DIY FRONT DOOR MAKEOVER – PAINT AND TRIM

While painting is not for everyone, I find it’s the cheapest way to make a big impact. There are many tutorials on how to paint your front door on Pinterest. Finding one you like is not hard. I love this tutorial and also this one.

This is one of the cheapest and easiest DIYs you can do. All it takes is some time and a little patience… and some good paint and products.

When I first painted my door I used Glidden brand exterior semi-gloss paint in the color “Guacamole” and the second time I used Behr Premium plus ultra exterior satin enamel in “Indigo Ink.”

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Where to start?

Start by deciding what color you are going to paint it. Keep in mind that not all paints do well for outdoor use so be sure to choose a paint that is well suited for outdoor use.

Give your door a good old fashioned cleaning. Use dish soap and warm water to scrub down the door. You may find that you have some greasy spots around the edge where the hinges are. Just use some goo gone and remove any grease.

Remove your hardware. Honestly, I didn’t remove my door handle and lock mechanism but I did remove my door knocker. My door knocker is made of brass and had seen better days so I cleaned it using ketchup.

 

Yes, you read that right, ketchup. Coat your brass in a thick layer of ketchup and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. The old grime and tarnish will wipe away clean. Once you remove all the ketchup run the fixture under warm water, making sure to remove any ketchup residue.

Now it’s time to repair any dings or imperfections that may show through after you have painted. Apparently, my front door must have been damaged somehow because there was a huge line along the bottom that I had to fill with wood putty.

Follow the directions on the putty, making sure to sand it very smooth before you paint. Make sure you buy a putty that paintable!!

Next, decide if you are going to add any trim to your door. Our front door was just a flat slab door, which bored me to tears so I added some thin trim to add some interest.

To attach the trim I used a small bead of wood glue along the back of each trim piece and used my nail gun with 1 1/2 finishing nails.

This is the time where you will be filling any nail holes with putty and caulk around all the edges of your new trim so the finished product looks flawless.

SAND! Sand the entire door twice. Look, sanding sucks but if you do this correctly your finished product not only will look great but will last a really long time. After you have sanded use a tack cloth or microfiber cloth to remove all of the dust.

Tape off any areas that need it. I basically taped around the door handle and lock. I also taped the door hinges as I left my door hung as I painted it.

To prime or not to prime? I primed. I was confident in my sanding prep and thought that I didn’t need to prime but after consulting my DIY Jedi master (AKA Mom) she said to prime. After 6 years of painting the door, it has held up just fine.

NOW IT’S TIME TO PAINT

You need to pay attention to a few things now that you are adding the paint. Paint color and finish have a lot to do with what your finished product will look like. Also, the type of brushes and rollers make a huge difference. When painting any wood door in my house I follow a few simple rules.

MY PAINTING RULES:

1. Pay attention to the grain of the wood and paint in that direction, when possible.
2. If you use a roller choose one that leaves the least amount of bubbles and use a good paint brush to “feather” or smooth the paint once rolled out. Use the brush in long soft strokes over the paint to knock down any ridges or bubbles left by the roller. Even the best rollers leave something! Trust me I’ve Painted every surface in my house.

3. Paint when the weather is warm and dry. Late spring and summer months are the best.
4. Choose quality products. Make sure you are using proper paint for the elements and good rollers and brushes. A crappy roller can ruin all your prep. Trust me! Nothing worse than lint all up in your paint.
5. Be consistent. Make sure that you are using the same strokes when painting. If you paint in different directions the finished product will look like a bad DIY job.
6. Have some patients. Allow sufficient time for the paint to dry between coats. Seems like common sense but you want to make sure to let the paint dry to the touch before adding additional coats.

7. Choose the right color for the project. Yes, seriously. I almost always try 5-7 colors out before settling on a color. Why? You need to paint swatches on the surface you want to paint and wait. You are waiting to see what the paint looks like in all the different lights of the day, in photos, in ambient lighting, and at night. I know this sound a little funny but that color that you fell in love with might end up looking like crap in different lighting so just paint some swatches and wait.

Now sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor. Maybe consider adding a fun new door knocker like these.

Or you can try doing a simple mailbox makeover like this. Let me know if you used any of my tips. If you painted your front door after reading this I would love to share your results here on Sincerely Saturday. Shoot me an email!