to be pissed off at DPs pointless sanding!?

[LemonSwan]

We are decorating the hall. I am trying to reduce sanding as much as possible by priming instead as its layer upon layer of nasty gloss paint and god knows what they are made of. DP insists everything must be sanded for super fine for 'key' - thinks priming is only for fresh wood or fresh plaster walls.

We have painted most of the room up to the picture rail. We have now decided to go over it to the ceiling. DP is again creating a totally unnecessary fine dust of likely lead and oil based paints for us all to breathe in, for the cat to step in and lick off his paws and for it to settle all over the fucking house and land all over the freshly painted work. Its sitting in my throat/ lungs and making me cough. I have a conference call in the adjacent room in an hour.

VOTING
Yes Lemon YABU you know nothing about fucking DIY! Ye must sand such a small amount so as to make no visible difference to anything but create fine dust to fuck up everything.

No Lemon YANBU why can he not just fucking prime! What a plonker!

Lead paint was banned in 1992 but not in common use for residential housing from the 1960s so unless your house is of historic interest or hasn’t been decorated since 1960 or only badge type decorating done ( not standing and paint indirectly over the old paint) it is very unlikely that He is stripping a lead based paint.
If there is years and years of painting over then the bottom layer could be lead but can still be sanded safely if a few precautions are taken.

YABU
It’s a picture rail so is painted wood. The fastest way is to do a quick sand with fine sandpaper to scratch up existing paint so a new layer of paint has something to grip to. If you skip sanding, you will get peeling paint.

Taking it back to bare wood, then priming, then painting is an option but takes the most time, effort and causes most disruption.

To minimise the sanding dust getting everywhere. Just cut open bin bags, tape them together and stick with masking tape over doorways. That will keep the dust to just the room he is working in. Make sure the room he is working in is well ventilated...open a window and he is wearing a dust mask.

Its a 1930s 3 bed semi. It is definitely a badge type decorating house.

The door has about 20 colours on it, last week I found the original wallpaper which someone had partially plastered on top off.

Having looked at that primer I voted YANBU, however, I think you're being a bit dramatic about the lead paint. How do you know it's lead paint? Lead paint was banned in 1992. Before that, it hadn't been used much since 1963 and wasn't used for paints on surfaces accessible to children (e.g. wall paint, skirting board paint). Has your house not been redecorated since 1963? Have you had chemical testing done on the paint? If so, why on earth aren't you getting a professional to decontaminate your house?! or replacing the affected wood

Then it needs stripping. I wouldn’t sand it I would use chemicals which s not only easier but the safest way to remove lead paint.

[quote SeasonFinale]Actually he is not right. There are some excellent primers available nowadays that do not require sanding at all.

Here is one that is highly recommended:

www.zinsseruk.com/product/b-i-n/[/quote]
That stuff is the bomb.

I have just redone 2 sets of stairs and the whole upstairs skirting boards, doors etc. No need for sanding whatsoever.

£40 for one tin did it all.

We used chemical paint stripper for our woodwork - but it was a Victorian house and it looked so much better than painting over the top. I’d only do that for skirting/woodwork which looks particularly bad.

You can also get sandpaper which you can use wet to keep the dust down.

I think your dp is doing what he thinks is right but not the best approach.

Best thing for painting woodwork is a scrub with sugar soap, then a light layer of primer, then gloss. Well it's not the best, but it gives the best finish with least effort.

Same with walls, quick wipe down with sugar soap to remove grease and dirt, then emulsion.

@LemonSwan

Season Thats what I have been using!

I just feel we need to solve this argument now because we have a whole double door to go and thats defo got lead paint on it.

If you've been using the Zinsser, YANBU and he should stop with the bloody sanding.

Even my dad - who was Team Sand It Back To Get A Key - has been and inspected my non-sanded and primer-only-ed decorating and pronounced himself satisfied and amazed...

we used stuff like this it doesn’t smell etc. Just put it on for a while then scrap the paint off.

He’s right. I never prepare the walls tbh and it turns out great

I need to go to this meeting in a dust filled cavity. Wish me luck!

Will be back soon to see the vote results as team Zinnser fight it out with Team Key Sand

Seal off the room , masks , eye protection and a humidifier will help

He is totally right

Zinsser is great primer, but all it will really do is allow your paint to stick to the surface. If the surface is lumpy and uneven, which it will be with decades of bodged paint jobs then the new coat of paint will look the same.

As @MasterBeth says if you keep adding to mouldings you will lose detail and edges will not be crisp.
It might have been better to make a decision before you started.

A) Do you want to give a quick once over to spruce it up, or
B) Get back to wood and be first class.
If A you only need a light rubdown and then paint over. For B use a scraper and heat blower, think industrial cousin of a hair-dryer.
As has been said it will be smelly but quieter and less mess.
If you have lead based paint keep doors and windows open to avoid fumes.

Are we in a relationship with the same man?! Mine does this! “It’s all about preparation” “50% of the work I’d before you paint”
Oh piss off!!!

What a load of cack. Of course you can put undercoat (not primer, which is for raw wood) onto an existing coat of gloss. If the old gloss is layered on and looks crap then it won't look great but its doable. Give it a wipe over with some meths to remove any surface contamination and you're good to go.

If you absolutely have to go down to the wood, for aesthetic reasons, then hot air or chemical stripper is the way to go. I've been renovating houses since my teens and I've never heard anything so bloody stupid as sanding down layers and layers of paint. Its really dangerous apart from anything-tell him to give his head a wobble.

Oh, and if there's artex involved anywhere then be very careful. Some older versions contain asbestos; it's fine if left alone but if you start buggering about with it it's not so good.

Get a heat gun and scraper. Does a better job with no noise or dust.

My husband used to be a decorator. He spends about 80% of the time prepping a room. Painful. I feel your pain

Sorry everyone, I have been super busy and had to escape the house today as DP started on the door. I couldnt bring myself to argue the point anymore. I just thought fine do what you must! Thankfully he has tied it all up.

I shall forever be a Zinsser Gal to the grave; and the Keyers can continue their bizarre pleasure in creating unnecessary mess!