Hey everyone! I just moved into a new place and I've noticed that several of the doors have peeling paint. It looks like the previous owners painted latex over oil-based paint. These doors appear to be hollow composite ones, and there's also a metal garage door that has similar issues. What's the best way to strip and repaint these? I've tried sanding, but it's quite a slow process. Can I use paint remover on these doors too?
2 Answers
Painting latex over oil isn't usually a problem, but you need to make sure you're dealing with the gloss properly. If the paint is glossy, it won’t hold up unless you sand it a bit. I’d recommend sanding instead of stripping, since stripping can get really messy. Start with a coarse grit (60-80) and finish with a fine one (100-150). That's what worked best for me!
Right? They probably didn't prime it at all! That would definitely lead to peeling.
I’m not entirely sure this is the best method, but what worked for me was using a brass brush to knock off most of the peeling latex paint, then I used a latex remover for any stubborn spots. The last step was sanding everything down smooth. It’s a bit of a process, but it got the job done!
Scraping first sounds smart! I might try that before sanding to make it easier.
Totally! Scraping could save you a bunch of time and effort.

I get you! It seems like the peeling paint can be scratched off easily, which makes me wonder if they skipped priming before painting over the oil.