How to Paint Your Front Door
A relatively simple and worthwhile project to improve your home’s curb appeal, is painting your front door. Given it’s lesser surface area, you might be more inclined to tackle this paint job rather than your garage door or your interior walls. But keep in mind that there’s a right and wrong way to paint your door. Avoid an amateur-looking job by following these seven simple steps:
- Choose a new colour
Keep in mind that whatever colour your choose will look different in outdoor light than it does indoor. So when shopping for colours, be sure to test swatches on your door before you make a final decision.
- Remove door hardware and tape windows
Of course, you can leave the hardware intact and simply tape around it, but you’ll likely achieve a better result if you remove the locks and knobs first, (this is also a good opportunity to replace your old and tarnished hardware), and tape around glass accents or windows with painters tape. Wipe the entire door clean with a dry rag to remove dust .
- Sand
Clean your door with a sponge and water, and then sand to remove irregularities. Once you’ve sanded, use a rag to rid the door of any extraneous debris.
- Apply primer
Depending on the original colour of your door, you may need more than one coat of primer. After you’ve applied the primer, sand once more to level out inconsistencies.
- Tackle the edges and inset detailing using a paintbrush
Because you won’t be able to evenly cover the detailing on your door with a roller, you want to tackle those areas first. Avoid drips by feathering the brush into the hard-to-reach corners and nooks.
- Use a roller for the flat surfaces
Use a small foam roller, as you would for a wall. The flat surfaces you will be working with are likely smaller. Look for a six inch low-nap or foam roller. While the paint is still wet, use a paintbrush to level out the final coat of paint and even out any stippling.
- Give it a day to dry
Then reinstall all the hardware, take a step back, and admire your new and improved door.
