Exterior doors, particularly front doors, can be the first thing someone notices about your home or business. And they inform the outside world about what to expect from the inside of your place. If you want to strengthen first impressions, to add value to your home or business, to make a statement, or to simply refresh your space, painting exterior doors is a great option. And you’ll be happy to know painting exterior doors is very doable and affordable, especially if you follow this guide.

Getting started

To begin, decide whether or not you want to take the door off. You can remove the door from the frame and its hardware or you can cover the hardware with painter’s tape and paint the door without moving it from its place. For most people, it makes more sense and is a lot easier to not remove the door, but whatever you decide is fine.

Gather your supplies.

Before painting the door, you will need to clean it, sand it, and apply a primer, which will require a few tools. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 220-grit sandpaper
• exterior wood filler for wood doors, Bondo All Purpose putty for metal doors
• sponges or rags
• painter’s tape
• newspaper or cardboard
• paint trays
• mixing rods
• roller with handle
• small or medium brush

Clean the door.

Wipe wood doors down with a rag and mild cleaner. For metal doors, use a rag and a degreaser to remove grease and grim.

Patch up holes and imperfections.

Check your door for any holes and cracks. If your door is made of wood and there are holes or cracks, fill them with exterior wood filler. If your door is made of metal and there are holes or cracks, fill them with Bondo All Purpose putty. Use a compound knife, level the filler or putty, and apply pressure so that it gets inside the hole. Once you’ve filled in the holes, allow them to dry. Filler or putty usually takes at least 2 hours before you can expose it to water or paint. Read the instructions on the packaging for the exact wait time.

Sand the door.

In order to create a surface where paint can adhere, it is important to sand the door. This will also help get rid of dirt and surface debris. Go over the entire door with 220-grit sandpaper and be sure to work the corners, nooks and crannies.

Protect the hardware and windows.

You must protect the parts of the door that cannot be removed, such as windows. Cover windows or other items with newspapers and secure them with painter’s tape. Make sure the tape or paper covers every surface that you don’t want to paint. If you leave the door in the frame, cover the adjacent walls, the frame, and the hinges.

Choose a painting.

You will need a special paint for exteriors, since an exterior door is exposed to all the elements. The best options are a water-based latex, water-based acrylic or an alkyd-based oil paint. Water-based paints tend to dry faster than oil-based ones, but the oil-based paints serve as a stronger source of protection for the surface that lies underneath. If your door currently has a water-based paint, you will need to apply another coat of the same type of paint. But if you have an oil-based paint, you can use either option. Whatever you choose, just make sure the paint is formulated for exterior surfaces.

Choose a primer.

Before painting the door, you will need to apply a coat of primer, which will help the paint adhere more easily to the surface and ensure better coverage. You can use an oil-based primer for oil-based or water-based paint, but if you apply a water-based primer, you can only use a water-based paint. The color of the primer should be neutral or a shade lighter than the color you are going to paint the door.

Apply primer to the door.

Open the can of primer and stir the contents with a mixing paddle. Use a paintbrush to paint the trim and details surrounding any recessed panels. Then use the roller to paint each panel. Then use a roller to finish painting the rest of the door. Don’t forget the top, the sides, and the bottom. If the door is only a flat sheet of wood or metal, use the roller to paint the entire surface.

Paint the door.

Once the primer has dried, use a brush to paint the trim first and then the roller to paint the larger panels. Once all the sections and panels are painted, finish painting the rest of the surfaces. Again, if your door is a flat sheet of wood or metal, use a roller to paint the entire surface.

Apply a second coat if necessary.

Most doors will need two coats of paint, but you should make sure the first coat is dry before applying the second. Check the product’s instructions for the drying time. Water-based paints typically dry in a couple of hours, while oil-based paints can take up to 12 hours.

Remove the painter’s tape.

As soon as you finish applying the last coat, remove the painter’s tape by pulling the tape toward you at a 45-degree angle. It’s important to remove the tape before the paint dries. Otherwise, the paint could dry on the tape and peel when removing the adhesive.

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