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Discussion Forum

Paint “blocking”?

CCI | Posted in General Discussion on June 25, 2009 06:19am

Looking to repaint my back door.  It is a steel door (Stanley) and it was painted several years ago. 

Are there any paints that have less “blocking” than others.  Blocking is the tendency to stick to other things before it is fully cured.  I don’t want it to stick to the weatherstripping but I also can’t leave it open for 2 weeks while the paint cures.

I seem to remember an article somewhere (Consumer Reports, maybe) that mentioned it but I don’t recall which paints are better than others.

The door now has latex but I could strip it if alkyd is better.

I don’t care that much about the finish-just not high gloss.

There is a storm door also, if that matters as far as needed durability of the new paint.

Thanks.

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Replies

  1. deafbob | Jun 25, 2009 07:05pm | #1

    remove the weather stripping. start early in the day. use a fan to move air across door. leave open til you go to bed. put weather stripping back after a couple of weeks

    1. CCI | Jun 25, 2009 08:10pm | #3

      Good idea on removing the weatherstripping.  I'll have to check on that.  It is magnetic and fairly thick so that may work out perfectly.

      I'm not really worried about drying as much as curing.  I can paint on saturday moring and leave the door off the hinges for the whole weekend but most paint can take up to 2 weeks to cure not just dry to the touch.

      I was wondering about coating the weatherstripping with some sort of lube.  That way the door won't stick and hopefully the paint is dry enough that it won't be affected by the lube.

      Thanks.

      1. DonCanDo | Jun 26, 2009 01:05am | #10

        Leaving the door open (or off the hinges) for the weekend should be more than enough to keep the door from sticking to the weatherstripping.  Just make sure the weatherstripping is clean and dry.  If you really want to use something on it, wipe it lightly with Armorall (or similar).  Do not use any kind of petroleum based lubricant as it will soften vinyl or rubber.  I have seen very old weatherstripping get tacky just from age.  Armorall will help prevent it from sticking to the door.

        When I paint exterior doors, I try to paint them as early in the day as possible and, assuming there's a storm door, I tell the customer to leave it open until night time.  If there's no storm door, I leave it open until it's dry to the touch and then use wax paper between the door and the weatherstripping.  I tell the customer to remove the wax paper the next day.

        1. User avater
          Jeff_Clarke | Jun 26, 2009 05:48am | #11

          I was going to say that too about wax paper - it's also great for freshly painted shelves to keep objects from sticking to recent paint.

          Jeff

  2. User avater
    hammer1 | Jun 25, 2009 07:56pm | #2

    You can use an acrylic trim paint and not have to strip anything, just do normal prep, sand if needed and wash. If you start early enough on a good day, the door should be dry by evening. Run some masking tape on the weather strip just in case. Don't try to put on a heavy coat, two light ones are much better, a day in between.

    Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

    1. CCI | Jun 25, 2009 08:14pm | #4

      Acrylic trim paint is different than acrylic wall paint?  I really hate painting so I am not up on all the paints.  Does it come in less sheen than high gloss?  I assume that is what you use to paint double hung windows so they don't stick closed.

      I hate asking at the paint store and having the clerk read the back of the can to me.  "Gee, thanks for the expertise- I couldn't read the can myself"

      Thanks.

      1. User avater
        hammer1 | Jun 25, 2009 08:24pm | #5

        Acrylic is pretty much the standard today, some may mistakenly call it latex but it's not the same as the latex of years past. It's available as interior as well as exterior and in a variety of sheens. I like California Freshcoat exterior in satin. Every manufacturer makes a version.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

        1. User avater
          BillHartmann | Jun 25, 2009 09:09pm | #7

          All acrylic paint is latex or emulsion paint, as the British call it.And that is what latex means, an emulsion. What make acrylic is the use of acrylic binders rather than cheaper ones in the emulsion..
          William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe

          1. DaveRicheson | Jun 26, 2009 01:26pm | #14

            All acrylic paint is latex or emulsion paint, as the British call it.

            The correct expression is "all acrylics are latex, but not all latex are acrylic."

            Latex emulsions when dried just coalless (sp) into the final film. That is as the water leaves the wet film the small spherical latex particles move into contact with each other and stick together. They have a very weak physical bond.

            Acrylic coating look very similar to latex in the emulsion form (small spherical particles), but as the water leaves the film and they come in contact with each other there is a much stronger chemical bond that forms. The degree of this bonding is the difference between cheaper and higher end acrylic coatings.

            A good test to determine the quality of the test is to do an alcohol rub on the cured film. Latex and low end acrylic coatings will dissolve with rubbing alcohol. Higher end 100% acrylic coating will get dull, but not dissolve.

  3. User avater
    IMERC | Jun 25, 2009 09:08pm | #6

    remove the weather stripping...

    replace when yur done...

    the stripping is fitted into a slit.. pull to remove...

     

    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming

    WOW!!! What a Ride!


    Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

     

    "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

  4. frammer52 | Jun 25, 2009 09:27pm | #8

    I bet you know this, but did you know that your warentee on the door is void when you install a storm door over it?

    1. CCI | Jun 25, 2009 10:03pm | #9

      Yeah.  Believe it or not I actually read the instructions before I installed it - what are the odds of that!

      The only problem I had was with the sealant around the window plastic trim sort of oozing out due to heat build up.  I had no problem with the plastic trim warping.

      I spoke to a Stanley engineer before adding the storm door and he told me - off the record - that if I painted the door white I should have no problems.  Dark colors really build up heat in the enclosed space and can warp the plastic parts.

      Funny how the jambs are perfectly set up for storm door installation.  Sort of like entrapment if you asked me.

      Thanks.

  5. User avater
    xxPaulCPxx | Jun 26, 2009 09:17am | #12

    Interesting you mention that.

    I put fire doors with weather stripping on every bedroom.  Our bedroom door is painted with a high gloss white - about 3 y.o. now.  I left the others primer white.  Every time I open my bedroom door after it's been closed awhile, I get that tearing like unsticking sound between the weatherstrip and the door.

    I'm keeping up with this thread to see if there is something I can do to fix that.  Scares the bejeegees out of my wife at night when I open the door.

    Tu stultus es
    Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
    Also a CRX fanatic!

    Look, just send me to my drawer.  This whole talking-to-you thing is like double punishment.

    1. User avater
      IMERC | Jun 26, 2009 10:08am | #13

      wash the seals and the doors where the seals contact the door with denatured...

      "paint" only the seal with food grade 100% silicone lube...

      test the paint to see if it won't mind the denatured...

      good way to prevent the doors freezing shut on yur truck during the winter...

       

      Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->

      WOW!!! What a Ride!

      Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!

       

      "Some days it's just not worth chewing through the restraints"

      Edited 6/26/2009 3:11 am by IMERC

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