French doors add a classic look to your home. They provide an elegant take on doors as they are decorated with glass panes that cover a majority of the door, with only trims left as wooden materials. As such, people may find it quite jarring to paint a French door, given that there are many sections where you don’t want the paint to be. But what if I tell you that you can actually paint a French door with ease? Here is the tip you might need if you’re looking to paint your French doors.
Before you start: Clean your door
It is always necessary to clean whatever surface you want to paint on. The dust and grime that could mix with the paint can make the door look dirty and sloppy, and we do not want that. Use a sponge and warm soapy water to clean your door. Clean the glass panes as well. Make sure to go through all the corners of your door.
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Gather your painting supplies
You would definitely need a paintbrush or a roller brush for this job. For the primer, if you’re going through a drastic colour change such as a much lighter shade coming from a dark shade, it is better that you use a tinted primer. Tinted primers provide initial colour to help you reach your desired colour easily without too many coats of paint. Use exterior paint if you are going to paint a door that is directly exposed to the sun or outside for that matter. This can provide extra protection. For doors with glass panels, the one that could help is definitely buying up some liquid masking tape as it helps with easy application and easy removal as well. If you do not have this, you can use painters tape and cover up the glass panes with it instead.
Apply the liquid mask
Liquid masks are usually painted as white and dry clear. Stir the liquid before painting it on. You can be generous and paint the whole panel. However, if you have a lot of glass panes to paint and want to stick to a budget, a nice width of 2-3 inches around the border of the glass can work as well. Remember to apply on both sides, and apply a thick amount. Wait for at least 3 hours before you start painting.
Paint the door
You can use roller brushes to quickly apply the paint, just remember to stick into the direction of the wood to make it look more authentic and less sloppy. Do not worry about paint getting on the mask and just paint away.
Remove the mask
Using a utility knife or a blade, lift up one corner to remove the mask. Using a blunt knife may help you prevent scratches on the corners of your glass. Peel gently.
There you have it! A nicely painted French door with no scratches nor paint splattered on your glass panes!
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Pieter Boyce
Wooden Window and Door Specialist
This article was written on behalf of The Wooden Door Company by Pieter Boyce. Pieter has an intense passion for English Architectural history and has been specialising in the conservation of original wooden windows and doors for decades. His exceptional knowledge of timber windows and doors, both listed or non-listed, is attributed to his hands-on approach to learning all aspects of the complete restoration of original features as well as having personally surveyed thousands of items throughout his long tenure as a head surveyor for one of the largest window and door restoration companies in the UK. He now runs a boutique wooden window and door consultancy and fervently champions the retention of original windows and doors. To learn more of Pieter’s services, visit his website at www.boultonboyce.co.uk.