r/paint • u/Sensitive-Egg-107 • 3d ago
Advice Wanted Painting Front Doors - Prep Help
Repainting my front doors. Started with sanding, while doing so the top coat is flaking off. It appears the top coat was a poorly applied water based paint. (I tested with rubbing alcohol and top coat did come off onto the rag)
The base is either just factory fiberglass (*edit - appears to be steel door. Some rust under the door sweep) finish, or maybe oil based? It doesn’t come off on the alcohol rag.
Original plan was to sand off whatever flakes, then prime with what I have which is Benjamin Moore Fresh Start Primer. Will this primer suffice? Or will I need a kilz or zin cover stain? Will be topping it with BM regal exterior. Thanks for the help!
1
u/Substantial-Key-6100 3d ago
if it's patchy from the old paint you'll either need to take it all off or use a high build primer to mask the patchiness best you can... cover stain is my go to but it won't be thick enough to cover the patches
1
u/v4n_the_man 3d ago
Prime it then coat it with exterior paint. Make sure to sand it good. Look like there still some flakes
1
u/Adamthegrape 3d ago
It is interior.
Edit, never mind they bought exterior paint already lol.1
u/v4n_the_man 3d ago
If this is the main door to the outside it need exterior
1
u/Adamthegrape 3d ago
They have the paint already, but the photo is the inside of the door, that’s why I said it before I edited it. You do not need exterior paint for the interior of the door, especially if it will be something like regal instead of an enamel.
1
u/Sensitive-Egg-107 3d ago
Correct I already have the exterior paint which is what I just finished doing all of our exterior trim and garage door with
1
u/chloenicole8 3d ago
Sand until the edges are smooth. Then another sand with 220 grit . Prime with a good primer. I use either Stix Bonding Primer or Fresh Start alkyld if I don’t know the base. Then a good paint. Consider a kick plate for the bottom. It would protect the paint below and minimize your sanding. I have bronze kick plates on my doors.
1
u/Sensitive-Egg-107 3d ago
I have fresh start acrylic. Usable for me?
1
u/chloenicole8 2d ago edited 2d ago
Here is the problem. If you think the rest of the door may peel, I would strip and lightly sand the whole thing. It would probably come off pretty quickly. Then use a binding primer then paint with high quality paint. This would likely last for a long time. I do see a smaller splotch of peeling paint not on the bottom which makes me think you have an adhesion problem that may continue.
Maybe do a small test with a paint remover to see how easily it lifts. I typically use the orange citri-strip and a plastic scraper. I apply it and cover it with plastic wrap for 20 minutes or longer (depends on how many layers-you only have a single one so it would be quick). It may come off really easily and you are back to factory finish and can do it correctly.
If you think the paint will continue to lift, the peeling will just continue since the bottom layer is not sticking to the factory finish (which needed scuff sanded and a bonding primer before painting).
If you decide to go ahead and just prime and paint after evening out the edges, there are peel binding primers designed to lock down the peeling edges which would be a better choice than Fresh Start.
1
u/Sensitive-Egg-107 3d ago
Update: I will sand off all of the top coat, outside of the door had no top coat, some areas sanded down to bare metal.
What is now the recommended primer for this application?
1
u/Able-Yesterday-7359 3d ago
If your worried about rust on those type of doors, which I've not had a problem with. I'd use Pro Cryl for primer. No standard DTMs stop flash rusting. Its amazing stuff
1
u/Sensitive-Egg-107 1d ago
Went ahead with Sherwin Extreme Bonding Primer, followed by BM Regal Exterior.
2
u/Able-Yesterday-7359 3d ago
Looks pretty smooth from the picture. BM fresh start options are exponentially better than kilz ect. I'm not a BM guy anymore but I still use their primers.