Getting Started
Painting interior doors can be a bigger project than you think if you are planning to do it yourself. Most homeowners can handle painting a few walls around the house with little to no experience. On the other hand, painting doors and other trim can be much more challenging, especially to do it correctly. This brief article will share some tips on the best practices for door painting so you can get the best results if you do choose to tackle it yourself.
Best Tips on Painting Interior Doors Correctly
When painting interior doors and frames, you need to use a high-quality enamel paint that will hold up to the abuse that a door will take over the years. People touch their doors more than most surfaces in their homes, so the paint used needs to be able to be cleaned easily. Most paint companies make a few different enamel paints you can choose from. Typically a satin or semi-gloss is your best bet for easy cleaning.
Next, you will need to decide how you’re going to paint the doors. If you want them to have a very fine finish it will be best to spray the doors, but this requires a lot of masking and experience using a sprayer, which most people do not have. You will want to remove the doors from the hinges if you are spraying them. If you are not as concerned about leaving brush or roller marks, you can paint the doors by hand. A roller made for fine finishes works best and will leave far fewer marks than a brush. If you’re skilled with a small roller you can make the doors look almost sprayed.
If doors have been painted previously it is much easier than if they are stained. If they were stained previously, you will need to sand and clean them and then apply an oil-based or stain-blocking primer prior to painting. If your doors were painted previously, it’s best to lightly sand and clean them, but you may not need to prime them. If you have an old oil-based paint you’re painting over you, you may need to prime first. If you are using latex paint, you may not get good adhesion. Some new enamel paints can go over old oil paints, but it’s best to ask these questions at the paint store so they can guide you with your selection.
Popular Interior Door Colors
Most homeowners will paint the doors in the home to match the other millwork, which will typically be white or some version of off-white, but you can be as colorful as you want if you are looking to make your doors stand out!
Wrapping Up
If you want to paint doors in your home, it’s suggested to do some research and perhaps watch some videos online to get tips on how to make it easier. If you’re not feeling comfortable after the research, call a professional and find out what it would cost to get them painted professionally. A typical door will cost from $150-$250 per door to get painted by a professional, and will typically take them 3-5 hours to complete.
The best advice to give is to know your painting ability and do your homework prior to taking on a project like this.
If you’re in the Portland Metro and Vancouver area, reach out to Absolute’s interior painting contractors. Our family-owned and operated business would be more than happy to walk you through your options!
