Painting Interior Woodwork & Metal

The process for painting a stained handrail is quite labour intensive since they are often varnished and need thorough cleaning before any paint is applied. Preparation is, therefore, essential – otherwise you are best not bothering since the paint will scratch and peel-off over time.

• Ideally, remove the varnish coating with a chemical paint stripper, wash down and rub-down to bare smooth wood. Then prime and paint as normal.
• Not ideally, wash down the surface with a sugar soap solution, rinse off and sand down the surface so most of the shine is removed.
• Apply one or two coats of adhesive/stain blocking primer such as Zinsser Bulls-Eye 123.
• Most stains are spirit based and this will stop the colour bleeding through but some times a water-based stain is used and you may still see a bit of discolouration. In which case an oil-based undercoat will stop this.
• Paint as normal with undercoat and gloss or at least two coats of your chosen alternative.
• If you use a water-based finish it can take weeks for the surface to fully harden – so you should avoid any abrasion for as long as possible.

Water-based finishes tend to be more flexible but, as always, your top coat is only as good as what is underneath it. Based on what you say, I’m not sure it’s going to make much difference either way?

Solve the condensation problem, which I know is easier said than done, or accept that regular maintenance is the only way you’re going to keep on top of this problem.

With a traditional oil/solvent-based gloss, yes, because there is very little pigment and you’ll find it difficult to cover and to get a decent finish.

With water-based (quick-drying) paints there is generally a higher pigment content and you may be able to get a decent result. You may have to give it two coats though but you’re not risking anything by trying. Obviously, if you’re changing colours, you’ll always need an undercoat regardless.

Not necessarily, paint can take a few weeks to fully harden. Manufacturers should make this more clear, I will concede.

Yes Mike, lightly sand down the surface and use an adhesive primer such water-based (labelled as quick-drying) acrylic prime/undercoat. A specialist primer such as Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 would be ideal but may be costly if it’s a big area?

Sounds like there was a bit of contamination on that area (a bit of grease, furniture polish, etc) which has impeded the drying process.

For a small area you should be able to lightly rub-down the affected area and touch up but for a large are you may well have to re-do the entire length of skirting.

The problem with one-coat paints is that the film can be quite thick and will take a long time to fully harden (or cure) even though the surface appears dry.

I would leave it as long as possible to allow the affected area to cure ( a week at least) otherwise it could get a bit messy. If, however, the paint is still soft I would try and wipe off as much as you can with a cloth and a bit of *white spirit before attempting to re-paint. This should also remove any remaining grease or dirt that caused the issue to begin with.

*Assuming this was a solvent based paint. If it was water-based then substitute white spirit for warm water.

There are a few DIY products available which are called ‘radiator paint’ but the results are often quite disappointing.

You can use ordinary oil-based undercoat and gloss; the result should be acceptable although the finish will diminish over time so you’ll need to re-do whenever you redecorate.

Oil base paints of today tend to yellow more rapidly because of legislation regarding the ingredients they use in production. The only thing you can do is to use the best quality you can afford and/or instead of using a gloss opt for a satin or eggshell finish since they have a lower resin content and do not yellow so readily. Just make sure they are oil-based and not water based (often labelled as quick-drying).

Oil and solvent based paints do tend to yellow over time and the usual remedy is to use a water-based paint instead. However, for a fireplace this may not be possible since you also need to use a heat-resistant coating and these are usually solvent based.

I would, therefore, suggest using the best quality heat-resistant enamel you can (in other words, usually the most expensive) because the quality of the resin and pigments will help ensure the yellowing process is less prevalent than with cheaper alternatives.

When paint is stored for a long time it will separate into its component parts and needs a very good stir (much more than you might imagine). It’s also possible the surface of the steps were not thoroughly cleaned beforehand. It could also be a combination of both?

It’s going to be a messy job but if you wipe the steps with a cloth dipped in white spirits you should be able to remove most of the affected paint, leave to dry and start again making sure the paint is thoroughly stirred first.

It could be resin that’s seeping out from the wood or some other kind of contamination. Either way, you can usually remove it with white spirit. It will take a few attempts but perseverance is the key.

Stripping paint is often a very messy job, as you have found out.

Yes, it’s very likely the previous surface wasn’t properly prepared. The smallest amount of greasy residue will prevent any further coats of paint from drying and adhering properly.

Ideally, surfaces should be washed down with a sugar soap solution and rinsed with clean, warm water. Then, when dried, properly rubbed down with fine sandpaper to provide a key.

You may find that much of the paint surface remains intact and it only peels off where there was previous contamination of grease? Certainly remove as much as you can before re-painting.

It depends what kind of finish you want Karen. Normally, I would would use a primer which is the opposite of the finish I am using.

So, for example, if I was using an oil-based finish I would use a water based primer – or visa versa.

The reason the paint is peeling is likely a combination of surface condemnation and lack of preparation. Handrails, by their nature, have a lot of hand contact which transfers oil and grease to the surface. This needs to be thoroughly removed before any paint will adhere successfully to the surface.

Another problem is that varnish is notoriously difficult to paint over and needs much more rubbing down than would a conventional paint finish. Ideally, the varnish should be completely removed first.

However, you are where you are and nothing you do now, short of removing all the paint/varnish and starting from scratch, will rectify the problem. Any paint coating is only as good as the surface it is applied to.

Paint does harden over time though and you may have seen the worst of the problem, painting over it won’t make the situation any worse. It may mean you have to touch up now and again though.

Lack of correct preparation is at the root of most such problems because the affects are often only apparent a long time after the work has been completed. The explanation your decorator has put forward is beyond ridiculous and merely demonstrates that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

In the first instance I would take photographs of the worst affected areas and write to your decorator (with copies) explaining you are not satisfied the work has been carried out properly. Set a time limit for him to reply and to either offer to put the work right or to compensate you so you can arrange for someone else to do it.

Use a good quality masking tape, 2-inch wide ideally. Press down as you apply and take time to ensure you get right to the edge.

Paint down to the level of the tape and although you can touch it with the paint, try not to as you want the least amount of paint gathering around the margins. The best way to do it is to imagine the masking tape isn’t there at all. You don’t have to paint the entire string, just enough to cover the line.

If the line is quite distinct you may need more than one coat to get a good result. For best results, use a quick-drying (water based) undercoat first.

Allow 48 hours to ensure the paint has fully dried and remove the tape. Be careful though and only remove small lengths at a time.

It takes a bit of confidence, more than anything, so try a small area first.

Darren – Just be aware that if you use a solvent based (oil-based) paint on the stairs it will take a while to fully harden so you’ll need to avoid walking on the stairs for a couple of weeks to avoid spoiling the finish. You’ll also need to take this into account when applying a protective coating and, also, the potential that it may not be compatible with the paint you’ve chosen. In which case, you are advised to do a small test area first just in case there is a problem.

Obviously, it may not be practical to avoid using the stairs at all for such a length of time but the more you can plan around this issue the better.