what kind of paint do you use on doors

What Kind of Paint Do You Use On Doors – The Best Guide

What kind of paint do you use on doors? Painting wooden doors, beyond what it may seem, is a fairly simple operation. First of all, you will need to remove it from its housing.

However, if you want the best outcome, you will have to remove the covers before anything else.

The covers would be those wooden slats that cover the space between the frame and the counter-frame. If you don’t remove them and paint over them, over time, you will see under the color of the old paint.

In this guide, we will look at the best paint for wood.

What Kind of Paint Do You Use On Doors

Remove the Covers

If you decide to take them apart, you’ll have to be very careful. Usually, we use nails to fix them to the frame. It means too strong or abrupt movements could damage them. Use a wide and thin spatula, or a lever, between the frame and the cover, and remove the nails.

Normally the thread covers are fixed with group or pin nails, which would be those long and thin nails with a slightly hinted head. Therefore, with a little patience, the operation will be quite easy.

Cover All Metal Parts

First of all, check that there are no nails left and, if so, remove them with pliers. Then, consider whether to remove the handle. If you prefer, cover it with paper to prevent it from getting dirty.

Finally, take care to open two trestles in an area where you have enough room to maneuver. Place a carpet of newspaper sheets on the floor, so as not to dirty the floor. Moreover, place a couple of old rags at the top to prevent the panel from scratching.

Now you can take the door off the hinges and lay it on the rags gently. Finally, with the rubberized paper, completely cover all the metal parts in sight.

They include those of the lock, the hinges that pop out on the side of the door, and on the corresponding part of the frame.

Remove the Paint

At this point, to paint wooden doors without problems, you have two options. If the old door already has a layer of paint or varnish, you will have to remove it with the help of the paint remover. Apply it over the door leaf, on the frame, and the covers.

Let it work, and then remove the residue with the help of a spatula. Proceed to remove any further residue with sandpaper. Finally, carefully clean all surfaces that will need to be painted.

If the door is new, go directly to the next stage, for instance, the preparation of the primer.

Preparation of the Primer

The preparation of the primer is a very important operation. For example, the final quality of the painting work depends largely on what you will do now. Also, in this case you will have a double option.

If you want to finish the wooden doors so that the grain is highlighted and visible, opt for an “impregnating” type of varnish.

Also, you can first give the basic product, even colored, and then overcoat one or more coats with a clear varnish. If you want to paint with a colored enamel that will completely cover the grain of the wood, use a “cementite” type water-based primer.

Varnish Wooden Doors

In both cases, remember that if the primer is scratched or imperfect, it will be even after the last painting. To do a good job, check before applying the primer that there are no damaged parts, scratches, or small dents.

If there are any, with a small metal spatula, apply a bit of putty and let it dry completely. Then proceed to sand the excess residues with a medium-grained paper. Now, you are ready to paint wooden doors.

To give the first coat of primer, spread it with a flat brush evenly, taking care to always go in the same direction as the grain of the wood. For the shaped parts, you can use a smaller, maybe round brush.

Once dry, evaluate the result. If it is not satisfactory, sand with fine-grained sandpaper and repeat the operation.

Make sure the first coat is completely dry, which generally means waiting at least twenty-four hours. If necessary, repeat the operation once more, always respecting the drying time, and gradually using a thinner grit paper.

Only when the surface is as smooth as you want it to be can you proceed with the final coating.

What Kind of Paint Do You Use On Doors

Before starting with the first coat of paint, make sure you thoroughly clean all surfaces to paint. Also, wait until any dust released into the air has settled.

Dust and hair wandering in the air will be your number one enemy. So, make sure the air is sufficiently free of dust before starting the final work.

What Kind of Paint Do You Use On Doors – Paint Wooden Doors

To paint wooden doors, you can proceed in different ways. You can use a small roller on the flat surfaces of the door leaf or frame, and small round brushes for corners, edges, and profiles.

Regardless of this, remember to always proceed in the direction of the wood grain.

If you have worked well, you may only need one coat. However, if the result is not satisfactory, take a very fine-grained sandpaper to sand down, and then apply a new film of varnish.

The important thing is to respect the drying time (usually at least 12 hours). Otherwise, you would compromise the whole job.

Wait for the last coat of paint to dry, though not before a couple of days. Then, remove the rubberized paper guards, and put the door back on the frame.

Arrange the wire covers, with pins (or if you prefer not to see anything, with transparent silicone), and enjoy the show.

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