Still struggling with doors

[JoceAndChris]

Thank you so much for the tip about the filler. I've not been doing that, and also I've been using my finger rather than a knife, so I'll remedy that and see if I can make a smoother job of it.

A lot of it's in the sanding too, I hate sanding! So much patience needed.

I recommend buying a dachshund. Properly trained, they make great draught excluders.

Oh, if only. That's an important gap though - all the little voles living in the garden know about it. Puss carries vole in gently, drops in hall - vole runs under the door and out. Puss goes out to the garden - finds it again - etc. Exercise for animals.

Love that word "waney"!

 

[Flyfisher]

After saying I'll never muck around with Nitromors and the removal of historic paint again, I find I'm embroiled with the main doors and face endless cycles of the stuff. I just couldn't paint over what was there, no-one had ever sanded before repainting and so there were great holes in the surface of the paint- so shabby.

I also fing this a dilemma. Quite apart from the hard work involved, I find that the end result can look a bit too 'new' looking (which I suppose it is), whereas layers of paint gives a completely different look, even when the top layer is freshly applied. But I also know what you mean about how earlier paint is often slapped on - we have loads of paintwork like that and some of it seems to be barely adhereing to the previous layer and will chip off in big flakes.

We're planning on keeping all of the door furniture and getting the old lock restored. Any guesses about old this door furniture is? It was under many many layers of paint. I thought the previous owner had made the bar, but looking carefully at it, I think it's older.

They are really lovely doors Joce. I would also guess that the locking bar was older than the door furniture. Could they have been the original method for locking the doors and the brass furniture and locks added later? And what is it with painting over lovely brass door furniture? We also have a number of similar examples. Was it particularly fashionable at some point in time or was it just laziness?

Thank you so much for the tip about the filler. I've not been doing that, and also I've been using my finger rather than a knife, so I'll remedy that and see if I can make a smoother job of it.

I second PFord's suggestion about using water, but I wouldn't give up your finger so quickly. I find a finger far easier than a knife (except for larger areas) and frequent dipping in a bowl of water, with a damp cloth to hand, makes all the difference.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks - as with all these repair jobs it's finding out which tool is best for the space you have. I think it's better to do delicate things like filling at the start of the day when completely fresh too, otherwise you rush it and end up being disappointed.

That all sounded pretty filthy but I didn't mean it to, sorry. B*oody DIY innuendos unavoidable!

I also find this a dilemma. Quite apart from the hard work involved, I find that the end result can look a bit too 'new' looking (which I suppose it is), whereas layers of paint gives a completely different look, even when the top layer is freshly applied. But I also know what you mean about how earlier paint is often slapped on - we have loads of paintwork like that and some of it seems to be barely adhereing to the previous layer and will chip off in big flakes.

Also, with doors and windows, if you keep painting and painting and never stripping back things stop closing properly. This has happened with the shutters in the living room - they're meant to snap back into these lovely little catches, but it's all so thickly encrusted with paint that nice feature has gone.

 

[Penners]

A lot of it's in the sanding too, I hate sanding!

Me too. That's why I use the type of filler that I pictured above. It sands more easily than most. So just leave it a little bit proud of the wood surface, and it'll sand off flush quite easily.

 

[Penners]

you rush it and end up being disappointed.

As with so much in life (I hear).

 

[Nigel Watts]

Trying to catch up rather late in the thread so apologies if I am going over old ground.

I always try to remove door furniture before decorating as it makes the door much easier to paint. If you are graining its pretty much essential.

For cracks in panels a modern flexible filler is probably best, but the traditional filler is linseed oil putty. I think I would use putty in filling cracks bewteen the moudings and the framing components. The advantage of putty is that it is fairly stiff and not too sticky. This means it can be shaped and smoothed without any further action being needed afterwards. It does like a while to dry however.

Those keys look too small to be door keys and look more like cupboard or drawer keys to me.

If you have stripped the paint right back to the wood make sure you treat any knots and resinous bits with knotting before repainting otherwise the resin will eventually start bleeding through the paint - even pine as old as yours will do this - spoiling all your good work.

Colours look great. The finished effect will be stunning!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks Nigel.

Would you say that putty is easier to shape than Ronseal wood filler?

My dad came over today (bemoaning my slapdash work, whisking out ALL the door furniture in about half the time I took to get out one escutcheon, insisting that this and that had to be spliced and noggined), and he built up the cracked moulding on one door using filler, a straight edge, and a chisel to create a line. It looks OK, better than mine anyway.

He's gone now though, but he did hang up my spider cupboard door, which took him a whole week to create the beading. Look at the sharpness of those edges - I'm so pleased.

The door furniture is my kind of job, those lovely shiny knobs! I can't believe the transformation, a week ago they were black and encrusted with paint. (don't you think the fancy one must have been nicked from the Hall?) I'm sure the door furniture is original now, as taking it off reveals bare wood - the doors were first painted with the furniture on - lovely that I might be putting right a bodge of maybe 200 years ago.

 

[Schoolmarm]

:shock: Wow to your knobs.

Your paper looks beautiful under the dado rail, door looks fab too. What a great Dad you have.

 

[ilona73]

Nice Nobs missus!

Seriously they look fantastic!
I am so envious. The hallway is looking fab!

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thankyou, ladies, for your appreciation of my knobs. I must say I didn't think the brass version could give so much satisfaction! :wink:

 

[ilona73]

Joce you are a woman surely you have certain appreciation for all things shiny and sparkly?
They look wonderful.
I can't wait to see the end result!

 

[Pford75]

Truly lovely....as someone else says, the paper looks great and the finished product of everything together will be great.

Just be prepared for how quickly the brass will tarnish, you might need to maintain a healthy stock of Brasso

 

[Penners]

Would you say that putty is easier to shape than Ronseal wood filler?

No, absolutely not. Putty is rather easier to mould while still "wet", but once it's (eventually :roll: ) dry, it's not a good candidate for sanding, drilling, etc.

Just be prepared for how quickly the brass will tarnish, you might need to maintain a healthy stock of Brasso

Alternatively, spray the polished brass with a coat of clear lacquer. Ultimately* it will wear through, and you'll have to give them a good rub up with wire wool again to get it off (before re-lacquering), but think of all the polishing you'll save in the meantime!


*Meaning many months, possibly even years.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Would you say that putty is easier to shape than Ronseal wood filler?

No, absolutely not. Putty is rather easier to mould while still "wet"

That sounds like a "yes" to me if you believe in trying to get it right first time and not have to sand later.

As for door knobs I would certainly avoid the lacquer because of what it looks like when it starts to wear off. Personally I dont mind a little bit of tarnish on my brassware. I think it goes well with the shabby chic look.

 

[JoceAndChris]

I'm sure Mr P wouldn't want to deprive me of the intense pleasure I get from polishing knobs?

When I moved in, I bought a housekeeping book to record Events and drew up a timetable. I have it still. Monday, laundry, and cleaning downstairs, Tuesday, grocery shopping and cleaning upstairs, Wednesday gardening and ironing, Thursday for the polishing of brass and other sundries, Friday off.

I did it twice. I can't wait for the day when repair and redecorating is finished and I can devote myself utterly to this timetable!

 

[LadyArowana]

I'm sure Mr P wouldn't want to deprive me of the intense pleasure I get from polishing knobs?

When I moved in, I bought a housekeeping book to record Events and drew up a timetable. I have it still. Monday, laundry, and cleaning downstairs, Tuesday, grocery shopping and cleaning upstairs, Wednesday gardening and ironing, Thursday for the polishing of brass and other sundries, Friday off.

I did it twice. I can't wait for the day when repair and redecorating is finished and I can devote myself utterly to this timetable!

It will be a lot more fun maintaining it when it's all beautifully decorated, it's looking lovely so far.

 

[ilona73]

Joce i did something similar! and was really proud of myself for doing it .I was even going to laminate my chart and put it on the kitchen wall.
After 5 days with 4 kids ,a husband, the general, household chores, my own clients ,the dog and all manner of other things i found it wasn't worth the paper i had written it on, not only had i had to do most of the things on most days i found myself doubling back on some things and keeping 5 bathrooms clean after everyone is no mean feat and not something i can do a couple of times a week.If only it were that simple!
I run the house with ease really its the husband thats the problem. You just can't get the staff these days!
Nowadays i answer to the name of "wonderwoman" :lol: :lol:

 

[JoceAndChris]

No cleaner? You have much more to do than me- how on earth do you manage?

I struggle with staff - when we had a cleaner in London I'd always have a good tidy and clean before she came. Rather defeated the object!

 

[Moo]

Last year we had a halcyon period when the lovely Hazel came once a week and kept everything sparkling. But she got a full-time job just before Christmas and things have gone steadily downhill ever since.
My new plan is to get a firm in every so often to give the place a thorough going-over, timed to coincide with visits from friends who have Standards. Between-times I can live with it quite happily, but have told husband that if anything gets on his nerves I won't be in the least bit offended if he takes matters into his own hands.

 

[ilona73]

No cleaner? You have much more to do than me- how on earth do you manage?

I struggle with staff - when we had a cleaner in London I'd always have a good tidy and clean before she came. Rather defeated the object!

I could NEVER have a cleaner, i am far too private for that , the thought of someone coming in and doing my bits and pieces seems ideal in a busy house but in reality i would need her to live in to keep on top of everything,and i couldn't think of anything worse!

Erm.. i don't know i guess i just make a point of cleaning every bathroom after it has been used. Make a point of ironing all the laundry as soon as its dry( my children used to think they had magic drawers when they were really young and whatever they took off the night before would be washed, dried ironed and put back the next day before they returned from school) The house is vacuumed daily and polished before 9 am. then i make sure the kitchen is cleaned and floor mopped before i go to bed. My parents used to joke that i hid my children in the cupboard because my house never looked like it had kids living there.Paul used to joke i would wash his plate before he had finished eating etc. I guess i just find everything easier to do it all as i go along during the day and not make specific times to do certain things as plans in my house descend it into chaos. If i just do what i do as i go along everything gets done much quicker if that makes sense?
I do prattle on sometimes !
Apologies!