I am asking for help and guidance with the following finishing problem. I am helping my son refinish the privacy doors in his home. They are the typical hollow core wood veneer plywood doors. The veneer is red oak and appears to be finished by the door manufacturer. The door case is also red oak veneer and pre-finished. Our goal is to paint the doors and cases and not allow the grain of the red oak to telegraph through the paint.
Regardless of what we have tried, there are two problems plaguing us. First, we have not been able to create a finishing schedule to fill the porosity of the early growth. We have degreased the surface, sanded the surface, filled the grain with joint compound and sanded it smooth. After painting with a primer and top coats, the porous areas are still visible. We tried using Bondo as a filler, but the grain still telegraphed through the paint. Could there still be finish in the grain that prevents the filler from bonding?
Second, we are using a water based primer and top coat. We are able to spray the doors, but have to use brushes and rollers for the cases. On the cases, not only does the grain telegraph through, but we have brush strokes and roller stippling that do not give us the smooth finish we desire.
It’s been a frustrating project. I would truly appreciate and suggestions and help.
Thanks in advance,
Jim
Replies
Sisyphus pushed a boulder up a hill for eternity.
When the door industry talks about a "paint grade" door we are leaving oak off the list. Maple, Birch, mdo. You'll have to bondo and wet sand to make that grain disappear.
Perhaps someone will give you another idea but....
These are cheap doors typically...If were talking about the same thing at least
100 bucks ish each.
I think I'd just buy the ones I like instead, pop the hinges off, swap the knob, and be done with it.
It sounds like you've spent enough to buy a couple already: paint, sheeting, brushes, rollers, primers, sanding, fillers, etc., not to mention all the time and frustration.
I'd probably be on a painting forum, though. I'm sure those guys have lots of tips and tricks.
https://www.painttalk.com/
The brush strokes and stipling are the paint's fault. You don't say what you are using, but I don't like interior trim paint for doors. It's soft, and it also shows brush strokes. I like Ben Moore Advance for paint projects. It levels far better than latex, and won't show stippling and brush strokes. I roll and back brush.
I've painted red oak cabinets, and never tried to get a pore-free finish. I like a little bit of grain to show through. If you want to get rid of it all, you'll need to sand between coats to do it. Sanding latex is very problematic.
As someone above said, I might have just gone with buying new doors. Or be happy with a little grain showing.
Taking them down and painting them lying flat will let you build faster with fewer runs.
Yep there could be finish in the grain that prevents what you are using from bonding. The joint compound may not be bonded and when you brush you could be dragging loose material out as you go. Since it's in there now it's not going to be much of a stable subsurface for anything, even the bondo. I'd remove it as best I could. Wire brush maybe, I'd try a soft brass myself. Veneer like that is not going to afford you much sanding room. Hopefully youve only done this to one door and not a house full. If you can successfully remove the mess you made finish the surface with pigmented white shellac. Shellac sticks to most anything and most anything sticks to shellac. I would then go to the local flooring materials supplier and grab myself a bucket of the grain filler they use. I'd go white on that. Then sand smooth. I would probably shellac over that ,sand smooth and then over top of that using a high quality oil based primer like an 8 grade. Red oak bleeds terribly ,if it's not sealed throughly and your painting white for example in a month you may have pink doors. You will have to do some sanding on every coat before your final finish. Somehow I'm imagining your trying to a achieve something like a japanned finish. Thats science so you need to go faux on that! Go to the REAL paint store, find the guy that is not 20..your looking for the guy that painted for 30 years ,fell off the ladder and took a job at the paint store ( recognized by the limp)and explain what you are trying to do,and what you've done and take the recommendation. Someone likes Benjamin Moore, I like Sherwinn Williams, they all have a best paint and paints for different situations. I've used a paint from Shewinn Williams that brushed gave me a very fine smooth lacquer like surface. I can't remember the product name, I have an account and they remember that stuff for me, but it can be identified by the fact that it cost about twice as much as any other type of paint. And don't cheap out on the brush! I can't imagine you getting a really flat smooth finish with a roller.
I like the shellac idea and I'm familiar with Zinsser's Sealcoat. How would I go about tinting it white?
Thank you to all who contributed. I appreciate your advice and encouragement.
Jim
Time for new doors.
Pigmented white shellac is sold as pigmented white shellac....it's white!
New doors?! Snowball effect -it can be quite a big job setting new doors to existing jambs. Hinges have to line up and lock sets have to match up with strikes. Maybe the existing jamb isn't as plumb and square as you would like. Easier often to do new jambs as well but that means removing casings and then maybe you should just do new casings and with new casings maybe you should consider new baseboards. Now that you removed the baseboards maybe you should do something about that floor! Snowball effect---
Oh, and by the way ,you still have the problem of the paint job on the new doors!
great post - so true!
I know a handyman that will take the smallest projects on... he says "Change a wall switch, paint the house."
Hmmmm. Careful measurements and guidance should prevent this level of snowball. Maybe I'm biased because it's what I do for a living. It might cost you more but a good supplier can prep the door for whatever hardware you have. No need to relocate hinges or strike plates on the frames. They should be able to provide a door sheet that will have a series of measurements to fill out.