Huge painting task... help!

[picklemewalnuts]

I have a three storey house with those traditional spindle banisters. Also several doors, architraves and skirting on each floor.

The paint work is grubby and chipped in places. I've done a couple of doors in white satin wood, which just highlights the 'tiredness' of everything else!

Is there an easy shortcut? Is gloss better than satin? Should I do cream instead of white so the difference isn't as marked ? Do the outside of each room/door and ignore the inside as you can't see both at the same time.
Should I undercoat? Sand? I've seen it suggested to do emulsion first then gloss on top instead of sanding/prepping.
Frenchchic?

I don't really want to spend the rest of my life on a Firth of Forth task! I don't know where to start and where to finish!

I saw a video that showed someone using gloves dipped in paint to cover spindles, it was so quick.

I don't know if that'd work for you but I thought it was genius!

Timeless is a nice colour for woodwork. I painted two doors white satin before deciding it was too white and repainting in timeless gloss. The gloss feels like a nicer finish and because it’s not stark white it doesn’t seem overly shiny.

Ooh, gloves.... that's a thought. An alarming one! I'll give it a try, though.

Satsumas did you do undercoat and things? I'll have a look at timeless and see. That's a good call about it being less starkly white.

It's occurred to me that using one of those white magic sponges may be a better way of rubbing down. Save the sandpaper for the damaged areas.

If you use the glove method I would put a pair of nitrile gloves/marigolds on first and then use a sock over the top to apply the paint, paint is not very good for your skin and you would struggle to get it all off your skin afterwards!

Thank you!

Most satinwood paint doesn't need undercoating whereas gloss does so using that would save time.

That's a helpful point. I slightly prefer satinwood, I think.

Any suggestions on one coat, non drip etc?

I'm looking at the colours online, creams rather than bright whites. Can't think why I didn't look before.

I would go for the Screwfix No Nonsense white satinwood. I discovered this paint last year and I will be using it for all the white woodwork in our new house once I start decorating .

Oh, sorry I missed the 'non white' bit of your post, it only cones in white I think!

That's helpful too, though. Have you found it easy to use?

The only reason I'm thinking of 'not white' is that white is showing up everything that's not been painted sooo badly.

Will a cream show it up less?

I was thinking of using Almond White on our woodwork as much of it has mellowed to that sort of colour anyway. White paint doesn't stay brilliant white for very long as the chemical ingredients have been changed (I think in line with EU regulations). In low light areas especially it tends to yellow very quickly. Our house is well overdue for decorating (it might have been done two or three owners ago, judging by Right Move!), the woodwork is no longer bright white and considerably chipped here and there.

Also a previous owner stripped all the interior doors so they are resplendent in their 1930s' pine (which was never intended to be displayed so was always an inferior "cut" of wood) and the horrendous grime of being handled every day. I really want to paint them again, but was stuck between Almond White or trying with Brilliant White or even something else!

If I were you OP I'd rub down those spindles with coarse wire wool first. Three storeys sounds hard work, I can see the fun in that would wear off very quickly! I'd have to do each stage of your decorating a bit at a time, have a break before starting the next round.

I would use satin wood paint...i think its gloss that goes yellow over time.

Sounds like a mission. Get a quote from a pro?

Have you looked into paint sprayers?

I did this last summer

I set a goal of 10 spindles a day and if I did more I felt I achieved something

Then he doors - I used a small roller, brushed in the details first then a roller over the top to save drips

Ours were new doors and needed two coats, so I worked round, back of one door, back if second door, returned to first door for second coat, back to second door for second coat.

I worked on ‘one’ door a day, so as long as I did two front or two back that counted as a full door.

Don’t use gloss. It yellows very quickly. You should only use it if it’s already got gloss on there. Otherwise it’s a full sanding job.

All good points, thank you.

Wire wool- I remember that from when I was a kid, doing a massive staircase at my parents' new house. The wire crumbles and gets into your clothes, doesn't it? Stabs you forever! Can't say I fancy that...

So I have to rub down anything that's been glossed before, and gloss yellows quicker than satin.