Sanding trim

It was recommended I sand poly interior trim before painting white. If it's not flat (i.e. it's typical nook-and-cranny cross section, like most trim nowadays), how do you go about sanding it?

Reply to
jeffc
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You should clean the trim to be painted before sanding to make sure there's no grease or oils that will cause problems with the finish. Wrap sandpaper around a suitably sized dowel or pencil to sand the rounded parts, and fold the paper to sand into the sharp corners. Other than that it's business as usual. You're just scuffing up the surface to give the paint primer something to bite onto. Use a primer with high adherence like Benjamin Moore's Fresh start.

You could use a liquid deglosser (aka liquid sandpaper) that is a really nasty chemical cocktail that will soften the poly and give it some tooth for the primer. It will also take care of the cleaning step at the same time. It's nasty stuff so wear a respirator.

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R

Reply to
RicodJour

Just use your fingers to wrap it against the surface as you sand.

Bob

Reply to
Bob F

You guys don't seem to understand the type of trim I'm talking about. It's not this, but it should give an idea

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no possible way to sand hundreds of feet of that and getinto the crevices. That's the way trim usually is nowadays.

Reply to
jeffc

Make patterns and fold -- I've done thousands of feet of similar mouldings over my lifetime...

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Reply to
dpb

Good advice. I've repainted after bad paint jobs done by other people and find that issue #1 is absolute cleanliness. Gloss is less of a problem than greasy dirt and fingerprints. Clean it well with your favorite household cleaner, wipe with denatured alcohol. I use only alkyd semi for trim, but it has issues with yellowing nowadays. Latex is crap for trim, especially when time to repaint. It may not yellow as quickly as alkyd but stains more easily.

Reply to
Norminn

idea

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There's no possible way to sand hundreds of feet of that and getinto the

Since there were only two posters when you wrote "You guys don't seem to understand...", I assume you meant me, which makes me wonder why you didn't read the second part of my post.

There are two parts that must be mastered when asking for advice. The asking part you have down pat, the reading part needs a little bit of work. Go back and have another go at it. Thanks.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

There is a way, but it requires patience.

Bob

Reply to
Bob F

Norminn wrote: ...

I disagree w/ both points, personally. Colors are more stable than ever imo, and a good latex enamel in semi- or gloss finish won't stain badly at all. A flat will because of the rougher texture, but flat shouldn't be used for trim, anyway.

imo, etc., etc., ...

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Reply to
dpb

I don't need to, I read it right the first time. The second part of your post had to do with using a deglosser, so obiously I'm not talking about that. In the second part of your post, you didn't say "disregard the first part of my post", so I'm not. I'm responding to the advice there. To wit: "fold the paper to sand into the sharp corners", which is just crazy. That would take 10,000 years for all the cracks and crevices in the trim. There has to be something like - what? - 5 or 10 thousand feet of trim in a good sized house?

Reply to
jeffc

A better example

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Reply to
jeffc

Let me see if I understand your position. You read the full post, ignore the advice that works for you, and then criticize the other part. That about sum it up?

Equally obviously, you could say thanks for the advice.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

Flat paint holds dirt more because of the texture. I was referring to latex semi, which is smoothe. In my experience, it stains (permanently) from ink, lipstick, and other oily stuff. It is also lousy to sand when one wants to repaint, and trim around busy doorways usually has dings to sand out.

Reply to
Norminn

Pretty much all paint will stain with that stuff.

That's true enough. Wonder when they'll get around to developing sandable latex...

R
Reply to
RicodJour

Well, actually, that's not the way my trim is nowadays or ever :o) If you didn't want advice about sanding trim, why did you ask for it?????

When complex moldings are painted, the paint tends to be a little heavier in the carvings/crevices than on the raised portion. It also sticks better to the raised or flatter portions....the paint film actually "bridges" the grooves and as long as it is bonded will on both sides, it will stick. You could probably get by without any sanding if you clean it very well, degrease with denatured alcohol, and use good quality primer and paint.

I've done a good deal of painting and paint removal. Unless your "poly" is high gloss, I'd forget sanding at all. As was suggested to you, a liquid sander can also be used - it is highly volatile, so need good vent. and care about flammability. It softens the finish enough to remove the gloss, and will get gummy and smeary if you use too much.

With "thousands of feet" of shaped or carved molding, I would be hesitant to paint it at all.....clear finish doesn't show blemishes as easily as paint, IMO.

Reply to
Norminn

It's the way plenty of trim is in plenty of houses.

I do want advice. If the advice is impractical or doesn't make sense, I point it out.

Well that's fine advice.

It's not a question of showing blemishes. Houses with natural wood trim look very dated and are hard to sell around here. White semi-gloss is the norm. (I'll be painting the doors too, which are natural too, but that's easy.)

Reply to
jeffc

Boring!!

I sure wish I could have stopped the people that painted all the trim in my old house. The little remaining stained wood is way more attractive than the painted wood.

Bob

Reply to
Bob F

Me, too! Who gives a crap about "hard to sell"? I'm planning on leaving my house feet first. I'm pretty sure it's oak under that paint--the baseboards are stained and varnished oak, whereas the door and window casings are painted.

Cindy Hamilton

Reply to
Cindy Hamilton

Um, younger people making wise use of their home as an investment as well? People who are flipping houses? People who will only be in the house for a few years? What's going on with you people, are you all 80 years old?

Reply to
jeffc

People that disagree with your taste, or more accurately, lack of it, are necessarily old? Interesting concept - dimwitted, but interesting.

Your estimate of 5 or 10 thousand feet of trim in a good sized house is way on the high side, as is your obviously gross exaggeration of the amount of time it would take to scuff sand trim. You also seem to be projecting your tastes onto other people, which is a common occurrence in people new to real estate sales. It's not about you and your ego. It's about the buyer. Making a statement that stained/ natural wood trim and doors is hindering the sale of a house is absurd. Badly done anything is what hinders the sale of a house. Your reasoning regarding semi gloss white being the norm in your area dictating what you should do is faulty. If you ask anyone with real estate experience - watching flipping shows on TV doesn't count - making your house stand out in a good way is what sells a house - wherever you are.

Stained/natural finishing costs more than painting. It's tougher to get it right. If it's badly done, that's another animal entirely, but you didn't mention the quality being poor. If the quality is reasonable, you are downgrading the house by painting. You will _never_ see a house listing indicate "painted trim", but you will certainly see "natural wood" and "stained {insert wood species here} trim" in listings. These are selling points. That's why they put them in the listings.

You should really learn this stuff before you start mucking up buildings. It has nothing to do with young/old. It's more of a question of dumb/smart - and you've already weighed in.

R
Reply to
RicodJour

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