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Front doors are always the first thing that welcomes your guests as they visit your home. That is why it is important to keep its appearance nice and accommodating. One way to do this is by painting your front door. A task as simple as this can make wonders for your home aesthetic. Here are some useful tips to paint a front door that can help you achieve the perfect finish!

Gather all the essentials

The best way to start this task is by collecting the tools you will need to accomplish your painting job. The task will be much faster if you already have everything you need in one place. Aside from your basics (primer, paint, paintbrush, paint bucket), it is also important to gather tools to help prime your door into shape. These are some other things to consider getting: all-purpose cleaner, cleaning cloth, painter’s tape, sandpaper, and some old newspaper you can use to prevent paint from going everywhere.

Clean your door before painting

This is important to make sure the paint can be distributed evenly throughout the door. Dirt and grime stuck on the door can get in the way of good paint. Use your all-purpose cleaner and wipe it down with a wet cloth. After you are certain there is no more dirt, you can proceed to wipe it down with a dry cloth. You can also sand down some parts to even it out.

Use the painter’s tape to cover important areas

There are some important areas you would not want to put paint over. For example, if your door has glass portions, you wouldn’t want a smudge of paint on it. Cover up those areas with painter’s tape so they won’t get paint all over them.

Prime the door

Priming the door is critical to making the paint stick to your door. Use a primer so your door can be prepared for the painting job. Some paints already come with primer so that can be used as well.

Use exterior paint

Exterior paints are more effective for front doors as they serve extra protection for the extreme and changing weather conditions the door is constantly exposed to. That is why this specific paint is the best choice for your front door. 

You might also want to check out: Tips to make a DIY paint job look professional

Use a paint bucket or tray

This helps lessen the mess you might make while painting. Instead of dipping your brush directly into the paint can, you can pour some in the bucket or tray to prevent spilling. 

Paint with strategy

It is best to paint doors with strategy and not by going through the whole door as pleased. This is to help with coating everything evenly. You can start from the inside portions, for wooden doors, the wood panels can be painted first, then the middle portions, then the edges. Sectioning can also help with the way the paint will dry in an outward direction so you will not get paint all over yourself.

Paint quickly so the paint doesn’t dry up while you are still spreading it. Dried paint can be sources of paint clumps and visible brush strokes. Wet paint ensures a smoother finish. Coat the door with paint two to three times for better colour. If in doubt, you can always opt to call for help. These tips to paint a front door are only guidelines, but experts can help you go in a direction you desire with an ease of mind.

You might also be interested in: Spring maintenance activities to spice up your front door

Pieter Boyce - Wooden Window and door specialist

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.