Tips For Prepping a Door Before Painting
If you are looking to improve your kerb appeal, painting your front entry door is a great place to start. However, there are a few prep steps you need to take before you paint it; otherwise, the finished job won't look how you envisioned it, and it can actually take away from the kerb appeal. Here are some prep steps to do before you paint the door.
Get the Door Clean
You will need to clean the door before doing anything else, even if it looks clean to you. Entry doors get touched by a lot of hands and paw prints, which means it probably has skin oils and fingerprints that you might not be able to see. However, they will be obvious when you go to paint it and the paint strokes are uneven because of the grease, oil, and smudges.
Decide if you want to remove the door from the hinges for painting, which is recommended, or not. Wood doors can usually be cleaned with just mild soap and water. Make sure you rinse off the soap thoroughly. Dry the door with a cloth instead of letting it air dry, as you don't want to do damage to the wood.
Mask Areas Not to Be Painted
Once the door has been cleaned, it is time to mask different parts of the door. Even if the door is off the hinges, there are still some areas you might want to mask. If you didn't remove the entire doorknob, you will need to use painter's tape over the knob so it doesn't get painted. The same goes for a door knocker or window in the door if you have those. Do this slowly and carefully so you get clean lines with the finished product.
Repair the Door
Some repairs might be needed, which you can do as one of the last steps before painting. Look around the door, on the front, back, and sides for any signs of damage. You might see little cracks or holes in the wood that need to be filled. Wood putty filler is good for these types of damage. Just make sure you smooth out the top so that it is flush with the rest of the door. Wait for any filling material to dry before continuing. Finally, sand the entire door before adding primer.
Add Primer Before Painting
Before you paint the door, add a coat of primer around the entire door. This is going to give it a smooth and even surface that makes it much easier to add the paint. Let this dry completely before painting.
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