How To Paint A Door

Doors are often overlooked when it comes to decor however when painted correctly they can make a real impact. This handy guide explains how to paint your door using Tikkurila paints and primers.

For best results, remove the door from its hinges and lay flat. If you can’t remove the door from its hinges, coat them in Vaseline to stop the paint from adhering.

Remove the handles and protect the surrounding areas with lining paper.

Wash your door thoroughly using HSP Cleaner Degreaser. Ensure all traces of dirt, wax, oil and grease are removed. This step ensures good paint adhesion and is especially important when working on previously painted doors.

Once the cleaner degreaser has dried, remove any old, flaky paint using a scraper. Sand the surface back until smooth. Sanding is important to ensure you achieve a silky smooth finish.

Make sure all gloss from the previous coating has been removed. Paint will not adhere to glossy surfaces.

Fill in any dents, dings or surface damaged using Prestonett Quick Drying Wood Filler. Prestonett Fillers are easy to sand and do not flash through subsequent coats.

Once the filler has dried, sand any filled areas to ensure they are not raised and the entire door has an even key.

Clear up all the sanding dust and wipe the doors over using a tack cloth.

Priming your doors for painting

If you are coating an exceptionally resinous wood, you may want to apply one coat of Zinsser BIN. Zinsser BIN is a shellac based stain blocking primer which prevents tannin bleeding and staining.

Apply 1-2 coats of Otex Adhesion primer, sanding between coats.

Otex Primer has excellent opacity and provides a first class foundation for subsequent coats.

If you prefer to use an water based system, apply 1-2 coats of Feelings Furniture Primer. Sanding between coats for a professional quality finish.

Feelings Furniture Primer offers excellent coverage and adhesion. It is used my many of the UK’s leading kitchen manufacturers.

We highly recommend tinting your primer to match the top coat; it gives an excellent depth of colour and high coverage.

Painting your doors

Cut in around edges and panels using a small brush, and then use a roller for the larger areas.

When painting a panelled door, start with the upper left panel and work your way to the right and then down. Painting from top to bottom helps to eliminate drip marks.

For excellent coverage, we recommend applying two coats of your chosen topcoat. Load your brush generously and spread the paint across the surface in long gentle brush strokes.

After 24 hours, your doors will be fully dry and ready for use!

Pick the best products for the job

Before ordering your Tikkurila products, you need to answer a few simple questions… Are you painting an interior or exterior door? Do you want an opaque or translucent colour? Will you be using an oil based or water based paint system?

To help narrow down your choices, here is a brief overview of our recommended door paints and primers:

For more information about our Tikkurila paints, please visit www.holmanpaints.co.uk or call the sales team on 01793 511537