Next, you will want to scrape and sand any areas of peeling finish. Make sure to cover the floor if you don’t want paint on it! Paint stiles, the long sides of the door, with the grain, which will be up and down, and the rails, the top and bottom edges, side to side. It also seals porous fillers so the topcoat looks smooth and even. Image – Grey & Scout. If you do not have a glass or storm door that stands between your door and the elements, you’ll want to make certain you use exterior paint. Just make sure you or your painter uses tape to get a beautiful, clean line on the edge. Weatherstripping sticks to freshly painted doors. Paint the panels first, using vertical strokes. Leave the back (interior) side for when you paint the interior room behind the door, since it may be a different color than the front and sides. Once the caulk is dry, prime that section again. After the primer dries, check the door again with a strong light. For a single exterior door that has been primed you’ll need approximately one quart of paint. Drill one 3/16-in. If you pick a secondary body color, use it to highlight architectural features such as a gable, or for a second body material such as shingles. Finish by painting the left and right sides of the door with vertical strokes. –Fascia should be the same color as the trim. The paint actually will take longer to dry than you think. So no, you don’t need to paint the door the same color as some other part of your house. Your paint manufacturer should be able to advise you of the LRV for a selected colour. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. After scraping, sand the wooden door to smooth the scraped edges. However, when deciding on a door, you must consider the entire door unit, not just the door slab. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. No matter how careful you are, you can usually find ridges or bubbles or a few bits of dust and lint in a fresh coat of paint or primer. If your door is metal, look for one with built-in rust protection. Paint the exterior side first. The front entry should serve as a welcoming beacon to greet guests. I even go so far as to paint under the hinges and in the bore hole for the knob, deadbolt and strikes. The fastest way to remove paint buildup on a wooden door is with a sharp stainless steel or carbide scraper. One final point to note when it comes to painting a panel door is that for the purposes of this project, we have worked on the principles of painting an interior panel door but if your are painting an exterior panel door then you will also need to paint the bottom edge of the door. The edge of the door should match whatever you use for the interior side. Now you might be saying, “My door isn’t wood you doofus”. ALWAYS match the paint color of the leading edge to the paint color on the opening face of the door. Learn how your comment data is processed. Step Three: Sanding the Door For deeper holes, use a two-part filler or an epoxy wood filler. Fresh paint is all it takes to boost curb appeal and brighten your mood every time you return home. For this job use a palm sander with 50-grit sandpaper. Use good paint tools. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), Do Not Sell My Personal Information – CA Residents. There are certain kinds of paint that are great at covering metal so you can decorate your home the way you want. If your door has panels, then paint the recessed parts first with a brush, starting with the corners. This is a project that can make the biggest impact in changing your home's appearance. Repainting an old door requires some additional steps such as removing hardware, sanding and priming. Painting an exterior door is a great way to add a tasteful accent to your home and to bring its look and style together. Once the surface is smooth you’re ready to move on. Any foreign material will inhibit the paint from adhering to the door’s surface. Now you might be saying, “My door isn’t wood you doofus”. Here's how to paint a front door within a day. Inspect an older wood door for any cracks. Enamel colour must be used on entrance doors, acrylic may be used on internals only. Also, secure all hardware. Use sandpaper rather than a scraper on metal doors. Skip this step if you are using a pre-treated door … It's difficult to know how soon to put a door back up again after painting. Apply 1 coat of Dulux® 1 Step® Acrylic Primer, Sealer & Undercoat and leave it to dry for two hours. Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked Water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board. With the door laid flat on sawhorses, you can spread paint more quickly and not worry about drips and paint sags. Wipe down the door to remove all the girt and grime. Get fair costs for your SPECIFIC project requirements. Paint stiles, the long sides of the door, with the grain, which will be up and down, and the rails, the top and bottom edges, side to side. They also hold up better to UV rays. The interior of any door should AND can be painted to match or coordinate with those colors surrounding it. Painting a door with a brush or roller is the primary topic. hole in the bottom of the door and two at the top, then turn 4-in. Sand with non-clogging 180- or 220-grit sandpaper or sanding sponges (look for 'non-clogging' or 'stearated' on the label). If you’re preparing to paint an old door or a new one with hardware, it’s best to remove all of the items, including hinges, doorknob, doorknocker, strike plate and peephole. Understanding the anatomy of an exterior door unit and the purpose of every part will assist in simplifying the buying process. Don’t read any further – just let this be a feature inside as it is for your exterior. Fill any old holes with wood putty. But for a smooth finish, you have to lay it flat and remove the hinges, knobs and other hardware. