So you’ve just about finished decorating your home and, now that your walls are freshly painted, the state of your doors has come to light. If you’ve decided that repainting your doors is a DIY project you’re ready to take on, there might be a few questions on your mind – ‘What is the proper way to paint a door?’, ‘Do I need to sand a door before painting?’. These concerns might overwhelm or even bore you but never fear, this task doesn’t have to be as exciting as watching paint dry.
Leader Doors is here with a step-by-step guide on the best way to paint a door including things to consider, a list of all the tools you’ll need and pro tips that will leave you feeling fully confident to go the task alone.
Things To Consider
- be more difficult to maintain. A gloss finish is easy to clean but flaws will be accentuated so preparation and paint will need to be perfect. Satin or semigloss are great alternatives.
- Consider removing the door. While pros are able to paint in place, removing the door means you can control the lighting better and laying the door flat will minimise the paint running.
- Ensure you clean the door with a household cleaner that removes grease. Door handles tend to pick up a lot of grime.
- There is no place for cheap rollers or brushes here. Use a mini roller with mohair, microfiber or foam sleeves.
- Even the most skilled painter can’t beat the end result of a sprayed-on finish. You can choose between the Airless or the High Pressure/Low Volume (HPLV) Sprayer. As well as the perfect job, you’ll also save many hours and brush strokes.
What You’ll Need:
- Bucket
- Dust mask
- Orbital sander
- Paint brush
- Paint roller
- Paint scraper
- Putty knife
- Rags
- Roller sleeve
- Roller tray
- Sanding block
- Shop light
- Shop vacuum
- Tweezers
- Utility knife
- Foam brushes
- Paint
- Paint drip remover
- Primer
- Sandable filler
- Sanding sponges
- Sandpaper
What to Do:
- Remove door handles and other hardware. This will mean you’re able to paint the entire door without any obstructions.
- Fill dents and holes with a filler that can be sanded down easily. Once you’ve sanded, fill again to account for any shrinkage.
- Using a light sandpaper or sanding sponge, sand the door to smooth out any chipped paint or imperfections. While this is usually the most time consuming part, it is an important step because it means that the primer adheres to the door better. Vacuum the sandpaper dust thoroughly and wipe the door down with a damp cloth.
- Paint the door with two coats of primer and once fully dry (we recommend leaving to dry overnight), smooth any remaining imperfections.
- Be sure to use a vacuum and damp cloth to remove any other dust from the area you are painting in.
- For painting the door, paint the edges first, then around the panels, then the panels themselves, and then the sides around the panels.
- Plan for two coats and use a light layer on the first coat. Use a roller where you can and then brush out the rolled paint for a better finish.
We hope that this guide has helped you with painting your door. If you’re looking for a complete overhaul of your doors, you can find all of the options that Leader Doors has here. For the ultimate guide on how to take care of your interior doors, check out our Door Aftercare Guide.