5 BEST PRACTICES FOR PAINTING DOORS LIKE THE PROS

Freshly painted doors enhance any home. From refreshing your customers’ front doors to painting interior doors more efficiently, these tools and techniques can help.

The interior of a home with a deep red-painted front door opening into the white-painted entryway with staircase.
1

Paint Quality Counts

The interior of a home with a deep red-painted front door opening into the white-painted entryway with staircase.
Rain, snow, wind, UV damage, mildew resistance—it is vital to choose a paint formulated to stand up to the elements for exterior doors, without sacrificing brilliant paint colour.

We recommend recently enhanced AURA® Exterior paint in satin or soft gloss for an ultra-premium look that outperforms the competitors' exterior paints. Rugged REGAL® Select High Build exterior paint is another strong option. And for a powerful bonding primer, look no further than INSL-X® STIX® Waterborne Bonding Primer.
A painting contractor removes door hardware at the customer’s home
2

To Remove or Not to Remove Door Hardware

A painting contractor removes door hardware at the customer’s home
If you're going to remove the hardware, take photos before doing so. Put all hardware components in clearly-labelled bags to make reassembling the hardware easier.

If the door is in relatively good shape, you could tape the hardware and paint the door without removing the hardware. This method is less preferred because it can result in brush marks from cutting in around the hardware.
A professional painter paints the frame of a front door of a red-painted house with white Benjamin Moore paint.
3

Watch Out for Runs and Pooling Paint

A professional painter paints the frame of a front door of a red-painted house with white Benjamin Moore paint.
When painting doors horizontally:
  • Be sure to brush the inset panels
  • Check panels for pooling paint after rolling or spraying
When painting doors vertically:
  • Watch out for runs, especially if you are working with thinned paint
  • Humidity can keep the product open longer so check for runs or sags
  • Have a 2-inch flat and 2-inch angled brush ready for hard-to-reach places
    •
A beautiful home exterior with a dark brown front door, off-white-painted siding, and manicured landscaping.
4

Adjust for Weather

A beautiful home exterior with a dark brown front door, off-white-painted siding, and manicured landscaping.
  • Add extra dry time for humid, wet or cold weather
  • Check a reliable local forecast and work accordingly to ensure the best results
  • Allow the door to dry as instructed by the TDS for the paint you’ve selected
A painting contractor sprays an unfinished door using a paint sprayer
5

Try These Next-level Tools

A painting contractor sprays an unfinished door using a paint sprayer
  • Door Racking Systems

    • Benefit to Contractor:
    Investing in a racking system to stack and paint multiple doors can help your painting business save time, space and—ultimately—money. 
    Benefit to Homeowner:
    Less of the homeowner’s space will be taken up by drying doors.

  • Portable Spray Booths

    • Benefit to Contractor:
    Save space on the job site or at your shop.

    Benefit to Homeowner:
    Saves the living space from overspray and gives the contractor an environment to create a flawless finish.

  • HVLP and Airless Sprayers

    • Benefit to Contractor:
    Most sprayers can be used for primers, paints and stains—making them a versatile, time-saving tool. Plus, HVLP sprayers will produce less waste.

    Benefit to Homeowner:
    Besides being faster, spraying doors can provide a beautiful, smooth finish.


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