%402x.svg)
There’s nothing like a well-applied lick of new paint to refresh tired finishes and enhance your home’s appeal. There are very practical reasons to repaint a front door, too. Coatings protect structural materials, keeping damp and sun damage at bay. No matter what material your door is made from, knowing how to prepare the surface and what to look for in coatings can make a huge difference to your results.
Of course, if you really want to give your entranceway a facelift, consider a custom-made security door from Stronghold. Apart from keeping burglars out, our doors create a welcoming look with long-lasting finishes that require little upkeep. Whatever your choice, we will guide you through the things you should know when repainting your front door in this comprehensive guide.
The Best Time of Year to Repaint a Front Door
If you thought summer was the best time to tackle this task, think again. Paint should cure slowly, but not too slowly. Choose mild spring or autumn days when no rain is expected. Painting when it is too hot or too cold can result in streaks, bubbles, and a less-than-perfect finish.
Choosing a Colour For Your Front Door
The options are endless. Before making any choice, think about how a front door colour will look with other elements of your home’s exterior, like your window frames. Of course, contrasts can be pretty too, so you don’t necessarily need a match. Bold, bright colours make a statement, but be sure you can live with the shade before taking the plunge.
Current trends tend toward classic black, always a smart look, muted greens, and deep blues. If you opt for a light shade, be aware that it may be a little more maintenance-intensive than darker ones.
The Tools You’ll Need to Repaint Your Front Door
A workman is only as good as his tools, so make sure you have all the right things ready before you begin. Your checklist includes:
- Paint stripper suitable for the substrate, especially if there are layers of old paint.
- A random orbital sander (optional) or sanding block and sandpaper.
- A sanding sponge (optional) for fine corners. You can use folded sandpaper instead.
- A paint scraper to remove peeling or loose paint.
- Primer and undercoat suitable for the door’s materials.
- Sealer to apply after painting.
- High-quality exterior paint with a gloss, semi-gloss, or satin finish.
- Brushes and small rollers.
- Masking tape to protect glass panes.
- Drop cloths to catch spills or drips.
Add a dust mask to your list, since inhaling old paint or wood dust is not the best idea, and throw in some latex gloves. They will allow you to work without getting chemicals and paint on your skin.
What Should You Do Before You Start Painting?
The first thing to do is to get a proper look at the job at hand. To do this properly, remove all the hardware and clean the surface with soapy water until any traces of dirt, grease, or old polish are cleared away.
Leave it to dry. Then, take a close look at the door to see what treatment the surface needs. For example, wooden doors may be cracked, and metal doors may need treatment against rust. Cracked wood may need some help from a bit of wood filler, but do check for rot first. Apply pressure with your finger. A spongy feel indicates rot that you must get rid of before applying the coating.
Sanding is an Essential First Step
If your door doesn’t have too many layers of old paint, you can skip the paint stripper and dive right in with sanding. On wooden doors, it will smooth the surface, and on metal doors, it slightly roughens the surface so that the paint can bond better. If you skip sanding, you may find that paint begins peeling sooner than it should.
Do You Need Prep Coats, Undercoats, And Sealers?
We recommend using these initial coatings. They exist for very good reasons. On wooden doors, the primer seals the pores in the surface of the wood. This prevents an uneven finish you may get because paint has soaked into the wood in places.
Rust is the enemy when it comes to metal doors. Choose a rust-inhibiting primer. Sealers are helpful when you are painting a wooden door. They add an extra layer of protection against dampness.
How to Repaint a Wooden Front Door
Keeping it simple, we’ll break this down into a step-by-step process as follows:
- If possible, remove the door and place it on a flat surface.
- Remove old varnish and paint, and if you used a paint stripper for this, follow up with sanding.
- Apply primer and leave it to dry.
- Apply an undercoat so that you’ll get a smooth, even surface.
- Apply two, preferably three, coats of paint, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next one.
- Consider a light sand between coats of paint to get a smoother finish.
- Apply sealer (optional, but recommended).
Once all the coatings are dry, you’re ready to reattach the hardware and hang the door back in place.
Repainting a Metal Front Door
The process is very similar, but there are some distinctions, especially in the preparation phases and in your choice of products.
- Remove all the rust you can find using sandpaper.
- Sand the rest of the surface to prepare it for painting.
- Clean the surface with a degreaser.
- Apply rust-inhibiting primer.
- Paint with an exterior paint designed for use on metal.
- Apply two to three coats of paint.
- Lightly sand between coats of paint.
If you noticed a lot of rust when you inspected the door, you can repaint it, but you may regret it. The rust may continue eating away at your door, and you’ll soon see signs of it on the door’s finish.
When is it Better to Replace Your Front Door?
If your door is still structurally sound, there is no reason to replace it, unless you hope to benefit from a proper, metal-reinforced security door to improve your front door security. If a wooden door is already warped, cracked, or beginning to rot, it is nearing the end of its life and may not hold paint well. Rust and dents, on the other hand, are the death-knell for steel doors.
How Stronghold Security Doors Achieve That Mirror-Like Sheen
Although we have given you our best advice on repainting your doors as a DIY project, we are confident that your efforts, though worthy, can't match the durability and sheen our coating methods produce. Take a look at our gallery to see for yourself.
The Materials
Beauty is more than skin-deep. The substrate covering the burglar-proof reinforcements inside our doors is made from Medite Tricoya. It is engineered for durability and outperforms natural wood in this regard.
The Finish
We would not consider offering our clients a half-done job, however. The finish is part of the package. To achieve it, we apply three layers of polyurethane paint, then polish it for up to two days until we have the mirror-like gloss our customers love.
The Durability
Great looks can be lasting. Our finishes last for years without fading and resist scratches better than others. Expect the full effect of your chosen colour plus the beautiful sheen we achieve to last for 5-15 years despite the UK’s notoriously changeable and damp weather.
Secure Doors, Your Way
Keep burglars out. Welcome friends and family through a front door to be proud of, and look forward to years of maintenance-free enjoyment. We customise doors to suit every taste. Let’s join forces to design the perfect front door for your house.
It’s easy to find out more about Stronghold’s premium security doors. Just give us a call or visit our Croydon showroom to see British-made at its best.
