# Exterior doors - utile



## EdK (29 Mar 2008)

Hi - got several external doors coming (finally ! wahey !) and they are all being delivered unfinished/unprimed (a mate is making them) and the frames too.

What is a good finish for them? 

I am not used to painting wood so am guessing I need a decent primer too to start off with amd some knotting stuff ?

Start with the knottingstuff then a coat of primer then two coats of paint ?

What sort of paint should I buy ?

My mate told me to get aluminum wood primer but apart from that I am in the dark...

THanks for any help - Ed


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## Smudger (29 Mar 2008)

I would go to a good local retailer and ask their advice. You have a sunnier climate than the rest of the UK and so 'local' paints may have better UV protection than mainland ones (certainly French paint is differently formulated than British, for that reason) and paint designed for less sunny climes may fail, especially if the doors are south facing.

DAMHIKT.


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## Richard Findley (30 Mar 2008)

Hi Ed,

I wouldn't of thought you would need knotting on a Utile door. Knotting is designed, as I understand it, for painting over knots to prevent them bleeding through a paint finish. This normally relates to Pine, Utile doesn't normally have knotts of this sort, I don't think :? .

BTW, I have Pine skirting which I used knotting on, undercoat and gloss but 5 years later the knotts are now showing through - D'oh!!! :roll: So I'm not entirley convinced that it's worth it anyway. I'd love to hear opinions of others though,

Cheers,

Richard


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## EdK (9 Apr 2008)

The local yard recommended Dulux weathershield.
They said to put on a coat of all in one dulux primer (water based) and then weathershield top coat (one coat - water based again).

This seems weird as I was expecting oil based paint... but am guessing it is acrylic or something and used more nowdays due to drying time (commercially better).

Any advice ?!
Ed


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## EdK (9 Apr 2008)

Spoke to a painter who said not to use aluminum primer as although it is very good other paints have trouble sticking to the surface so after several years the top coats peel off.

He recommended Zinsser BIN (shellac based/red tin)
http://www.zinsser.com/product_detail.asp?ProductID=10

See if the local shop has some - got the frames tonight and they look good.


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## Digit (20 Apr 2008)

Purely personal view but I wouldn't paint such a timber, oil or varnish.
Oil in exposed areas but varnish elsewhere for me.

Roy.


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