Best Practices For Painting Your Front Door

When it comes to increasing the value of your home, curb appeal is key. Aside from keeping a well-manicured landscape and making sure that your siding and roofing are in tip-top condition, your front door plays a vital role in the aesthetic appeal of your home’s exterior. It immediately shows the world your style, so the design, color, and state of repair are very important. If you would like to make a great impression on guests and neighbors and create a welcoming first impression, painting your door is the first step. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be a daunting task, and there are several steps you can follow to help ensure that your project is completed smoothly and the results are beautiful.

Step 1: Choose a Color

Whether you are choosing a safe, neutral color or are taking the leap with a bright colored hue, choosing a paint color can be intimidating. To eliminate any surprises once you start painting, tape a few swatches on your door beforehand to compare. The colors will look quite different in natural outdoor lighting than they will in the store.

Step 2: Remove the Hardware

While you can put tape around all of the knobs and locks, this usually does not produce the best results. Therefore, in order to achieve the most professional-looking appearance, you should remove the door and all of the hardware. You can do this by using a chisel or flatbed screwdriver to wedge into the joints between the hinges and the top of the hinge pins, then lightly tapping the screwdriver handle until the hinge pins come loose. You can then pull out the pins and use a screwdriver to remove the rest of the hardware.

Step 3: Prep the Door

Clean the door using a palm sander to roughen the flat surfaces of the existing paint until it feels even all over. If the door has cracks, repair them by dabbing small amounts of caulk into the cracks and working them in with a putty knife. After the door is smooth and free of cracks and peeling paint, wipe the entire door clean with mild detergent and water or a TSP (tri-sodium phosphate) solution.

Step 4: Apply the Primer

Brush on a single coat of primer with a wide paintbrush, covering the front and side edges of the door. Once you are done with the front and the paint has dried, turn it over to the back and repeat the same process. If the primer drips or goes on chunky, lightly sand the surface to smooth it out once the primer has dried.

Step 5: Paint Edges

Use a paintbrush to paint the corners, crevices, and details of your door by hand. Make long strokes with the brush and feather out the edges of the paint so that there are no drips.

Step 6: Paint Flat Surfaces

Use a small roller to apply a smooth, consistent paint application across all of the flat surfaces, including the center stile and outer stiles of your door. Add at least two coats of paint to the door, using three or more if you would like to increase the color saturation. Once both sides are painted and dry, use a paintbrush once more to level out the roller marks and leave a smooth hand-painted texture.

Step 7: Reinstall Your Door

Once the paint no longer feels tacky to the touch, replace all of the hardware and reattach the door to its frame with the hinge pins.

If you would like to simplify the painting process even further, contact Advanced Window Systems, LLC.

Contact the friendly and knowledgeable professionals at Advanced Window Systems 1-800-CALL-AWS for more information about the front doors we offer. We will gladly provide you with more information as well as a FREE at-home estimate.