How to Paint Your Front Door

As the focal point of your home’s exterior, your front door plays an important role in setting the tone for the rest of the property. Repainting your front door is a quick, easy and very doable way to instantly upgrade your home’s exterior. Read on to learn how to prepare your front door for painting.

Tools for the Job

Step 1: Preparation

First things first, remove all hardware (door handles, numbers, letterboxes etc.) and store them in a safe place. Alternatively, you can leave them in place and protect them with good-quality masking tape such as Deltec Gold Masking Tape.

Lay down a dust sheet to protect the floor.

Clean dirt, grime and dust with a dedicated degreaser such as Fluxaf PowerClean or a simple sugar soap solution. Let the door dry fully.

Step 2: Sand

If your door is wooden, sand the surface lightly (or ‘key’ the surface) – this will enable the paint to adhere correctly to the surface when applied. Use a medium to fine sandpaper (120 – 180 grade) to provide this key. Completely remove any dust from the surface.

Sanding is not required for uPVC. Check out our dedicated guide to learn more about how to paint uPVC trim, doors, and window frames.

Step 3: Fix

For a wooden door, use Prestonett Wood Filler to fix any cracks, chips, or holes. Once this is dry, sand it back so that it is smooth and flush with your door. Completely remove any dust from the surface.

Step 4: Prime

Whether or not you need to prime the door will depend on several factors, so it’s best to speak with a member of our expert team first.

For example, if you are painting a PVC door, you will need to use a water-based primer such as Ralston All-Primer. If painting a door previously coated in oil-based paint, you will need an oil-based primer. For this, we recommend Ralston Uni-Primer as this will allow you to apply a water-based topcoat.

Tip: Both Ralston All-Primer and Ralston Uni-Primer can be tinted into the colour, but don’t be tempted to stop here as these products don’t offer UV protection.

Use a 2” brush or a mini-roller to apply a primer to the door. You will need white spirits to clean if using the Ralston Uni-Primer.

Allow the primer to dry fully according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 5: Paint!

Now it's time for the fun part - painting! Use a brush or a roller to apply your chosen topcoat. If you need a second coat, wait for the first one to dry completely.

Tip: Sand the door in-between coats to prevent drips and to achieve a more professional and hardwearing finish.

Tools for the Job

• Microfibre cloth
• Fluxaf PowerClean or Sugar Soap
• Dust Sheet
• Deltec Gold Masking Tape
• Medium to fine sandpaper (120 – 180 grade)
• Prestonett Wood Filler
• Filling knife
• Wooster Silver Tip 2″ Brush
• Wooster Jumbo Shergrip Mini-Frame
• Wooster Jumbo-Koter Mohair Sleeve
• Ralston All-Primer (water-based) or Ralston Uni-Primer (oil-based)
• Ralston Aqua Satin