About ten years ago we built a glorified handicap ramp and stairs on a local church. The ramp is disguised with a half wall which features panels made with mdo and applied mouldings. The top of the wall is protected with a drip detail but the wall is exposed to the weather. The mdo will not hold paint for more than a year. Though I feel no responsibility for the problem, I would like to help out an old customer and learn something new in the process. Is there any hope for this problem? Replacing the mdo with something else is probably not an option.
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Replies
Was the MDO prepped with shellac or epoxy coating before painting ? Coated 6 sides ?
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
"Was the MDO prepped with shellac or epoxy coating before painting ? Coated 6 sides ? "
. No. It would have been easy enough at the time but what did I know? We did not do the painting.
This should have been two faced MDO with edges sealed.
Water is penetrating from the back and wicking through to push the paint off.
Excellence is its own reward!
Okay, should-have-beens are history now. One option would be to strip the paint on the face, soak in some "restoration" epoxy, then prime and paint. Better still would be if you could get to the back of the panels and seal them too. Using a heat-gun during stripping may drive out further moisture. This too will fail eventually, but it'll give you a few years.
NOTE: I am not a painter, so there could very well be better advice out there..
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario