Layered oil gloss builds up for years until a door barely closes. Before any new paint goes on we need to know whether that build-up is sound enough to key, or whether it has to come back to bare timber first.
A quick scratch test and a look at the edges tells us most of what we need. Chalking, cracking along the grain or paint lifting at joints all point away from a simple key-and-recoat, while a hard, intact film that just looks tired usually takes an abrasion and a modern topcoat without complaint.
Sound gloss gets a thorough abrade to break the sheen, a wipe to remove dust and grease, then a bonding primer where the switch is from oil to water-based. Skipping the primer step is the single most common reason a repaint fails within a year.
Doors that no longer close, mouldings that have lost their crispness under paint, or films that are flaking rather than just dull mean stripping. We use heat and hand tools rather than chemical strippers wherever the timber and setting allow it, keeping dust and fumes to a minimum in an occupied room.
A modern water-based eggshell or a slower oil-modified system are both valid, and the choice usually comes down to how much yellowing the household wants to accept over the coming years versus how hard the surface gets used.
Yes, once it is properly abraded and primed with a bonding coat. Skip that step and the new paint can peel in sheets within months.
No — it is slower and more disruptive than necessary if the gloss is sound. We only recommend it where the film itself is failing.
If we strip back a heavily built-up door it usually closes better than it has in years. Keying alone adds negligible thickness.
Send a close-up photograph of your worst door and we will tell you whether it needs keying or stripping.
Old oil gloss can usually be painted over once it is properly keyed, but a failing film needs stripping first.
Speak to a Hampshire commercial decorating contractor that turns up, communicates clearly and delivers a finish that lasts.
