I am in an argument about a door that was painted by the Factors (managing agents) about a year ago. They are suggesting it may need to be done again. In general terms, could anyone comment how long exterior oil-based gloss should last? I promise not to cite you as a witness for the Pursuer :-)
It is going to depend on how exposed it is. My front door is set back from the front of the house and north facing. Still looks just fine when the rest of the exterior needs decorating, assuming no mechanical damage to cause chips, etc. White seems to have a shorter life than colours too.
I have a strong feeling they have more than one of them. They take one away to be painted and hang the other one. I imagine it takes some doing, as they must be reinforced.
It varies hugely. Can even be as bad as 1 yr in some cases. Paint reformulation has caused some problems in this respect. It's really impossible to know who or what is to blame without investigation.
"After the IRA mortar attack in 1991, the original black oak door was replaced by a blast-proof steel one. Regularly removed for refurbishment and replaced with a replica, it is so heavy that it takes eight men to lift it.
The door cannot be opened from the outside; there is always someone inside to unlock the door."
I'm astonished that they move the door by hand. Surely, some sort of cradle/trolley makes sense?
I'm happy to be pointed to a tool that can be hired or bought that could lift the door off its hinges, carry it out and load it on a van; and then do the reverse for the replacement. But I'd be very surprised if there's an option which is cheaper than manual labour for an occasional job like that.
I can see that could be used to lift the door off the hinges - assuming the toe plates are thin enough). I don't see how it gets the door out through the doorway past the jambs. And the wheels look to me a bit iffy for the steps down.
A lot depends on how well the surface was prepared first. Most premature paint failures are down to poor workmanship at the preparation stage.
A decent quality oil based paint applied properly should be good for 3 years in tricky conditions and five years or longer in sheltered ones.
Of the most extreme hardwearing paints and varnishes I have known a certain brand of yatch varnish survived for nearly 10 years in the harshest of conditions. It then all started to drop off at once as water got in behind it. Bits still stuck to the job will need removing :(
Facing into the weather and southwards in the hot summer sun is what makes exterior paints fail the most rapidly as the wood expands and contracts and the paint film becomes more brittle with age.
Surely it depends on whether the door is wood, plastic, or metal, and even more on its exposure to the elements. I find that wooden windows exposed to the full southern sun and rain need painting every couple of years. Other areas less often.
That's assuming that they actually take it away to paint. I suppose that's rather likely, and as soon as steps are involved the machinery becomes far more complex.
Actually, the way I'd do it with just a couple of blokes would be to build a small platform over the steps, level with the inside. Use one of those hoists to move the door outside onto the platform. Then hoick it onto the back of a flat-bed truck with a crane.
Or, there must be a level-ish access somewhere for wheelchair users.
I'm still not clear how the door goes through the doorway on one of those load movers. The best I can see is to use only one, with the wheels in line (bicycle-style), and with the door tilted. But will the door clear the jambs given the wheels on the mover mean the bottom edge of the tilted door will be well above the floor? And how do you move it straight when the wheels are tilted? But heh - it's only Grade 1 listed woodwork & plaster ;)
AFAIK wheelchair access is by means of a portable ramp put over the steps. (There was some fuss a few years ago over the fact they didn't remove the steps and provide level access.)
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