Helpful Tip Friday

Picture from YoungHouseLove.com

Painting an Exterior Door

Painting your front door is like whitening your teeth.  It's a nice little update that can give your home a more attractive and welcoming look.  Whether you're freshening up with the same color, or going for a bold new look, painting this exterior door is going to brighten things up!

For starters, the weather needs to be lovely.  Not too hot, not too cold.  Overcast or shaded is best, because the direct sun on your wet paint may cause it to blister.  Little to no breeze would be great.

Okay, so its a great day, lets get painting.  It is recommended that you remove the door from the hinges first and place door in a workable, well ventilated environment.  There are several reasons why you may not want to remove the door, and that's fine.  Just make sure you tape off all areas that you don't want painted with some painters tape.  Remove as much hardware that you can.

Next comes everyone's favorite step: sanding.  Sanding the door will help remove any residue, build-up, and grit.  If you want to be thorough, sand using a medium grit before filling in holes and dents with putty or metal filler, then sand using fine grit.  (Try scraping rusty patches on metal doors with a wire brush.)

Wipe the door down.  You can try soap and water to start with.  If there is any mildew, you may want to try a gentle disinfectant.  Make sure that you let it dry completely.

Primer comes next.  This gives the door a great surface for paint to adhere to.

When selecting a paint, make sure that it is an exterior paint.  I like to stay with a glossier sheen, because dirt will stick less and will generally appear fresher.  Use foam brushes and high density foam rollers, to avoid brush marks.

Some sources will say to start on the outside edges, then paint the panels.  Others say the opposite.  The general consensus though is to paint the panels together and paint the edges together.  Make sure your brush and roller strokes are coordinating and apply several thin coats, as opposed to a couple of thick coats.

Once paint is completely dry, reattached hardware and door to hinges.  Your front door is now a great update, and a smile to everyone that goes by.

Sources:
http:homeguides.sfgate.com/paint-exterior-front-door-37259.html
http:www.bhg.com/home-improvement-door-exterior-how-to-paint-exterior-door/
http://www.wikihow.com/Paint-an-Exterior-Door
http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/08/old-yeller/