To achieve a smooth finish when painting the door, dip the paintbrush into the paint and wipe any excess paint off on the lip of the tray. Paint in smooth strokes, always moving the paintbrush in the same direction. Once the door has dried, remove any masking tape and refit the door into the opening.
“Painting a front door is best done with a brush. This is because most front doors have wood and/or glass panels and a roller would not be able to paint in the panels the same way that a brush would to give full coverage.”
Doors can be awkward to remove from their frames, so it's often easier to paint them in place. That way, you can paint both sides without having to wait for one side to dry. You also don't have to worry about nicking the fresh paint when you re-hang the door.
Invest at least $10 on a quality 2- to 2½-inch sash brush to paint the door and trim. If you prefer to use a roller instead, consider those with microfiber roller sleeves, which hold more paint and provide a smoother finish than foam.
Note: Don't paint the top or bottom of a door (the narrow parts that aren't visible when the door is closed). Leave them unpainted so the door can expand and contract with changes in humidity.
To get a desirable smooth finish when glossing a wall, wait patiently until the primer is fully dry, then lightly sand the surface to perfection with the Ultimate Aluminium Oxide Fine Paper. This Harris-approved tip will remove any pesky brush marks and give you a stunning matt surface to work with.
Fiberglass doors and sidelights can be smooth or textured with a wood-grain finish. This material usually does not need to be primed, but painting is required. Premium steel doors are factory-primed and should be painted but not stained.
Acrylic Latex
Acrylic paint adheres well to fiberglass, overcoming one of the main challenges to painting this material. Acrylic paint is less likely to crack and blister, and will hold up well to cleaning. This water-based paint is easy to apply, and contains fewer chemicals, so is more environmentally friendly.
Fibreglass can be tough to paint over as it needs to be suitably prepared and primed for topcoats to properly adhere and stick to the surface. Zinsser's Bulls Eye 1-2-3 is ideal for priming fibreglass as it provides a perfect key for topcoats.
You should not use oil-based or melamine paints when choosing fiberglass paint; instead, acrylic (100%), polyurethane, polyester, and epoxy paints should be used. It is recommended not to mix primer and paint from different companies, according to many manufacturers and painters.
Rust-Oleum Oil-Based Door Paint is designed to bring great color retention and durable protection for your exterior and interior doors. Ideal for metal, wood and fiberglass doors.
The most common kinds of exterior door paint are acrylic resin or latex-based and with a semi-gloss finish. Latex-based exterior paint is the most flexible type and is quite popular. It fills in larger imperfections on a door's surface and resists cracking and chipping.
Semigloss is the best paint finish for interior doors and trim. The reason being, semi-gloss can take up quite an abuse and stand up to nicks and scrapes better than any other sheen, flat or eggshell finish. The large surfaces gather dust just like your furniture.
What is the best roller for painting front doors? You guessed it – the best thing to use to paint a front door is a mini foam roller. The high density foam will give your door the perfect smooth finish!
10 Answers from MyBuilder Carpenters & Joiners
Paint the top coat after its hung, you may need to adjust the door if it's being hung in an existing door liner, if that's the case, you'll need to paint it again.
Floetrol is your best friend. Floetrol is an additive you can add to the paint that will help your paint stay wet longer, which will give it more time to meld together or self-level and eliminate brush strokes. When the paint dries quickly, like on hot days, it's harder to keep the brush strokes from showing.
After the first coat is dry, lightly sand the entire surface with an ultra fine grit sanding block. Vacuum the dust off and clean the surface with a tack cloth. Paint the second coat of paint on the piece the same as the first. Repeat by sanding between coats of paint.
In contrast to watering down paint, “thinning” paint is a regular practice for all painters and is recommended by the paint manufacturer. To “thin” paint, an exterior painter will add water to the paint bucket, increasing the paint's workability and slowing down the speed with which it dries.