Painting your doors is a great way to protect them and help them to last longer. The paint seals out moisture, it can prevent mold and mildew formation, and on metal, it can inhibit rust or corrosion. The most frequently asked question about door painting is how to paint a door without brush marks?
Brush marks can ruin a beautiful coat of paint. They create ridges and ripples and take away from the flawless perfection of the item. It is possible to apply paint and not leave brush marks, even if you are using a brush. The trick is to have the right paint and the right brush, then you have to develop an easy-to-learn technique.
Know The Paint You are Covering
Before you rush to the store and buy some primer and paint for your door you must first learn what material the paint is going over.
Raw Wood – This is a door that has never been primed or painted. You need a primer and paint that is designed to be used on wooden surfaces. If the door faces the outside of your home, you need exterior-grade products and if it is an interior door then interior-grade paints will work best.
Primed Wood or Metal – if you have purchased a door that has already been primed and needs a coat of paint you have to know what kind of primer was used on the surface. A lot of people make the mistake of assuming a metal door has an oil-based primer on it. When they try to apply oil-based paints they create bubbling and blistering. Many metal doors are coated with a water-based primer.
Previously painted doors – there is a simple test you can do to determine if the paint on the door is painted with oil-based paint. Take a rag and pour some denatured alcohol on it. Rub the rag against the painted surface. Check the rag to see if paint has come off of the door and is left on the rag. If the denatured alcohol removed some of the paint you are dealing with a water-base or latex paint. If the rag remains painted free you more than likely are dealing with an oil-based paint. If the door was painted prior to 1979 there is a possibility that the paint on it contains lead. You can buy a lead testing kit to make sure that you are not dealing with the removal of lead paint. If you are dealing with lead paint you need to take special precautions while sanding and removing it.
Buy Quality Tools If You Want a Quality Finish
When you go to select your brush or roller cover do NOT buy the cheapest ones you can find. The cheap brushes lose hair and create a lot of brush marks and problems. The cheap roller covers leave marks and do not cover the surface completely.
The paint brush you buy should cost at least $10. It should be angled or tapered, and the bristles should feel kind of soft and pliable.
The roller cover that works best on doors is a microfiber one. The microfiber covers have less of a tendency to shed and they usually do not leave roller marks.
Learn how to spray paint furniture without using a brush.
Painting Your Door with a Brush
Gather your Tools
You need to get a few tools together before you take the door off the hinges.
- Sawhorses to support the door panel while you paint
- 2 ½” angled paint brush
- Sandpaper – fine grit, medium grit, coarse grit
- Orbital sander, You can sand without this
- Clean dry rags
- A vacuum with a brush attachment is handy
- Screwdriver to remove hardware
- Container to keep hardware and screws in
- Painters’ tape
- Primer
- Paint
- Stick for stirring the paint with
- Mineral spirits
- Mask or respirator
- Protective eyewear
Step 1: Clean the surface before you start. Let it dry completely.
Step 2: Sand away any rough spots or brush marks that exist on the door. Vacuum the dust away, or wipe the door down with dry rags. Then put some mineral spirits on a clean rag and wipe it over the surface. This will allow you to pick up minute dust particulates that you might not be able to see but will be able to see after you apply wet paint.
Step 3: You can dip paint directly out of the paint can. Paint around the edges of the door first.
Step 4: Do this by painting the top edge, the side edges, and last the bottom edge.
Step 4: Paint the interior panels. Do not overload your brush or the paint will be too thick and you will make brush marks.
Step 6: Paint the vertical strips between the panels. Hold your brush at an angle and do not apply too much pressure while you are moving it. Paint the entire length of the vertical strip without stopping.
Step 7: Paint the horizontal strips next. Paint from one side to the next without stopping for more paint.
Step 8: Last you will paint the vertical strips on the sides of the door.
Step 9: Sand using fine-grit paper between the coats. You need to apply 2 or more coats of paint to get adequate coverage.
Painting Your Doors with Roller and Brush Combination
Gather Your Tools
- Sawhorses to support the door panel while you paint
- 2 ½” angled paint brush
- Paint roller
- Roller cover
- Paint tray
- Disposable liner for a paint tray
- Sandpaper – fine grit, medium grit, coarse grit
- Orbital sander, you can sand without this
- Clean dry rags
- A vacuum with a brush attachment is handy
- Screwdriver to remove hardware
- Container to keep hardware and screws in
- Painters’ tape
- Mineral spirits
- Primer
- Paint
- Stick for stirring the paint with
- Mask or respirator
- Protective eyewear
Step 1: Prepare the door for painting by cleaning and sanding. Just like you would prepare it to paint with a brush.
Step 2: Use a paintbrush to paint the door edges.
Step 3: Pour some paint into your paint tray, and load your roller. Run the roller over the ridges in the pan to wipe down excess paint. Roll with the direction of the wood grain. Do not apply excessive pressure to try and get more paint out of your roller.
Step 4: Use a paintbrush to paint any areas that the roller could not reach on panel doors.
Step 5: Sand between coats of paint using fine grit paper. Make sure the paint is totally dry before you start to sand.
Pro Tips for Paint a Door
- Semi-gloss and high-gloss paints are better for door surfaces. They are more durable and can be washed repeatedly. Since doors get touched a lot you need to be able to clean them often.
- Fill the holes and cracks in the panel surface with wood putty and filler before you paint. A beautiful finish requires a nice surface to start with.
- Use Painter’s pyramids to prop the door up above the sawhorse surface. This allows for better ventilation and they make it easier to lift the door when it is time to paint the other side.
- Long smooth brush strokes create the best finish. Work with the grain of the wood and paint with the grain.
- If the previous paint had brush marks you have to sand them out or your paint will also have brush marks
- Paint with a light touch and do not apply too much pressure as you move the brush
- Never paint in a hurry. If you are rushing to get through your finish will not be smooth and flawless.
- The primer creates a smooth surface that the paint can adhere to.
Final Thoughts
The quality of the paint you buy will make a big difference in the finish you get. High-quality paint is normally self-leveling so brush marks are eradicated during the leveling. Cheap paint does not have self-leveling properties and will show every brush stroke.
More from our Volt:
1. How to Paint Baseboards with Carpet
2. How to Spray Paint Interior Walls and Ceilings
