Painting Interior Wood Window Trim - Enamel or Latex?

[Dave]

Hello All, I'm in the process of redoing a few rooms. The 1928 house has about 3 coats of paint on all of the interior wood trim. ( I assume lead on the bottom coats). After spending months removing carpet, sanding, scraping through six layers of paint, and staining the staircase, I"m looking for an easier way to redo the windows rather than taking them all the way back to wood. If the paint is ok (not chiping, etc.) can I just do a light sanding so smooth out the old brush strokes/small divets/etc from the existing paint and repaint with a new color or do I have to strip and sand these things all the way down. Between the six windows, the door trim and baseboards, it would take me forever to strip all of the paint and probably cost me my marraige. Anyway, if I can do a light sand with say 100 or 150 grit and repaint, what paint should I use - which might hold better w/o cracking - enamel? Latex? other? Any advise on this project would be great. Thanks, David

[ameijers]

I'd do a few spot scrapings, just out of curiosity, to see if the casework was cheap pine or decent hardwood. Personally, if it was hardwood, I'd take it back to bare wood and stain, but that is just me. (Sometimes, you get lucky, and original finish is intact under the paint- get one edge started with a razor, and it comes off in sheets. Especially true in houses that had oil heat, if they didn't clean the old wood enough.) Now if it was 'just' pine or similar, unless it was some profile you couldn't fake with modern off-the-shelf stock, I'd price out what new wood would cost. Assuming you have a miter box and a coping saw, removing the old a few sticks at a time, and replacing with new, might be less work (definitely less mess) than even half-way refinishing the old stuff, like you propose. You can finish the new stuff out in the garage, and just touch up the nail holes and such after installation.

aem sends...

[Bob Bowles]

[Baron]

I would use a chemical stripper if I were doing the volume of architectural stripping that you seem to be. Since you plan to paint, there is no reason why the scuff sanding followed by paint wouldn't work. I would use a primer first to ensure adhesion but that may not be necessary. I can not remember which way is safe - oil on top of latex or visa versa. If you go with latex, use an all acrylic latex, not one that contains any vinyl. The all acrylic is a harder film although it is a bit more difficult to work with.

Good Luck.

[dadiOH]

You have a good painter.

Latex is OK for walls but is impossible to sand. Anyone that paints woodwork with it should be forced to try to sand it for all eternity.

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