcoat with the most durable, scratch, & chip resistant alkyd paint I can find.
I’ve heard that a topcoat intended for industrial machinery, such as the Benjamin Moore Urethane Industrial Enamel, might be the ticket.
Any opinions & suggestions from you painters out there?
If I prime & seal all 6 sides of the door, will I still have problems with the panels shifting and breaking the paint, exposing a dark line ?
Would a shellac based primer be superior to a good quality alkyd primer, to seal out any moisture changes that might cause the raised panels to shift?
Thx.
Replies
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An industrial enamel is a good choice, if you want a more durable finish try a catalyzed, two part urethane. I've had very good results with it on a sailboat rudder that's in the water a lot. I'm not sure about the floating panels though; they will be prone to slipping. I'd consider adding a small pinstripe to accent the panels and disguise the joint/crack. It's not good when people see our joints or cracks!
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That type of paint is quite flexible - we use it for PVC jacketing on pipe insulation. It stays there for years despite abuse.
-Rob
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All of the catalyzed finishes are tougher than those which are not, but none of them (that I know of) brush worth a darn; they must be sprayed. And it's very nasty stuff to spray. Sealing all surfaces of the doors only slows the swelling/shrinking cycles. And of course you can't really paint all the surfaces, especially the panels' edges. I would try to paint them in a time of low humidity (next winter :)) when the panels are smallest. After priming with shellac or alkyd and then sanding, run a bead of latex (or other paintable) caulk at the panel joint and tool it nicely. This will oftentimes prevent that dark line by providing a little 'give'.
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No, please, don't paint the oak! Someone like me will be stuck with stripping them a few years down the line.
Is latex somehow not durable enough? Interior doors have pretty easy lives, and dirt is their worst problem. But perhaps this is a commercial setting? Rugby team dorm?
*Joints are illegal and cracks are disgusting!
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the doors are "oak color" not real oak (I think they're doug fir), so I don't feel bad about painting them.
and with a rambunctious teenager, dog, and cat in the house, yes, it does seem like a rugby dorm at times! There is above average wear & tear from the 3 of them.
*Used a Ben. Moore product called IronClad a few years back. It's a two part product, expensive, and tough as nails. Used it on a floor in a wash bay and it held up well. It may be too glossy for what you want to do.
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There was na article in FHB years ago where the author had painted the trim with a tinted alkyd primer and then topcoated with polyurethane. Claimed it was easy and chip-resistant. I have always wanted to experiement with it - maybe sunstituting shellac for the poly since I have had such positive experience with shellac and the abuse of young kids.
*"maybe sunstituting shellac for the poly since I have had such positive experience with ... the abuse of young kids" I won't ask :)I just "discovered" shellac and love it! But how does it wear, and will an occasional bit of water discolor it? The can mentions using it on floors.
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Two comments:
I wouldn't go the basecoat/clearcoat route for something that expects to be damaged; it's much harder to repair as the clearcoat has to be sanded and feathered in a greater radius than the colorcoat damage which has to be sanded to a greater radius than any primer or wood damage...ask any autobody paint person which is easiest to repair. I clearcoat my projects for extra depth and gloss, but they are usually items not likely to receive abuse.
Shellac is a wonderful finish for lots of stuff, including floors. It is not as tough as urethanes and varnishes, and it does not like standing water. But it wears gently and beautifully, and is a breeze to spot repair or recoat, you don't even need to sand it (for adhesion purposes). Oh, I feel I could wax poetic on the charms of shellac...
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It is neat stuff -- I thought it was just around for munchable children's toys. The alcohol aroma is a bit much -- while doing the inside of a cabinet today, it smelled like i was covering the wood with vodka. Now, I didn't say this was unpleasant.
I'm using Zinssner shellac -- does brand matter? Really matter?
*I spent a lot of time reading and calling suppliers and looking for help - found all kinds of exotic shellacs - and settled on Zinsser in a can. I'm very happy with it - floors and trim finished clear.I'm not recommending the clearcoat - but my recollection of the article was that the poly was more resilient and would withstand a certain amount of abuse better than a opaque enamel. As far as repair, I'm not sure - though shellac is easy to repair.
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Two comments (again :))
I don't think that there's much difference in brands of pre-mixed shellac; just buy the freshest date stamped on the can. It goes bad in time, and won't dry. Always test your existing material by dipping in a stir stick or similar and check it for hardness after 30 minutes or so. If it's still sticky, throw away the can, don't be tempted to use it anyway. Esoteric users of shellac buy the processed flakes in various grades/colors and mix theirs fresh.
The poly/opaque enamel is mostly a confusion of terms. Paint and varnish products are composed of a binder or resin (alkyd, urethane, polyurethane, latex, and acrylic are all common examples), a solvent, (mineral spirits or water usually- sometimes alcohol or lacquer thinner), and pigment (color), unless it is a clear finish in which case there is no pigment. There are other additives sometimes to increase or retard drying time, vary the gloss, make it smell better, etc.
Urethanes are generally tougher than alkyd resins, but you can buy clear or colored examples of each, so it's not the factor of being clear or not, but the underlying chemistry. In fact, opaques are generally tougher than their clear counterparts because the pigment can act similarly to aggregate in a cement/concrete comparison.
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I have about a dozen interior doors (raised floating panels, solid wood rails & stiles), right now they are stained a darker oak color. I would like to paint them a semigloss white or off-white.
I intend to sand all 6 sides lightly, alkyd prime, & then topcoat with the most durable, scratch, & chip resistant alkyd paint I can find.
I've heard that a topcoat intended for industrial machinery, such as the Benjamin Moore Urethane Industrial Enamel, might be the ticket.
Any opinions & suggestions from you painters out there?
If I prime & seal all 6 sides of the door, will I still have problems with the panels shifting and breaking the paint, exposing a dark line ?
Would a shellac based primer be superior to a good quality alkyd primer, to seal out any moisture changes that might cause the raised panels to shift?
Thx.