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A marble fireplace surround is known to add a touch of beauty to your house, giving it a unique visual appeal.

However, choosing a marble fireplace surround comes with a major drawback; when damaged with age, it is quite expensive to replace. An alternative to replacing a marble fireplace is painting.

Although you will lose the marble natural stone touch, you will achieve a new look of your choice that rhymes with your house décor. So then, how should you go about painting your expensive marble fireplace? Read on to find the tips you can use.

Step by Step Guide on Painting Your Marble Fireplace Surround:

First, clean the marble surface to remove dirt, dust, grease and other contaminants. You may use mineral spirits or any other effective solvent-based cleaner.

Check for any cracks within the surface and refill them as they are likely to affect the uniformity of your painting. An epoxy filler works well in covering the cracks.

Use a 220-grit sandpaper for sanding the glossy marble surface to roughen it. Roughening the surface makes it more accepting primer and paint. Be sure to roughen all the surfaces you need to paint and wipe them with a tack cloth to remove any residual sand dust.

Lay protective clothing around and under the fireplace to protect the surrounding from paint. Additionally, cover the surrounding walls with painters’ tape.

Now cover the marble surface with a three in one primer suitable for glossy surfaces. The primer contains a primer, sealer, and an undercoat. Leave it to dry before adding a second layer for proper coverage.

Inspect the primer for dryness and when it completely dries up, sand the surface again using a 220-grit sandpaper to prepare it for the paint. Again, wipe it using a tack cloth to remove residual dust.

Now paint the surface using your preferred gloss paint. Use a brush or a roller to apply the paint, thinning it as per the instructions on the label. Let the first coat dry before applying a second one, sanding in between the coat layers to achieve the desired uniformity.

Continue applying thin layers of paint until you are satisfied with the results. Sand the coats and ensure they are dry before applying another coat for better bonds and long-lasting paint. After applying the last layer, leave it to dry for at least 24 hours before igniting the fireplace. Ensure that you use heat resistant paint.

If your end paint is not as pleasing as you expected, you may consider removing the paint. You can hire professional removal services from fireplace paint removal. They will help restore your fireplace to its former state.

Conclusion

Adopt the above steps and give your marble fireplace surround a new look. However, if you feel that you cannot do the painting yourself, you can always request professional help from Premium Door Stripping. These are experts with years of experience in painting and paint removal services on marble fireplaces.

Having a broken or damaged door increases the insecurity levels in your premise. A homeowner must ensure that the doors are repaired and the functionality reinstated.

If you are reading this, there are chances that your wooden door has a dent. Worry no more! The information discussed here aims to educate you on the most viable ways to repair a dent in your wooden door.

Choose Wood Filler

A homeowner must find the right wood filler for the task. The suitable material should match the wooden door and give you that naturally perfect finish.

Depending on the extent of the dent, one can purchase the vinyl sparkling compound, solvent-based wood filler or epoxy wood filler.

One can use Vinyl for light woodwork repair and epoxy wood filler for the extensive dents. Companies like Premium Door Stripping offer comprehensive coverage on the ideal wood fillers to choose.

Fill in and Smooth the Filler

It would be best if you began by mixing the wood fillers with water or suitable hardeners. Once ready, you can apply the substance onto dry wood.

Applying on wet wood exposes the filling to moisture hence altering the quality; it is more susceptible to failure.

For the large dents, one should use a putty knife while the smaller ones require your finger. Stainable fillers are indispensable if one intends to stain the wooden door after that.

Let Dry and Sand the Area

Depending on the dented area, one can use fine sandpaper of the 120-grit paper. The sanding process ensures that there’s no residue after drying. Using epoxy fillers requires that you use a file.

You should sand by hand so that no depression forms on the filled area; the uniformity should be your focus point.

When sanding, one should do so in the same direction as the wood’s grain so that you avoid getting scratches on the finished product. A homeowner can choose to clean wood after paint stripping for perfect results.

