How to Paint a Door

Painting a door enhances its appearance and makes it durable. To paint a door, though easy job, one has to be careful about the details and follow the basic instructions strictly. Only then it is possible to paint the doors properly. Planning and preparation are important for completing the task successfully.

Procedure to Paint a Door

The first step in the process of painting a door is cleaning it properly. Removing the grease and dirt present on surface of the door is necessary to attain a smooth texture. To paint new doors is comparatively easier than painting old ones. The grease which builds on older doors makes it difficult to sand them. One should choose oil paints instead of water-based paints. The risk of cracking and warping is reduced to a great extent if oil paints are used. Before the actual process of painting is started, one has to fill the holes and cracks with putty. A masking tape should be used for doors having glass panels.

It is recommended to apply primer before using the actual paint. The primer helps in bonding paint to the door. Tools that are used for painting include brushes and rollers. Brushes give better control than rollers. So it is recommended to prefer brushes over rollers. Gloss finish and satin paints give a nice look to doors. One can paint doors either by removing them off the hinges or without displacing them at all. If the door is to be painted in its place, it is advisable to paint the parts adjoining to the handle at last. It facilitates opening and closing the door easily.

Painting in general should be started from the middle of the door and be continued towards edges. Strokes of the brush need to be applied evenly. One should also take into account the grain alignment of the wood while painting. The paint bonds properly with the door if strokes are applied in the direction of grain. Edges of the door should be painted at last. While painting the edges, care should be taken to see that excess paint is removed. If a thick layer of paint is applied on the edges, the door may not fit properly. It is important to understand how to paint a door without brush marks. Applying paint on the door evenly would help to prevent any kind of brush marks.

Painting a Door to Look Like Wood

To paint a door in wood color, one should choose yellow ocher color; it should be used as a base coat. Next step in the process is to mix water, faux glaze and burnt umber together. The quantities of faux glaze, water and burnt umber should be ½ cup, 1/8th cup and 1 tbsp respectively. This paint mixture need to be applied across the door. To give the door a mahogany-like appearance, one should choose burnt sienna as the base coat. Read more on interior paint colors and ideas.

Tips to Remember

The top and bottom edges need to be painted just like the panels and edges at sides. Swelling and rotting of the door is prevented by this practice. The order of painting should be as follows: the jambs need to be painted in the beginning, followed by the trim. The actual door should be painted at last. One should avoid to load the brush with too much of paint at a time. It results into the accumulation of paints in the details of doors.

The procedure of painting a door is very easy understand and implement. With little patience and knowledge of proper techniques, painting a door becomes an easy task.