Read tips on painting doors and painting wood door.
Painting Doors
While laying down the plan for the painting assignment of home interiors, you cannot afford to avoid fixtures like doors, window frames, cupboards etc. These are certain fixtures or accessories in the house made out of wood, metal or vinyl, and not painting them will make the room look incomplete. Doors especially cannot be excluded from the painting plan for the interiors. Doors are the main focal point of your interior space, and painting them can have a dramatic impact on the overall look of your room's decor. You surely cannot afford to leave a scratched old door unpainted when you are painting the walls around. Painting doors properly will not only make the room look complete but will also take care of the damage caused to the wood. However, there are certain basic rules or guidelines to follow while painting a door. These guidelines will help accelerate the process and can assure quality work. Scroll down to read through a few simple painting doors tips and follow them for a smooth finish.
- Start with cleaning the door before scraping or sanding away the old paint. Cleaning the door helps in getting rid of any residual oil left behind from the repeated use of the door. You can make use of a liquid sander instead of soap and water to clean the door. However, if the door is really dirty you might have to use soap and water or even trisodium phosphate.
- Once you've cleaned the door, scrape off the loose, blistered or chipped out old paint with the help of a paint scraper or sandpaper. Apply the required amount of pressure to do away with the old paint, however being careful not to gouge the wood. Once the paint is off, look for any dents, cracks or decay and repair them before you sand the wood. The repair of cracks and dents is important because these imperfections will be enhanced by the paint.
- Make it a point to remove all the handles, hooks, keyhole plates and any other brass, metal or plastic door attachment before you start to paint the door. You may think that removing these things will take a lot of time, but it is actually beneficial to the end result. You will have to spend time repairing and cleaning messy areas once the painting is done with, but if you remove everything that there is on the door, you will only be steering clear paint stains.
- It is advisable to remove the door from its hinges and lay it flat on the ground or provide it with support while painting. It might be tempting to let the door stay on to its hinges while painting, but for a smooth, and neat finish the door needs to be removed from its hinges. With the door laid flat on a saw-horse, you will be able to spread the paint quickly without worrying about drips and paint sags.
- If you think new paint will cover up small holes, dents and scratches, you might have to rethink this idea. New paint will by no means hide tiny holes and scratches; rather it will highlight minor flaws on your door. Therefore, it is important for you to treat these tiny scratches and dents on your door before starting the process of painting.
- It is advisable to prime the entire door before painting it, unless the old paint is in a good condition. A coat of primer will help the new paint stick better, will block stains and will mute dark colour shades. Primer also helps in sealing porous fillers, which makes the top coat look smooth and even.
- As a general rule of thumb, you should avoid the build up of a ridge on the sides of the door or around the mouldings and panels of the door. Make it a point to spread the paint evenly and not to plaster too much of paint while applying the same for the first time. You will have to work steadily to avoid the formation of patches all over the surfaces of the door.