Quick Guide to Painting a Door

DIY painting can be a very enjoyable and satisfying way to cut the costs of improving your home and is one of the easiest DIY tasks which you can undertake. So how do you paint a door, whether that be a new interior door or to renovate old paintwork.

The first thing to do when painting any interior door is to remove the handles and locking mechanism, this makes the painting job much easier and stops you from getting paint all over the handles etc.

To prepare a new wooden door for painting, sand down the door with a fine sandpaper following the grain, any sharp edges should be slightly rounded off. Once sanding has been completed, wipe the door down with a clean cloth and white spirit to remove all dust and debris.

Fold ‘old’ interior doors, check for any loose paint, remove then sand the surrounding area with to even the doors surfaces. Do any filling necessary, then – to complete the preparation, rub the entire door down with fine sandpaper.

If the paintwork is in good condition then you may not need to prime or undercoat the door (especially if it is to be painted the same colour), although it is advisable to sand down the existing paintwork and apply a thin undercoat prior to applying the topcoat of paint.

Whether a new or old interior door, it’s always a good idea to apply a couple of thin coats – this is always better than trying to get away with just applying one thick coat of paint. This will nearly always look rough and will very likely run.

To apply the first coat of paint, start with the beading around the panels making sure you avoid any paint runs. Coat the door panels themselves following the grain of the wood. Next paint the vertical & horizontal stiles with smooth vertical paint strokes, again following the grain of the wood. Finally, coat the edges of the door with smooth vertical strokes, and as before, try to ensure you catch any runs or build-ups of paint on the corners.

Allow time for the door to dry and then rub down the door with fine sandpaper, wipe the door down with a clean cloth to remove any dust, and then apply the second coat in the same way.