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How To Paint An Exterior Door

Outdoor Projects •  November 1, 2015

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Happy Fall Y’all! I love the cooler temperatures and lower humidity! And fall is a great time to head outside and paint! So that’s exactly what Amy and I did!

Her front door wasn’t in the best shape and the color lacked…a lot. But have you seen the cost of a decent front door lately? Ouch.

When you can’t replace, you improve! But before we could get to the fun part of painting, we had to get through the not so fun part of prepping the door for paint.

We opted to remove the door from the hinges and work on it horizontally. We knew we’d be changing and adding hardware and the hinges themselves, so this was a good option. It’s also perfectly fine and easy to paint a door while still hanging. The painting technique will be the same, but I’d make sure you started first thing in the morning on a nice day. Then you’ll be able to leave the door open all day to give it plenty of time to dry before having to close it and lock up at night.

Before laying your door on sawhorses like we did, drape a drop cloth on the top of the horses to protect the other side of your door from getting scratched and marred while you’re working.

To prep the surface of Amy’s door, we used 220-grit sandpaper to smooth out the entire surface. You can sand by hand or use an electric sander. We got out the ever-handy putty knife to help knock off the thicker rough spots of old paint before cleaning up with a wet/dry vacuum.

Since this door had several gaps and cracks that went all the way through, we used paintable latex caulk to seal them up. This will make an old door a tad bit more energy efficient to get you through those winter months.

To clean up the caulk, wipe a damp sponge over it to smooth it out and give you a professional finish. Once you’re satisfied with your prep work, it’s time to bring out the color!

I love the seafoam blue-green color Amy selected (Spring Stream by Behr). It almost matches her shutters perfectly, though she plans to change out those soon!

Whether your door is hanging in place or laying flat, you’ll want to paint the recessed panels first. Since you’ll be able to see brush strokes once it’s all said and dry, it’ll look more finished if you start on the recessed panels before “finishing it off” with painting the longer side and horizontal panels.

After our first coat was done, Amy and I waited awhile for it to dry before going back with a light-handed 220-grit sandpaper before painting our second coat. Once that coat dried, you got out her new oil-rubbed bronze door knocker, peephole and hinges. We also decided to upgrade the deadbolt and handleset with an aged bronze model from Schlage to finish off the makeover.

Before we were ready to hang the door back in place, I noticed the weatherstripping needed to be replaced too. There’s no point in sealing up the cracks in the door if there’s a big crack around the door!

We used Weatherstrip Seal from Duck Brand* after cleaning the door casing with a little rubbing alcohol to ensure a long-lasting stick!

With a little last heavy-lifting, we were able to hang the door back in place with the new hinges and turn over the keys to Amy for her brand new door!

It certainly adds a pop of color where there wasn’t one before. And if it got little Marion’s approval, then I like it too! What’s your dream front door color? My door is stained, but I love a yellow or red door! Comment below with your fav!

Thanks for Checking In! ~ Chelsea

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