How to paint a front door

It doesn’t always take much to revitalise your home – even something as simple as adding a fresh lick of paint to your front door can make a big difference. If your front door is starting to look a little worn and tired, painting it a new colour will do a lot to change the appearance of your home’s exterior.

If you’re thinking of picking up a paintbrush and you’re looking for some advice, here are some key points to bear in mind.

Preparing your door

Before you set to work, it’s important to carry out the proper preparation first. The first thing you need to do is remove the door from its hinges before you try to paint it. Remember, front doors are hefty, so it’s best to have another pair of hands to help you with this task. Take any appendages – such as the door knocker and the handle, for instance – off the door before you start work on it. Make sure you take the hinges off the door as well so that paint doesn’t get on them.

Once you’ve done that, visually inspect the door for surface cracks and other defects. Look for old paint drips on the door and use sandpaper to remove them. Use a quick-drying wood filler to patch over any cracks. Once it’s dry, sand it down so that the filler fits smoothly in with the rest of the door surface.

Priming and painting

With all that out of the way, you’re ready to get down to business. But before you attempt to apply the paint, you may need to prime the door first – that way, the paint should adhere better. If the older paint is still in good condition, you shouldn’t need a primer. Otherwise, make sure you prime all six sides of your front door, giving each a thorough coating. Once you’ve applied the primer, be sure to give it time to dry completely.

Using an angled sash brush, paint the corners of the panels first. Your best bet is to start with the top panels and then work your way down to the lower ones. Then take a roller and apply the paint to the raised panels – painting with the grain. After that, paint the rails and stiles (the former go across the door, the latter up and down) and take care to paint with the grain rather than going across the seam. The number of coats will vary depending on the colour you choose; as a general rule, the darker the colour you’re going for, the more coats will be required.

Happy painting!

If you’d rather not go down the DIY route, post a job and get up to three quotes from professional painters/decorators. We’ll send you links to their profile pages and you’ll be able to use their ratings and reviews to help you choose who to hire.

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