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How to Paint a Door to Look Like Wood

Outdoor Projects •  January 29, 2020

Changing the Color of our Fiberglass Door

If you have a fiberglass door, you can paint it to look like stained wood with these few simple steps! And it only takes a couple of hours.
Stained Wood Front Door Under Porch Roof

Materials

  • English Oak Base Coat*
  • Honey Oak Finish Coat*
  • quality paint brush*

OR

  • Giani Honey Oak kit*

Sun-Damaged Door

Our house faces south. Which means our front door takes a beating from the sun almost every single day.
Stained Wood Front Door Faded from Sun Exposure

For reference, our door and current dark stain is 7.5 years old. We originally stained it with a gel stain since it’s a fiberglass door ( with faux wood grain) back in early 2012.

BUT I don’t think we applied a polyurethane topcoat as is specified on the gel stain can. So it’s been looking iffy for a few years now. And I’ve really been loving the light and natural wood look lately. So here’s how I made it happen without stain!

Paint in Layers

In an episode of Today’s Homeowner last spring, I helped a homeowner apply a wood-look paint kit* to their garage door and front door. My blog post on Cozy Curb Appeal 4 Ways has more about this house’s transformation.

Before and After Giani Wood Look Front Door Kit

Well we had paint leftover, so I decided to try it on my door!

The kit comes with a base coat and a tinted top coat. They work together to create the layered and streaky look of stained wood. For my door I started out using the base coat from the English Oak kit.

Wood Look Front Door Painting in Progress

But since I wanted a lighter wood look than in the previous example, I ordered the Honey Oak top coat from Amazon. They don’t sell the individual pints in stores, so I had to hit pause on this project while I waited for it to be delivered.

Once it came in, it was wood grain time! I applied the second/finish/top coat just like painting any recessed panel door. You can watch my video on painting a front door by clicking here.

As with any door, you want to make sure your brush strokes are long, even, and look nice. This is of even greater importance when you’re creating a wood look since your brush strokes will be the ‘wood grain’.

After I covered the whole door with the top coat. It looked like a totally different and happy door that I’ve been dreaming about for a few years now!

Front Porch Makeover Door Complete

Honey Oak Wood Grain on Fiberglass Door

Progress Over Perfection

Our front door makeover is part of my larger plan to freshen up the whole front porch. I previously shared about pressure washing and sealing our front sidewalk. Still on the list is to touch up the paint on the balusters and the stain on the handrails. Now I’m thinking about doing these same steps on the handrails since they no longer match the front door!

And just to keep it real. I finished this project around Christmas and planned to share it then.

Toddler Girl Opening Wood Front Door at Christmas

But I didn’t so I took new pictures without Christmas decorations in them.🤣 In case you feel like it takes you forever to complete projects, this is your sign that you are not alone!

Small Front Porch Updated with New Front Door Paint

And since I’m ‘extra’, my husband got me a new wood flag pole* for Christmas which I proceeded to ‘stain’ to match the front door! Sometimes I literally can’t help myself.

My favorite welcome mat* was a treat to myself while I was pregnant with our youngest. I’ve bought it for several Today’s Homeowner projects and thought it was time I had one for myself too.💁🏼

Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea

*This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from your purchase without increasing the price for you! Thanks for supporting me and my website!*

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Comments

  1. Walter Ray says

    January 30, 2020 at 10:12 am

    HI Chelsea,
    I love your tips. Something like this can really enhances the look of the entrance to your home. First impressions 😉 Keep up the Great work! Love seeing you and your dad on the weekly TV show. Thanks for being there for us all!!!!!!!!
    Walter

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lipford Wolf says

      January 31, 2020 at 9:42 am

      Thanks so much Walter! I appreciate you! ~Chelsea

      Reply
  2. kenneth zielinski says

    January 30, 2020 at 4:43 pm

    the painted door looks great but will that process work on my steel door or do I have to get a special paint any suggestions would be more then welcome

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lipford Wolf says

      January 31, 2020 at 9:42 am

      According to Giani, it can be used on a steel door that has been previously painted. So if your door hasn’t been painted yet, you’ll need to get a primer made for metal before doing the 2-step process! ~Chelsea

      Reply
  3. Kyndall Underhill says

    May 2, 2020 at 3:44 pm

    Giani says to not use on fiberglass door, however, i see you went with it anyway! How did it hold up? Did you have to prime or anything beforehand? I ordered the giani wood look paint not realizing it suggests not using it on fiberglass and my doors are fiberglass, so now I’m worried!

    Reply
  4. Nancy Cornell says

    May 26, 2020 at 1:24 pm

    Hi Chelsea,
    I was very interested on your front door.
    I have a all wood door with sun damage.

    What products do you suggest for a real wood door?
    I stoped by Woodcraft in Tulsa Ok looked over some of their brands but was not sure about the best process to start to finish . I would like to keep the the color the same I believe it is an oak door with a walnut finish.

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lipford Wolf says

      May 26, 2020 at 4:32 pm

      Hi Nancy! Keeping the same color is the best solution!🙌🏻 You’ll want to sand it well with 220-grit sandpaper, apply stain with a brush or rag and then seal it with a urethane or varnish. I’d recommend a marine-grade urethane/spar varnish for the best protection! You’ll want a cheap brush to apply it so you can throw it away when you’re finished! ~Chelsea

      Reply
  5. Beth says

    May 26, 2020 at 7:13 pm

    My front door is painted blue. Will this process cover the blue paint and have the same end result looking like a wood finish?

    Reply
    • Chelsea Lipford Wolf says

      May 27, 2020 at 9:16 am

      Yes it will Beth!! You may need to do 2 coats of the base coat to get the blue fully covered, but it will look and it will look great! ~Chelsea

      Reply

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