A fresh coat of paint can easily bring a scuffed and worn door back to life. And it’s a simple project if you have basic painting experience around the house. We’ll walk you through the steps with all the tips you need. Be sure to click on the Project Shopping List to stock up on everything you need for this project.
Step 1: Clean the Door Surface
Remove the door from its hinges. Place the door on sawhorses to keep it level and off the ground. Clean the door using a mild solution of detergent and water, and scrub it thoroughly with a sponge or soft brush. Rinse with water to remove any soap residue and allow it to dry thoroughly.
Helpful Tips
Remove all of the door hardware or cover it completely with painter’s tape.
Use a plastic drop cloth to protect your floors and minimize cleanup.
Safety Alerts!
Before you begin, put on a pair of work gloves to protect your hands from splinters, chemicals and paint.
Keep all of your materials and equipment away from children and pets.
Step 2: Scrape and Sand
Remove flaking paint using a 1″ paint scraper. Then smooth the edges between the painted and unpainted areas with medium-grit sandpaper. Then switch to fine-grit sandpaper and sand until the surface is smooth. Dirt isn’t the only thing that prevents paint from sticking—so does a glossy surface. You can remove the luster and smooth any imperfections in the door’s surface by lightly sanding it with fine sandpaper. Remove sanding dust with a damp rag, tack cloth or duster.
Helpful Tip
Before you begin scraping, be sure to use a new scraper blade or sharpen the existing blade with a fine metal file. An extra-sharp blade will make your job a lot easier and reduce the possibility of damaging the surface..
Safety Alerts!
Make sure you have adequate ventilation where you’re working. Minimize airborne dust by setting up an easy exhaust system. Consider placing a fan in a nearby window and opening another window just outside the room. Take frequent breaks if necessary. .
When you scrape, sand or remove old paint, you may release toxic lead dust into the air. Exposure to lead dust can cause serious illness, such as brain damage, especially in children. Pregnant women should also avoid exposure. When you’re removing lead paint, always wear a NIOSH-approved respirator to control lead exposure. Clean up carefully with a HEPA vacuum and a wet mop. And before you get started, learn how to protect yourself and your family by contacting the National Lead Hotline at 1-800-424-LEAD or logging on www.epa.gov/lead.
Step 3: Prime
Apply a coat of EasyCare® Ultra Premium Interior Primer/Sealer if you’re working on interior doors. Let the primer coat dry completely (a few hours or overnight) before you begin painting.
For exterior doors, prime the surfaces, including the front, back and all four outside edges, with EasyCare Ultra Premium Exterior Primer/Sealer. If your exterior door is bare metal, use X-O Rust aerosol Paint & Primer in One, formulated for metal surfaces. Find these quality products at your local True Value.
Helpful Tip
Sanding may accidentally round out areas that are detailed or have crisp edges. To prevent this, don’t sand these areas. Instead, treat them with a chemical deglosser just before you’re ready to apply primer. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions, heed all safety warnings and wear a respirator.
Step 4: Paint
Choose EasyCare Ultra Premium Interior Paint in the color and finish of your choice for interior doors. For exterior doors, paint over the primer with X-O Rust® Paint & Primer in One enamel.
Use an angled sash brush and start with door panels or other decorative features, working from the inside of the door out. Paint the detailed or molded areas around the panels, then move on to the panels themselves. Always paint out of corners, not into them, to avoid paint deposits and clumps. Try not to use a heavy hand when you’re painting panel-frame joints because the paint may end up cracking. Instead, tip off these areas with a brush that’s almost dry. Paint in the direction of the wood grain.
Next, paint the edges. Start with the top and bottom edges. When it comes to painting the inner and outer edges, you have a color decision to make. Some doors are painted a different color on each side (for example, the back of the door is painted beige to match the beige hallway and the front is blue, to match a blue bedroom). If your door looks different coming and going, paint its inner and outer edges to match the wall that shows when the door is open against it. For example, if the door opens out to the beige hallway, paint the edges beige, so they’ll match.
Helpful Tips
Painting a door that’s still on its hinges can result in drips and sags, especially across each panel’s top molding and bottom corners. To prevent that from happening, don’t overload your brush with paint. If you see any errant drips as you go, dry-brush them immediately, before they have a chance to set.
If your door is smooth, you can paint it using a mini-roller with a foam roller cover to get a smooth finish.
Watch corners for paint build-up and dab with the tips of brush bristles if necessary. If you see paint runs and drags, remove and smooth them with an upward motion of the brush. Lightly tip off the finish with a dry brush.
When you’re finished, make sure the paint cures for as long possible before closing the door (at least one or two days). This will help keep the door from sticking to the jamb. You also can cover the jamb with painter’s tape to help avoid sticking.
Step 5: Clean Up
Clean your brushes with warm soapy water. When the water runs clear, shake out excess liquid and put the brush back in its protective sleeve or hang it on a nail or hook. Clean up paint trays, and if you used tray liners, just toss them in the trash. Re-install the door and replace any hardware you may have removed.
Great work! Your doors look refreshed and renewed, and you did it yourself!
Project Shopping List
Here’s what you’ll need to complete this project successfully.
- Sawhorses
- Mild detergent
- Sponge
- Soft brush
- Drop cloth
- Safety work gloves
- 1″ paint scraper
- Medium-grit sandpaper
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Tack cloth
- Fine metal file
- Fan (for exhaust)
- NIOSH-approved respirator (for lead-based paint removal)
- HEPA vacuum cleaner
- Paintbrush
- EasyCare® Ultra Premium Exterior Primer/Sealer
- Chemical deglosser
- Respirator
- EasyCare® Ultra Premium Interior Primer/Sealer
- EasyCare® Ultra Premium Interior Paint
- X-O Rust® Paint & Primer in One
- EasyCare® Premium Décor Spray Enamel
- Mirror (optional)