How To Paint A Wooden Door Correctly (in Pt White), Entrance And Not Only

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

How to paint a wooden door correctly

Surely, when building or renovating a house, you installed a high-quality, solid door made of natural wood. But over time, even she will lose her attractive appearance. This is not at all a reason for replacement, because a wooden door is not at all difficult to paint yourself. The choice of color depends only on your desire, but you need to know the painting technology and the subtleties of the process.

Content

• 1 Features of the composition for painting

  1.1 Compositions for doors of different types

• 2 Preparation for the process

  2.1 Pre-processing

• 3 Painting technologies

  • 3.1 Simple door leaf
  • 3.2 Painting with stain
  • 3.3 Imitation wood
• 4 How to paint a wooden door - video

Features of the composition for painting

Regardless of whether you need to renovate old doors or give a different look to new ones, choosing the right paint and varnish product is very important. The quality and service life of a wooden door depends on it. Let's consider the most common tools.

Varnishes - colored, glossy or matte. Their main property is that the structure of the wood will be visible under the layer of substance. If you have completely restored the door, then varnishing is hardly suitable, since all defects and subtleties of processing will be visible. There are several varnish options:

• oil based;
• alcohol varnish;
• polyurethane;
• solvent-based nitrolacquer.

The latter type is not suitable for use on wood: the composition of such a varnish is bad for wood. But polyurethane varnish is durable and resistant to mechanical damage, therefore it is excellent for our task, although it is quite expensive.

The choice of varnish or paint depends on the type of door and its location in the room

If painting with varnish is not suitable for you, refer to paints. Their choice in the modern market is huge both in color and composition, and it will not be difficult for you to give the door any look. Paints can be matte, glossy or emphasizing the woody structure. The main thing is to pay attention to what basis the product is made - oil or alcohol. Nitro paint is also suitable.

There are also wax oils for wood surfaces. This product can be transparent or colored and will give the wood a soft silky feel. The disadvantage of this material is its high cost.

Compositions for doors of different types

When choosing a paint product, pay attention to the condition of the door leaf. As already mentioned, for the old door, which had to be restored, the lacquer coating, under which the entire surface is visible, is absolutely not suitable. In this case, it is better to use paint. The varnish will look good on a new door.

The modern market offers a large selection of paints and varnishes for wooden doors

Most often used in such works are 2 types of paints and varnishes.

1. Acrylic compositions based on water dispersion. Easy to apply and fit well, as if covering the surface with a thin layer of plastic. When dry, there is no strong odor.
2. Solvent-based alkyd paints and varnishes. When painting, they penetrate deep into the wood structure, dry quickly. Resistant to temperature fluctuations, have a water-repellent effect. The disadvantages include a pungent smell when drying.

Taking these points into account, we can conclude that acrylic compounds are well suited for interior doors and dry rooms. Alkyd paints are best used on front doors or in damp areas.

If you plan to paint the door in one color, then the choice of the coloring material will be based on the above criteria. But if you have a door leaf with a design, take into account the following:

• matching the color of the floor, wall cladding, furniture;
• antique decor or a certain style - high-tech, country, etc.;
• contrast of individual details (relevant for paneled models);
• wood structure;

• applied drawing.

  

  This chart will help you choose the type of wood by color.

Preparation for the process

First of all, arm yourself with the necessary materials and tools so that during the work process you have everything at hand. You will need:

• painting trolleys - 2 pcs. or 4 stools;
• roller and bath for him;
• putty knife;
• damp rag;
• sandpaper;
• vacuum cleaner;
• brush;
• masking tape;
• putty;
• primer;
• solvent;
• paint or varnish;
• flashlight for easy search of flaws on the door leaf.

The door structure consists not only of the canvas, and most often it completely needs painting, otherwise the door will be very different in color from the lintel and jambs. Painting work can be done in two ways: in a horizontal or vertical position.

1. In the first case, remove the door leaf from the hinges and lay it on the trestles or stools. If you use an alkyd compound for painting, it is better to sit in the yard, on the balcony or terrace.
2. In the second method, block the blade without removing it with wedges. Do this so that the brush has easy access to all the elements of the door. The lock will also keep the door open while it dries.

Try to dismantle all the hardware on the door

It will be more convenient to work with the removed canvas, but in some cases the second option is quite applicable. Remember to dismantle all hardware. If the hinges and handles are not removable, they can be wrapped in paper and fixed with tape, or even better, wrapped with foil and ensure it snugly adheres to the details. Cover the lock mechanisms with tape in a fixed position.