Conclusion

Wood filler is a versatile substance used to repair scratches, chips and dents on wooden items. It works efficiently in restoring the elegance and functionality of the door.

What expectation do you have when hiring a professional painter for your home or piece of art? To get elegant and long-lasting results. However, that’s not what we always get.

Why? Well, there are tons of less skilled and dishonest painters out there who fail to follow the ideal steps. In turn, they tend to leave you with streaky and smudged paints.

Some start fading or crack with no time, and you end up spending more to repair the paints. Identifying the early signs of damaged paints can help you cut-the re-painting costs. That’s why this article comes in.

A streaky, blistered or blotchy paint

These flaws on your paint show that the coat got applied on a dirty or wet surface. Over time, the painted surfaces pick up dust and grime, and it affects the paint’s adhesion causing paint failure.

Also, it may tell you that the cover was not cleaned well through soda blasting. This makes the paint not to adhere uniformly, causing it to blotch and streak. Moreover, the moisture can make it to start blistering and even peel off easily.

It starts smudging, wrinkling and cracking.

In case you notice such problems, it may be that the second paint came before the first one drying. Thus they make the coat to start smudging and form crack lines across.

Usually, the drying period of a coat will depend on the levels of moisture on the surface and the type of paint used. A coating can wrinkle if the oil-based paint that was colder than the room’s temperature.

Besides, the painter might have used a varnish remover for wood pieces causing smudging.

Chalking paint

Chalking occurs when the coating starts to break down. Here, you will spot the paint, developing a white, powdery film and the colour may start fading. You can wipe the stain off with a light brush.

Long-term exposure of the paint to sunlight could lead to this damage. Moreover, the paint used could be thin, or the surface was not well cleaned before the painting.

Bring in a professional

Sometimes we may get blinded with the changes that our pieces of paintings undergo. We tend to ignore that everything is fine until it is too late and quite costly to revamp the paints.

Hiring a professional to inspect and track your pieces of paintings can be a great deal. They have skills and expertise for easy identification of possible paint damages.

So, they tell you on how best the damage can get handled before turning into something terrible.

Prevention is better than cure! Identifying damage to elegant paint as early as possible can be quite beneficial.

It helps you plan for re-painting. More importantly, it reduces the overall cost of making things right with your paints.

We hope you have learnt the simple tricks that will help you identify the early signs of damaged paint.

Oak has a cellular structure that makes it ideal for soaking up a variety of stains, though you should always prepare the item before doing this step.

There are several things you can do to get your oak project ready for finishing. Once complete, you will love the contrasting tones that oak shows when it’s stained and will be proud to showcase the item anywhere in your house.

Consider a Minimal Look

One of the great things about oak is that it has a lovely grain and looks wonderful in its natural state.

After furniture stripping is complete, you will see the way that your oak door, or other projects, has a beautiful look that you can enhance with your stain. Premium door stripping is especially important because it prepares the door for looking its best and being ready to hang when you’re finished.

Sand Properly

One of the most important things you can do to finish your oak project, including a door, is to sand it properly. The goal is to make sure you don’t end up with sanding lines, which can be seen once you stain the wood.

You will want to progressively move to finer grit sandpaper as you go. The more well sanded the door is, the better it will look when it’s finished.

Apply a Finish

There are two reasons to apply a finish to your oak. One is protection and the finish works by filling the grain so that other debris and gunk can’t settle in there.

This will help the project look finished for many years to come. The other reason is for the oak’s appearance. The finish will help highlight the oak’s grain and keep it from looking raw.

Final Finishing Steps

To complete your oak door, you can apply a stain to bring out the wood’s grain and create the colour you want.

You can also paint an oak door, something that is becoming increasingly popular on your front door but is also ideal for a home’s back door.

Another option is to apply a clear coat, which you can do with wax or oil. Shellac or varnish are other possibilities.

Finishing your oak is important for creating a door or other product that looks great and functions as it should. With so many options, you should be able to create the look that you love.

