Refinishing trim in house

[UperJ]

Hi all - newb here but been following for years on-off. Finally registered and need help!
I have 3 floors of '60 era oak trim (golden oak like stain)  in our home and we want to either replace it or if feasible paint it.
If we were to paint it would I need to sand it all down, just rough it up or ??
Also not sure if I can get by using latex or if I have to use oil based primer and paint ??

Similar issue with the doors - 13 of them total. I could pull the doors  the stuff but imagine it'd be a mighty spending amount to replace it all.
off but hoping to do this with trim in place - mainly due to the fact there are a zillion nails in it and the walls are plaster.

Anyone have thoughts on this or had to do it? I haven't even added up all the LF if I replaced it all - ugh. Cost be high but if that's the solution so be it.

Thanks so much for any feed back

[Snipe Hunter]

Well hello there and welcome!

It really depends on what's on the molding now. If it's poly, you should really ruff it up, prime it and paint it. At the very least, use a paint with a primer in it. If you wet the gray scotch-brite, you can make short work of scuffing. I'd prime it first but I'm a moron and real anal about stuff like that.

Keep a bucket of water with a drop or two of dish soap in it to act as a lubricant and to help prevent the scotch-brite from clogging. Just swoosh the scotch-brite around in the bucket to keep it damp and clean.

[clockman]

I would scuff it up, apply a primer and then paint.

[K. L. McReynolds]

BIN shellac based primer. Scuff the wood, apply BIN, wait 2 hours(I think---read the can to be sure) and paint. Buy the BIN at a paint store, to be sure to get fresh stock. It does have a shelf life.

You can also tint the BIN to the paint color, which may allow just one coat of paint.

The trick is to get the tape under the edge of the trim, if only a fraction of an inch. I usually try to do that by applying the tape so a slender edge is against the trim and use a wide putty knife or even a mudding knife to tuck that edge under the trim. Use the 2"(or wider) painters tape.

Using BIN and latex paint means you only need to tape once and have time to apply primer and two coats of paint.

Then, before pulling the tape, make a cutting pass with a sharp blade(utility knife/etc) at the edge of the trim, to make sure the paint/tape comes off cleanly.

Forgot the doors. Remove the doors, remove the hinges before painting the trim. Remove the handles, then lightly sand the doors, prime, and paint.

The biggest gotcha with this project will be the hinges will then look old---and you may replace them. That is relatively inexpensive, unless they are antique or architectural.

[fredhargis]

What Mac said, the concern I would have is that the trim/doors may have some dreaded silicone on it from some of the floor wax or other compounds like wood polish. This stuff can be a nightmare when refinishing. In fact, I would suggest a good cleaning with TSP (the real stuff), rinse it off, then prime with BIN (important it be the shellac based, I think there may be other versions). But I wouldn't use latex (if latex is wall paint). I would choose something that is 100% acrylic (also labeled latex at times). But the BIN is great for sealing in contaminants and makes a great starting point. Another reason not to replace the doors (or the trim) is you would have a hell of time finding anything as well built as those are in the stores these days; you'd probably have to go to a custom shop. Good luck!

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

I would scuff sand everything and then do a test board with a good waterborne acrylic paint like Ben Moore Advance.  After scuff sanding,  Advance and others will have good adhesion and you may choose not to use a primer.  I have repainted all the previously white trim in two homes with Advance over oil based enamel.  I found that sanding back the "sheen" or deglossing the sheen with a scuff sanding is needed for good/excellent adhesion.  

Personally speaking, brushing BIN straight from the can is a real "drag"...Spraying it is hands down better if that's an option but spraying oak doesn't push the paint into all the pores like a brush or roller will.  If you brush BIN, I'd consider thinning it down a bit with denatured alcohol to thin it out a bit.  Regardless, you will need two coats of topcoat though if you're brushing.

[Admiral]

+1 on Fred's suggestion of washing with TSP. Wear gloves as it can rip up your skin.

[jteneyck]

Just to clarify, BM's Advance is great stuff.  However, it's not an acrylic, rather, it's a WB alkyd.  That means nothing except that if you intend to use white or something close to white beware that it will yellow over time.  If that's unacceptable, then I'd look at SW's ProClassic 100% Acrylic (beware again, there are various versions of ProClassic products, too, depending upon what state you live in).  You want the 100% Acrylic latex one. 

I agree with KCF about BIN pigmented shellac primer, too.  It's great stuff, but it's not easy to brush on.   It probably would be OK with narrow molding, but not on a door.  I'd only spray it something that large.  

John

[Kansas City Fireslayer]

You are right John. I was reading and replying late last night. I meant to say Alkyd. I will say that I find brushes easier to clean with MS than water after using the advance. Same with the hvlp unit.

It's funny you bring up the yellowing of the Advance. I thought I'd read it would resist ambering. Maybe an uneducated sales clerk said that. Regardless, I was always under the impression it was non-ambering. Give me a few years when I start touching up my home's trim. Wife and kids are always conducting "durability" tests with various finishes throughout the home.....in an uncontrolled manner I should add.

[Turner52]

Use liquid sand instead of sanding. Much faster and easier than ruffing all surfaces. Available at Sherwin Williams. Then follow the other advice, especially the alcohol bin. Make sure you have adequate ventilation with this and or a respirator with the proper vapor filters.