Best Way To Paint A Door

We have lived in our home for 17 years and in that time we have either had a painted brown door or a stained brown door. I recently have been feeling that I want more color in my life and got the itch to paint my kitchen door. Sometimes you just need a fresh coat of paint. Here is the best way to paint a door to get a smooth, professional finish.

The Best Way To Paint A Door

Our dutch door was previously stained a walnut color. It faces south which means it gets sun exposure ALL day, everyday. Over the years, the sealer on the door has faded to look milky white and splotchy. I could have resealed it like I did with my front door, but like I stated above, I was in the mood for some more color in my life. So here is the best way to paint a door!

Take The Door Down

The first thing you need to do is take the door off. It is tempting to paint the door while it is still on the hinges in the door frame. But if you do, you have to do more prep. You have to tape around the hinges and door knobs and if you are going to spray, you have to tarp and tape everything in the room around your door. Even though it seems like a pain to take it off the hinges, and remove the door hardware, it is worth it. This goes for interior doors as well as exterior doors. 

Sand

Once the door is off the hinges and the hardware has been removed, I like to lay it on a table with a blanket, drop cloths, tack cloth, or old towels under it to protect the other side from dings or getting scratched. Then I start lightly sanding the surface of the door with a fine grit sandpaper. 220 grit is my go to for painting prep. 

If there are any dents or scratches, putty them with wood filler before sanding.

Tape

When there is a large area to cover, I like to add contact paper to the largest part of the area and then just tape around the edges. If you don't have contact paper on hand, regular paper works well too. Just make sure to use painter's tape along any seams where multiple papers overlap. 

Paint The Door

Make sure to choose the right paint for your project. If you are painting an exterior door, the side that faces the outside will need exterior paint. Either choose a paint that has a built in primer, or add a coat of primer before painting. A paint job is only as good as the quality of the paint used.

I have painted many doors with brushes and even a foam roller and there are tricks to getting a smooth finish with a brush, but even if you know the tips and tricks, it still takes a long time and you may still end up with brush strokes showing. Once you start painting with a sprayer, you will never go back to a paint brush. 

Sprayers work great with any type of paint. So whether you use an oil-based paint or water-based paint, a paint sprayer is the way to go. Not only is it faster, it gives you the best results with the most beautiful finish. No more brush marks!

I always turn the sprayer down to a fine spray to apply thin coats. A few thin coats are better than one or two thick coats. You have less of a chance for drips if you do light coats. 

Once I'm done with the second coat of paint, I remove the tape before the paint has fully dried. If you wait until the paint has dried, you run the risk of it peeling paint off your project along with the tape.

Allow the paint to fully cure before you put the door back on the door frame. Drying time will depend on the brand of paint, the kind of paint you used, as well as the humidity and temperature. 

I've seen the cutest photos online of big doodle dogs peering out of a dutch door while the top was open. I tried to recreate that look with Kevin our Frenchie, but he obviously needed help. He wasn't amused. Hahaha! Don't worry, he got plenty of treats for his "efforts".

He would much rather be hanging out on the kitchen porch watching us do project on the driveway.

I considered painting my kitchen exterior door green and even thought I might go for yellow. But ultimately I decided to go for navy blue since y window boxes and other planters are already navy blue. Plus, the cool thing about paint is, I can always change it to green or yellow in the future if I change my mind. But for now I am loving the blue! New paint makes the whole door feel new! 

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