Have you been looking to protect your wood from damage while simultaneously bringing out its natural beauty? If so, the use of a high-quality treatment oil is an excellent idea.

Unlike other options such as stains or varnishes, wood oils are comprised of all-natural ingredients. Thus, they will never damage the underlying surface.

As you may have imagined, there are a variety of oils available and each of these is designed for a specific purpose. This is why the experts at Premium Door Stripping have put together an informative guide.

A Quick Look at the Types of Wood Oils

There are several different varieties which you can purchase. Here are the most common:

• Teak and Danish oil
• Linseed oil
• Mineral oil
• Tung oil

Determining which type to employ will depend upon several factors. For example, teak and Danish oils are known for their fast drying times as well as providing a highly resistant finish.

Linseed oil offers a lustrous finish although multiple coats need to be applied and they require a significant amount of drying time. Also, Linseed oil cannot be used on outdoor furniture.

Mineral oil is a common option due to the fact that it can be purchased at a local chemist.

It can be employed on everyday items such as cutting boards or cabinets. Tung oil is considered to provide the most stunning results as well as an amazing lustre.

It is best to expose the natural surfaces before applying any of these oils. This could involve stripping the existing paint or using a varnish remover for wood.

Please note that this is only a brief overview of the types of oils at your disposal. It is best to contact a professional in order to determine which represents the best option.

Due to the fact that exterior doors are engineered to deal with harsh elements, even the most robust designs can suffer from rot over time.

How can you address this situation in order to restore your door to its former glory? Let’s look at a handful of professional suggestions.

Determine the Extent of the Rot

You will first need to determine how much of the wood has rotted away. In some cases, severe damage may require that an entire section (such as a panel or a portion of the frame should be replaced).

Assuming that you have found the extent of the damage, allow the wood to thoroughly dry before moving on.

Remove Any Loose Wood or Paint

Efficient tools for paint stripping can be used to remove any loose wood that has rotted as well as nearby paint that may no longer be supported.

Be sure to adequately deal with this debris, as a bonding agent will not properly adhere if any remains.

The Use of an Epoxy-Based Wood Filler

The most common repair involves placing a malleable wood filler into the affected area.

Try to shape it so that it mimics the natural shape of the section. Allow it to dry for at least 24 hours and if you notice any shrinkage, another application could be needed.

Final Steps

When the bonding agent has dried, it can be sanded down until it is flush with the surface.

In some cases, you might also need to use a bit of caulk to fill in any remaining cracks. The affected area can then be primed and painted in order to achieve a uniform appearance.

The experts at Premium Door Stripping are always available if you require assistance or if you have additional questions, so feel free to give us a call.

Weatherstripping is one of the most important components of any door. This flexible seal provides a barrier against temperature variations, moisture, drafts, and even some insects.

While quite durable, there are times this weatherstripping needs to be replaced due to wear and tear. Let us look at how such a seal can be quickly replaced.

Removing the Old Weatherstripping

The most common type of weatherstripping is a rubber material that takes on the form of a flange-style bulb.

First, grip the weatherstripping with your fingers (preferably at an end or a corner).

Gently pull the flange away from the groove that is found on the door jamb. Repeat this process for the vertical and horizontal sections.

Clearing Away Any Existing Remnants

While most weatherstripping can be easily removed, some types may have been affixed in place with the use of a caulking agent or tack nails.

Take a look in order to determine whether these are present. If so, cut away the caulk with a utility knife or remove the mails with a pair of pliers.

Installing the New Seal

Measure the length of the upper horizontal door jamb and cut the new weatherstripping accordingly.

Press the flange end into the existing groove until it is flush with the jamb. Repeat this process when dealing with the two vertical sides of the door. Using a utility knife, cut off any excess weatherstripping that may remain.

So, we can see that replacing weatherstripping is a relatively simple task. There are nonetheless times when more complicated projects may need to be carried out.

In such instances, it is best to contact the team at Premium Door Stripping. We will be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have before tackling a future project.