Painting Interior Doors - Tips For Success

Painting interior doors can make a big difference in the appearance of your home. Sometimes we take for granted how important interior design and painting can be. We take our eyes off these important details when we walk through doorways. It is not only as good as looking great is to feel great as well. In fact, painting your interior doors can give your home a whole new look and feel.

Over time, your doors will show signs of wear and tear at those frequently touched areas. That is unavoidable and some touch-ups are in order. You can just paint over the worn areas or use this opportunity to brighten up your home by bringing more color into your space. Whatever your goal, you're painting interior doors, so here is a simple guide to follow for the best results. 

Touching-Up the Interior Doors

Ideally, you still have some paint left of the original color. If not, this could be difficult since matching colors can be tricky. However, many of the larger paint companies — including Behr and Sherwin-Williams - offer mobile apps to make color matching easy. Each app works differently but the outcome is the same. You can download the app to your smartphone, take a photo of your door in good lighting (in natural light for best results) and upload the picture to the app. Voila, you will get the manufacturer's closest match.  Additionally, you will be able to also preview recommended accent colors to help you design the perfect color combinations from the comfort of your home. I always recommend that you test the color in an inconspicuous location, just to be sure. 

If you cannot find the perfect match you will need to repaint the whole door. Once you have the right paint to be able to do a touch-up, lightly sand the afflicted area and wash with water to remove all particles. Once the surface is dry you can do your touch-up using a sponge brush or a roller. If you are needing to repaint the whole door, again, lightly sand the entire surface, wash with water, and once dry, use a roller or high-quality paintbrush for best results.

Spice It Up: Choose a Complementary Color For Your Trim

If you are tired of white or off-white which was the standard for so many years you may want to add a touch of color by painting the trim with a different color. There are many methods you can use to tint your interior doors. You can purchase a color tint kit at your local home supply store, or purchase the ready-mixed color. Alternatively, you can create your own color combination by using inexpensive bronzers. These inexpensive products can be found in craft stores and even department stores.

Another way to create a contrasting color on your interior doors is to paint one side of the room a bright, contrasting color and the other a more dark, neutral tone. For example, if you are working on a kitchen that has light coloring, such as cream, you could paint the door or trim a darker color facing the kitchen, and use a different color facing the other room. Adding a contrast like this will help make your room look unique.

Here is How You Do It

Depending on the condition your doors are in you may want to use a primer. A primer is used to make the wood smooth and free of bumps and grain patterns. Primer comes in spray cans and liquid or canisters depending on the type of paint you are going to use. If you are going to use a liquid primer, you should allow it to dry thoroughly between coats. Once you have primed and prepared the interior door, you will want to select a paintbrush to paint on the color you have selected. If possible, choose a roller or brush that will give you good coverage. Paint using smooth strokes and do not overload the roller or brush. Be sure to let the paint dry completely dry. When you have the door completely dry, you can apply a coat of stain and finish. 

Following these simple steps will give your doors and trim a beautiful makeover and a new lease on life.  However, if painting doors is not what you want to spend your free time on, give us a call for a quote. Not only will we transform your doors but we can also assist you with color selection.