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dry time. Surface prep is important when you are painting, but it’s especially important for a wooden exterior door because the weather will constantly abuse the surface. The tops of inswing doors are not as critical and can be sealed as part of the staining or painting process. Using either water based acrylic paint for wood or an oil primer for metal, paint the door’s six sides—the exterior, interior and each of the four edges. by 1/4-in. To devote more time to this project, you can board up your home's front door … Also, avoid caulking tongue-and-groove siding boards together. It may seem like a lot of work, but it shouldn't take more than five minutes when the door is flat on the sawhorses. Since the planet is moving from grey to black, here is the scoop on when it’s a good idea and when it’s a bad idea to paint your doors black. But even when latex paint is dry to the touch, it can still stick to the doorstop or weather stripping and then peel off when you open the door. Otherwise, the primer and paint won’t adhere properly. If you’re painting onto a bare surface, over a darker colour or a repaired surface, a coat of primer is recommended to seal your surface and provide the ideal base for painting. The best paint for exterior doors is exterior acrylic paint because it is flexible and contains mildewcides designed to protect your door from harsh conditions. If you’re painting a glazed door, it is important to use masking tape, or an equivalent material to protect the glass from paint. And you can still paint both sides in a day if you rest the door on lag screws. For instance, a red door might symbolize luck for some buyers. For this project, you’ll need paint and primer (if you’re not using a pre-primed, metal-clad door). Your front door—and, more specifically, the color it’s painted—can have a major effect on your home’s curb appeal. Then, it’s time to prep your door. 4. Paint the first side, then just rotate the door on the single bolt at the bottom of the door while holding the other two bolts. If you leave the hardware attached, or if the door features a glass panel, apply painter's tape along the edges to keep paint off the window or hardware. Latex exterior paints provide weather-resistant coverage. If painting a wood door, always go with the grain. Avoid spot priming—it will make the topcoat of paint look blotchy. Fill dents less than 1/8 in. In fact, the new coat of paint highlights minor flaws. Step Four: Making Sure the Exterior Door is Clean If you do the job right, your door will look better and last longer. All Right Reserved. Step Nine: Drying Be certain the label states the pail contains exterior paint, not interior paint. Depending on the condition of any old paint, you might need to strip it down too. It's more of a hassle to use and you usually end up throwing away a lot of partially hardened filler (mix small batches), but the patch will be hard enough to take a lot of abuse without falling out. You can prime the interior and perform any prep work needed at the same time that you are working on the exterior. When You Should Paint a Fiberglass Door. Paint stiles, the long sides of the door, with the grain, which will be up and down, and the rails, the top and bottom … Some fiberglass door models are manufactured with smooth surfaces that make them ideal for being painted rather than stained. Painting a door is a fairly simple one-day or weekend DIY job, depending on experience level. Gather your supplies. Step Eight: Painting the Door Paint the exterior side first. Paint from the top to bottom of the door, going left to right and continuing the process without skipping down the door more than 4-6 inches at a time. If your door opens in, you’ll need to paint the hinged side of the door the same color. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The finishing paint or stain should … See typical tasks and time to paint an exterior door, along with per unit costs and material requirements. Even if you wait 24 hours and if the paint feels dry to the touch; that isn’t enough time. Also, avoid caulking tongue-and-groove siding boards together. Metal doors are always primed. Whether the door is flat or paneled, use a brush to paint the areas near the edges. While paint does tend to somewhat glue these pieces together, caulking them is never advised and can cause permanent damage. Latex Paint. So if you’re painting a door you can’t live without, like a bathroom or exterior door, start first thing in the morning so it can be back in service by day’s end. That’s right, your entry door from Conservation Construction and ProVia will not require extra coats of paint over the lifetime of the door. Doors like these are designed to be finished with paint; staining them would not be an effective means of finishing them. 1) If you have a beautiful natural timber feature door I would really just leave it as it is. The darker the color, the more coats you will need. They also have rounded ends that almost eliminate lap marks and let you paint into corners without leaving scrapes or ridges. Let's stay updated! We love the Quali-Tech Ultra Smooth High Density Foam roller and the angled Purdy paint brushes. Do not prime it again. Painting your home's trim, fascia, or doors can be easy. As you consider paint colors for you home's exterior, keep in mind that the best paint colors are those that highlight the most beautiful features of your home. @2018 - Professor's House. In addition to covering a large space and using techniques that assure maximum wear, you may be interested in restoring colors historically appropriate to your house style or interested in the three- and four-color schemes popularized during the early 2000s. If painting a wood door, always go with the grain. But what color should you never, ever paint your front door? You may also use masking tape to protect them from the paint but this is not recommended due to the fact that this makes it harder to ensure the areas around the hardware are properly covered. Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Cover any flaws with more spackling compound, then sand and reprime these areas with the same roller or brush, feathering the edges so the additional primer blends in. If you were to paint a vinyl door with normal exterior paint, it would peel and chip very quickly, especially with frequent use and exposure to the elements. However, if you simply love the look of a bold exterior paint color, there's one place in particular that adding a darker hue might actually do you some good: your front door. Here are the supplies and steps to get you on your way to a more colorful entry: (Note: The steps will vary slightly depending on the door material and any previous paint, varnish or stain used on the door.) Using different colours on either side of the door (exterior/interior) will cause uneven heat/moisture absorption, particularly for doors in exposed applications. Creative writing and darn good storytelling. Be sure to watch for drips all along the corners where the edge meets the face of the door. Tips for plain doors: If you are going to paint a plain, flat door, use a foam roller to roll on the paint and use an angled brush to paint the sides. If you want the best paint job on an exterior wooden door that you've just hung, the first step should be to take it down again and lay it flat on sawhorses. by 1/4-in. Let the door dry completely, then fill any holes. Always keep a wet edge when painting and you’ll be successful in the final finish. Primer blocks stains, mutes dark colors and helps new paint stick better. Even the best paint won't stick well to oil and dirt, and there's lots of both on doors, especially near the knob, where dirty hands have pushed and pulled for years. Although you can paint your front door any color you'd like, there are a few considerations that can help you pick a shade you'll love. Edge in around windows and panels with a brush first, then coat the rest of the door with the foam roller. Begin by removing the hardware so there is no chance of getting paint on it. For the smoothest possible topcoat, hand-sand the entire door after the primer and between coats of paint. A palm sander holding 80-grit sandpaper works well and will help make this job go quickly. Paint the door again as described above, allowing it to dry before applying a third coat. And you can still paint both sides in a day if you rest the door on lag screws. The other edge with the latch is called the leading edge. Ask the specialist where you are purchasing paint as to which type of paint they recommend for exterior metal or non-natural material. Because doors are the entrance and exit points of your home, plan to paint them last, so the paint finishes remain undisturbed and can properly dry when completed. Use the rollers for both primer and paint. Don’t overload the brush or roller with paint and don’t allow it to puddle on the door. Foam rollers are available at paint stores and home centers. –Limit paint colors to one trim, a door color, a primary body color, and occasionally a second body color. If you’re painting over existing paint work you’ll likely find that it’s coated in either a gloss or semi-gloss paint. Immediately after fitting and before hanging, the entire door including the top and bottom edges must receive two coats of undercoat and two coats of paint. Chemically strip fiberglass doors if they have flaking paint—you'll quickly ruin a fiberglass door (smooth or wood grain) if you scrape or sand it. Technical support at Valspar told me that the moisture level of wood should be 15% or less. Use power sanders sparingly—high-speed sanding can melt paint, making it even more difficult to smooth out. Numbers 2-7 in diagram. Since your door will be exposed to rain, sun, wind and other elements, you'll need flexible and mold-resistant exterior paint. Be sure to seal up your paint and clean brushes, rollers and pans. If this is the case, first ensure that the door is totally free of dust and dirt. Then paint the raised surfaces with a small roller. They spread a thinner coat of paint than brushes or conventional rollers do, so you'll need at least two coats. You might assume that new paint will hide tiny dents and scratches, but it won't. Before you can paint an exterior door, you need to clean it, sand it, and prime it, and this requires some tools. Woodie's will show you how to paint an exterior wooden door. Paint the exterior side first. Note: Painting a door typically takes three to five hours, depending on the condition of the door and how fussy you are. Paint the panels. 5. For convenience, it's tempting to leave a door hanging on its hinges when you paint. If you want the best paint job on an exterior wooden door that you've just hung, the first step should be to take it down again and lay it flat on sawhorses. You should never just paint one side of a timber door as this will cause it to warp. Exposure to the great outdoors leaves your front door dirty, so take a few minutes to wipe it down before painting. Additional items needed for painting and repainting may include: Step One: To Prime or Not Prime? Apply primer and paint to the front (exterior side) of the door, as well as to its top, bottom and sides. Paint the door with an exterior-grade paint-and-primer-in-one. The cost to Paint an Exterior Door starts at $95.38 - $218 per door, but can vary significantly with site conditions and options. Some products nowadays contain both paint and primer in one. It’s best to paint the interior part of the door after the exterior, stiles and rails are done. Step Six: Fixing Cracks Remove all hardware, including the doorknob, lock, kick plate, etc. It's important to keep that in mind when painting a front door. Sand just enough to make the surface feel smooth. A U-shaped door bottom slides onto the underneath of the door and can be adjusted so that it covers the gap to the threshold. I used the 2 inch size for my door. lag screws 1-1/2 in. Bottom of siding boards should not be caulked Water is meant to exit through the bottom of each board. For an exterior door, you're doing to use a different paint. Step 1. Wipe off with … certainly you can paint the exterior on all edges the same, as well. Priming all sides will help ensure the durability of the door. Door-friendly exterior paints are available in a … The door, which will usually be some shade of grey, has been primed in the factory according to specifications that will allow it to readily accept paint. Be sure to seal the bottoms of your exterior door. Fill the cracks with caulk, using a putty knife to ensure the crack is filled properly and the surface flush with the door. AND in this case, it IS easier to paint again. How to paint a front door Step 1: Clean and prep the door. But add in the drying time and it’s a full-day project. If your door opens in, you’ll need to paint the hinged side of the door the same color. Of a timber door as this will cause it to dry before applying a third coat sander with sandpaper. 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