Hello.
I have a big old oak gate that was painted black about 20 years ago, and the paint is now flaking off. My plan is to strip it all off and paint again, or seal etc. depending on how much of the paint I can clear.
Question, given there maybe more rain to come, is this a job I can start now (if Saturday is clear), or should I wait for a long period of dry weather?
(It'll take me more than a day to get the paint off.)
Thanks.
If you can get back to bare wood, I'd strongly recommend a wood hardener. Should give you another 20 years!
Oak doesn't actually need to be painted but if you do it will need to be dry. Best bet is to bring it indoors if possible &let dry out.
For once, I agree with Harry. I'm about to paint two gates and they will be spending a week indoors first.
Colin Bignell
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
I'd have it unpainted. Oak's fine like that.
NT
On 24 Jan 2014, WeeBob grunted:
Well according to the firm of pro decorators who've this week been painting the exterior of a shop that's being refurbished near here, you should just go for it now.
I walk past this shop each morning on the way in to work. It was a right state; most of the paint peeled off, lots of rotten woodwork etc. It's been pissing it down most of the week, however notwithstanding that, this lot have prepped it, filled all the holes etc, and painted all the masonry and woodwork. Looks really nioe, and am sure the customer will be pleased (for a while, anyway!)
My unpainted oak 5-bar gate is now well over 20 years old and still going strong.
I suspect the problem is that it may not be possible to get all the paint off properly, so it will look terrible unless it is repainted.
Colin Bignell
Its a shame you cannot take this into shelter, as at this time of year, even when its dry, the dew or frost can allow moisture in. However since you say the paint is already chipping, it could be that its semi waterlogged already. If you can get it indoors fro a few days it would help I think in whatever you decide to do with it. Wood hardener seems to work despite some water ingress, but you need to check out for really spongy bits, unlikely with that wood hopefully, after all they made ships out of it!
Brian
Our unpainted but tanellised softwood gates are fine after around 10 years. The one made at the same time with the same treatment but is painted has some rot. Probably a combination of closing adjacent to a step and being painted. The bottom of the vertical rails can't dry out well enough.
Are you suggesting that as a target for Harry to achieve?
Colin Bignell
On Friday 24 January 2014 12:15 Nightjar wrote in uk.d-i-y:
Sandblasting?
Only a week?
Might need more in this weather, unless you're going to lock them in a small room with a dehumidifier.
Andy
Mine are newly built and don't need much drying out.
Colin Bignell
All seems a bit pointles to me, once outside the moisture content will be going up and down like a yo-yo with the seasons. Ok the timber doesn't want to be damp, FSVO "damp", when painted. One would normally "aclimatise" timber by keeping it in the place it is going to be used for a week or so. Are these inside gates?
The first treatment will be with a preservative, so I need them as dry as possible to maximise take-up of that. After that, they will be allowed to dry again, before being painted with an aluminium based sealer/primer. Then they will get two coats of exterior grade primer/undercoat, followed by three layers of topcoat. I built a pair of softwood gates the same way about 30 years ago and, apart from needing the weather strip along the top edge to be replaced about 10 years ago, they are still sound.
Colin Bignell
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