Get it right and painting your interior doors can be one of the quickest, easiest and most satisfying weekend home improvement projects. We say ‘get it right’ because it’s exactly the kind of job that can be as straightforward or complicated as you allow it to be.
There’s not actually a great deal of surface area to pain where interior doors are concerned. Nor do you need much specialist equipment to pull it off and come out with a quality result.
For the most part, it’s a case of combining common sense with a few tips and pointers from the pros. In the case of the latter, what follows is a brief rundown of our own top tips and guidelines for painting your interior doors this spring:
- Ensure you’ve got the right gear
You don’t need a major arsenal of tools to paint interior doors, but quality hardware will make the job so much easier. Grab yourself the high-quality brushes, rollers and painters tape you’ll be needing in advance, rather than finding out halfway through you’re missing something important.
- Consider bold colors
Don’t instinctively limit yourself to the usual ‘safe’ color choices, or those that closely match the rest of your interior color scheme. Interior doors provide you with the opportunity to go bold, perhaps choosing something quite radical you wouldn’t normally pick. Adding a pop of color with a surprising interior door color choice really can make a big difference.
- Don’t forget the trim
If taking the time to paint your interior doors, you may as well refresh the trim while you’re at it. Feel free to choose an identical or corresponding color if you wish, but this is also a great opportunity to bring a burst of contrasting color into your room.
- Remember to choose the right finish
It’s entirely up to you which finish you go for when painting interior doors – some prefer a glossier result than others. Just remember that high-gloss paint is much easier to keep clean than a flat or matte finish, so tends to be the preferred option in high-traffic areas of the home.
- Take the project outside
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you will save time and effort to paint your doors where they currently hang. However much time and effort it takes to detach your doors, remove the hardware and take them outside, you’ll save way more having done so. Taking the project outdoors also means you’re protecting your indoors from straight paint splats and splashes.
- Fill holes and imperfections
Tackling minor imperfections with a tube of wood filler is so easy that skipping this part of the job is a big mistake. It takes minutes and yet can make all the difference to the final result. All you need to do is stuff some filler into those gaps and crevices, smooth it away with a scraper and give it a couple of hours to dry.
- Sand properly and prime
Likewise, it is rarely (if ever) advisable to proceed without first sanding down the surface of the door. Irrespective of the type of paint stain previously used, creating a slightly rough surface will make it much easier for the paint to adhere. Once the surface has been properly sanded down, you can wipe away the residual surface dust and apply an even coat of primer.
- Paint all at once
Breaking the usual rule when it comes to interior painting, it’s always advisable to paint the surface of each door all in one go and without taking a break. By getting the job done all at once, you significantly reduce the likelihood of a patchy and uneven finish. Leave each completed coat for the required drying time, before sanding down again lightly and adding a second coat (if required).
- Use a spray gun to save time
If looking to get the job done as quickly as possible, a spray gun is the way to go. In fact, a quality spray gun can simplify the process of painting just about anything around the home. One you’ve got used to the way a paint spray gun works, you can paint the entire surface of a door in a matter of seconds.
- Change the hardware while you’re at it
Last but not least, now is also the perfect time to upgrade the handles, hinges, locks and so on that adorn your doors. If you’re going for a complete transformation, this is a small and affordable additional touch that can nonetheless make a remarkable difference.
For more information on any of the above or to discuss any aspect of home painting in more detail, contact a member of the team at Homm CPS today.