Painting a door seems easy, right? But, like any paint project, what starts out as an easy DIY project, can turn into a nightmare if you’re not careful. Thankfully, we’re here to guide you so that your doors are prepped, primed and painted to perfection.
Here’s what you need to know about painting a door:
DO remove the door handles. It may seem obvious, but when it comes to making DIY dreams come true, it’s often the attention to the smallest details that matter most. And when painting doors, the last thing you want is for your hard work to be ruined by some rogue paint on a door handle. That’s why we recommend removing the handles, not just masking them.
DON’T forget the metho test. Like trims, doors are regularly painted using a different sheen level than walls. In older homes, this was often done using oil-based paint. And what happens when you paint water-based paint over oil based?? The paint won’t stick.
That’s why you need to use the metho test to determine what your doors were painted with before applying your first stroke. That way you’ll know what prep you need to do.
DO fill any holes or cracks in the door with a timber filler. For the best possible finish, you need a smooth surface. That means no holes. Fill them with a timber filler (we love the Timbermate wood filler), allow to dry and then sand smooth.
DON’T skip sanding. We’re not exaggerating when we say that sanding is one of the best ways to achieve the amazing finish you’re after on walls, ceilings, trims AND doors. That’s because sanding helps the paint stick better to the surface, ensuring an even, long-lasting finish.
DO prime the doors. Like sanding, priming is an important part of the painting process (even more so when going from oil-based paint to water-based.) Paint needs to adhere to the surface and a primer like Dulux Precision Max Adhesion makes this possible.
DON’T fall for the pre-primed myth. You’ll often see new doors say that they are “pre-primed” and we wouldn’t blame you for thinking it’s a huge time saver. However, they’re lying to you.
Well… maybe not lying, but when they say “pre-primed” what they mean is that they’re pre-primed for protection during transport, not for your paint. So even if it says “pre-primed” you need to prime it before you paint.
DO choose a premium paint. Doors deserve more love and we’re not afraid to show it. Just think about it… before you enter a beautifully painted room, you have to open the door. It’s like the first course in a 5-star meal. And we want to start strong.
That’s why we love Porter’s Paints AquaSatin. Not only does it look amazing (it is Porter’s after all), but it’s also durable and fully washable. This makes it the perfect choice for painting the doors in any home.
DON’T shy away from colour. There’s nothing wrong with a white door, but if you’re looking to inject some personality and colour into a space without going through a full room transformation, then painting doors might be exactly the project you need.
Whether you’re renovating a home, repairing some damage or going bold with colour, there is no substitute for following the painting process when painting a door. And that also goes for painting a hallway or making over a bathroom.
Visit your local Inspirations Paint store for expert advice on your next project.