Painting over mahogany wood

[Fishergirl]

We've moved into a house where the previous owners have painted all of the woodwork white but where it has been knocked, the paint has chipped off and you can see the mahogany stained wood coming through. What should I do? Strip all of the existing paint off and put a good primer down and then paint again or can you just paint primer and more paint on top? Would it be worth getting the doors dipped too? It's a 1930s house.
Thanks.

[JT05]

It's a big job stripping all the wood work. Probably easier to replace the skirting boards, or paint the original ones again.
Dipping doors has to be done very carefull because the process can weaken the joints and the doors warp. It is better to strip them with a heat gun.

[Fishergirl]

Thank you ;)

[GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER]

I would sand it all down, paying special attention to any bare/chipped areas, and apply primer to those before re-painting the whole lot. It's tempting to forget the sanding, since it's a tedious job, but it will mean the new paint is likely to flake off quickly.

[SmellTheGlove]

Zinsser BIN is your friend here. Paint over the top of existing woodwork , no need to sand, then put your top coat on. It is my favourite product in the world.

[wowfudge]

I agree that Zinsser BIN is brilliant stuff.

[Fishergirl]

Zinsser sounds fab!! Thanks.