A PAINTING question please, multiple choice answers already given!!!

[PavlovtheWitchesCat]

I am about to embark on painting the woodwork in our front room. NOOOOO i hear you all cry. But yes, I am. Our front room is a bit too dark, the door is a different colour to the skirting, all of which is a different colour to the wooden floor. So, it is all going. Apart from the floor.

I have sanded down the wood as per Mr B&Q man's advice, and then cleaned them of all dirt etc. They are now ready to be primed/undercoated in prep for the Gloss that is going on.

The door frame of the front room however is already painted a white/cream gloss. So my question is...Do I

a)sand down door frame, then prime, then gloss

b) sand down door frame, then just gloss it without priming.

c) not bother sanding it down, just apply primer/undercoat then gloss.

d) not bother to sand or prime/undercoat, just paint gloss over paint already there.

Answers quickly please, I want to get started when DD has her nap.

I don't think I made that very clear. All the woodwork is stained wood, not painted, apart from the doorframe. Hence the question

im doing the same right now....i have just lightly sanded just to key the surface and then glossed and it looks fine

barbie - oh good, thats what I was hoping to hear. I can do light sanding, did not want to have to strip it back!

Barbie - what colour are you doing? I love DIY but I am split personality with it.

I either dither so much over the prep and planning that I never get started, or I get started on a project so big I have to work day and night to get it finished!!

just white, we have been renovating this massive house for ages, its such a old house that we have to brighten everything up...so all my old wood work is white now and walls cream, just to get light back in, once we have done that we will go around adding colour to the rooms because once you have a neutral base you can do anything!

(b)

lightly sand and then just whack the gloss on imo

remember to do thinnner layers and more of them, you get a smoothwer finish. if you have too much paint on the brush you get drips

with awkward bits (like radiators and architrave) poke the paint into the grooves and stuff first and then smooth over with final swish before moving on.

barbie - thats like us. Our hallway is next, lovely wood everywhere, but it is soooooooooo dark, so it is all going to be white. I have seen some paint that reflects the light back into the room, looks might try that on the walls...

Stealth - thank you for b) less work, which is good

Lady - many thanks for your tips, they will be used as there are a couple of awkwards bits (although mostly the awkwards bits are my DH and DD!).

I would sand, wipe over with a damp cloth, then put on the gloss.

You dont need primer unless painting bare wood.

So I guess b is the closest but worth wiping over with a wet cloth to remove any gritty bits.

also say (b), just a light sanding

Right, consensus is good.

No need to prime, just a quick sand and a clean. Lovely. Can do that right now, prime the rest of the wood (bare) and then off I go with the paint!

My mum, you know what she used to do? She used to use a blowtorch to strip ALL the paint of the wood, then prime, then paint, twice.

GOD! All that hard work for nothing!

I would just do d) but I can be a bit of a slattern. If the original paint was chipped or bumpy I might do more though.

You could do d but the new paint would just peel off if it got knocked at all...long term that would p*ss you off more than sanding it you would have to look at it every day.

I would prefer to do d) , the condition of the wood/paint is pretty ok, BUT I want the room to look fab, and don't want to have to do it again as it did not work so well.

It will only take half hour to sand it down. I can't paint anything as DD is still awake, so might as well do this while I wait.

Blowtorch (unless the paintwork were hideously thick and damaged is overkill tbh) also not advised if the painwork is very old as it could contain lead.

Wily - LOL I was not suggesting I do that myself! I wonder whether my mother just enjoyed burning things!!! .

Hubby's public liability specifically rules out him using a blowtorch.

LOL I got the impression you werent a blowtorch kind of girl

I loathe the prep and the cleaning up afterwards but im afraid its a necessary evil otherwise you just spend ages looking at the shoddy job you have done thinking "I wish id rubbed down" then end up doing a second time.

I have just sanded it down. Was going to be a quick rub down, but apon looking, there were indeed some bumps and runs from the crap job the last person did .

So I have worked a bit harder and it is now nice and smooth. I also noticed the little metal thing that the doorlatch goes into, took that off. Would not have noticed it until I went to paint over it! (it has already been painted over, I shall get a new one to replace, just like the old handles).

My friend has just phoned, when I told her I was about to start on the front room she told me off as she wanted to help...she is on her way over !!

She was phoning to see if I wanted to go for a Halloween drink. Instead, she is bringing her pumpkin and we are going to wear pumpkin hats and eat ghoulish sweets while we paint!