Preliminary processing

This process is multi-stage, and it is very important for the subsequent work. It depends on the correct preparation of the door surface how smoothly the paint will fall on it and how long it will hold. Carry out the preparation according to the standard scheme.

1. Remove layers of old paint, primer and putty right down to the wood. To do this, you can use a sander, medium-grained emery paper, a hair dryer or a special wood remover.
2. Perform initial sanding. It will help remove scratches, small dents, paint residues. This sanding is carried out with a medium-grained emery or a sander connected to a vacuum cleaner.
3. If you plan to cover the door with oil, varnish or stain, putty the large imperfections with a special putty appropriate for the wood. When using opaque paints, it is not necessary to match the color. Be sure to process the gaps between the canvas and decorative elements, the jamb and the lintel.

4. After the time indicated in the instructions for the putty has passed, sand the door again with sandpaper. Use a medium grit abrasive paper first, then a fine grit.

   

   Grind the surface thoroughly before starting work

After you have prepared the door for further work, wipe it, removing dust and fine debris, dry it thoroughly and start painting.

Painting technology

When painting a door, you can use either a brush or a roller. The brush can leave streaks and streaks. Therefore, before work, fluff it up properly to get rid of fallen and poorly fixed hairs, and while painting, use a brush along and across the surface to smooth out irregularities.

If you are using a roller, roll out the paint well so that it lies in a thin layer. Do not push the roller too hard during the process, and roll it over the surface with light, even movements.

The door surface will not be painted evenly the first time, the wood will absorb most of the paint. Re-staining will be required, and possibly more than one.

It is very important to pre-clean the white door from dirt and dust.

This method is great if you want to paint your door white. The main thing is to clean the surface with special care so that no dirt or dust remains on it.

Simple door leaf

This is the simplest job, so we'll cover it first. However, you need to be careful not to leave visible stains and smudges on the door.

For such work, you can purchase a special sprayer: it will greatly facilitate the process. But for painting one or two doors, the purchase of such a device would be financially impractical. Therefore, you can easily get by with a roller and panel brush.

The staining scheme depends on the type of door structure.

1. The panel door is painted in 3 steps. The easiest way is to use a roller for this: it will apply the paint evenly and will not leave hairs. Start covering from the upper left corner of the door, moving to the right. When the canvas is finished, leave it to dry as long as the instructions for the dye require. The second stage of coloring is carried out in the longitudinal direction, the third - in the opposite direction from the first method.
2. For a paneled door, it is better to use a brush. Walk it along the grooves in the canvas, while trying to avoid excess paint. Finish the painting with a roller, using the scheme for the panel door.

Painting with stain

If you decide to paint your door with stain, prepare it and lightly dampen it. Thus, moisture will not be absorbed into the wood, and the dye will lie flat, despite the liquid consistency. Everything that is located horizontally, paint first along the fibers, then across, and at the end of the work again in the longitudinal direction.

If you decide to paint the door in an upright position and have not removed it from its hinges, start covering the jambs and the canvas from below so that the spray does not fall on the unpainted surface. This is especially important if you plan to varnish your door.

The fibers of the wood are straightened by absorbing a water-soluble stain. After the first coat has dried, sand the surface with a zero-abrasive paper, clean and coat again with stain.

After drying, the wood surface will become lighter than when stained. Apply the dye several times to make the color more vibrant.

Alcohol stain does not straighten wood fibers, so you don't have to sand the door after applying it. In addition, it dries up in half an hour. But water-soluble stain is more popular because it is considered safer and more non-toxic.

Imitation wood

This method is applicable to any surface. As for wood, on old doors that have been subject to deep restoration, it may also be necessary to apply a pattern as close as possible to a pronounced natural one.

1. Cover the canvas with yellow, light beige or light gray paint. Dry according to the instructions for the dye.
2. Apply liquid soap to the surface to be treated with a brush.

3. Apply a coat of your chosen dark paint and wash off the liquid soap.

   

   Tips for applying a wood look

There is another way to imitate a wood pattern on a door. To do this, you need a special brush that you can buy at a hardware store. The soft wood fibers are brushed with a brush-like motion. Due to changes in the structure, curls will spontaneously appear, creating the illusion of wood. After the surface is dry, it needs to be sanded.

How to paint a wooden door - video

As you can see, it is not at all difficult to bring wooden doors to their proper form on their own, the main thing is to adhere to the rules and follow the technology. If you have any questions about this topic, please ask them in the comments. There you can also share your experience in door painting with us. Easy work for you!