Pros often paint doors in place without removing it from its hinges. But from prep to painting, you'll get better results if you remove the door.
Door Painting Tips
The easiest way to paint a door is while it is in its frame on its hinges. If you remove the door from the frame, the frame may shift and the door may not fit or function properly when replaced. Another reason to leave it on its hinges is that you can paint both sides at the same time.
It's actually easier to paint if you remove it. But if you're short on time or can't leave the door off the hinges during the painting process, here's how you can get the job done without having to remove the door.
Painting Your Door While It's Removed From Its Frame
Pros: Gravity won't be as much of an issue with your door laid horizontally. It's easier to paint with long, smooth brush strokes. Painting paneled doors is a lot easier when painted horizontally.
Front door paint can be applied using brushes or rollers, but professionals use rollers for a smooth finish. If your door has panels, painting the panels first gives you the best results: Use the roller's curved edge or the angled brush to paint the molding profiles around the panel edges.
The best way to paint your door is by using both a paintbrush and a foam roller. You should begin by brushing a light coat of paint on the door. Because the brush can leave drips or runs, it is best to do this first, before the rest of the door is painted.
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.
The short answer, yes! If you are hand brushing your door it is possible to paint it while it is still on the hinges. Simply tape off the hinges with painter's tape to prevent them from getting painted accidentally.
A minimum of 2 coats applied. If you are painting a primed door: A latex or water-based paint can be used. A minimum of 2 coats is recommended however, you can apply as many coats to acquire desired finish.
Before this, you will also need to move any furniture, lay down dust sheets and put any painters tape on edges that need it. Painting skirting boards, doors and windows should take around 1-2 hours for each coat. A door takes around 30-45 minutes, a window 30-40 minutes and skirting board around 15-30 minutes.
After your first coat of paint is dry, it's safe to recoat typically after four to six hours. A good rule of thumb is to wait at least three hours to recoat your paint or primer if it's water-based. Waiting 24 hours is best for oil-based paint and primer.
Smooth Surfaces
Painters often use traditional rollers for uneven exterior walls and foam rollers for smooth interior walls, doors, and cabinets. Foam rollers glide along a smooth flat surface very easily and dispense the paint on the surfaces evenly.
If you're painting a typical interior door, we recommend using a roller with a shorter nap of around 5mm for a lovely smooth finish. Shorter nap sizes are perfect for that spray-like finish you would otherwise get with an actual paint sprayer.
Note: Painting a door typically takes three to five hours, depending on the condition of the door and how fussy you are. But add in the drying time and it's a full-day project.
The labor cost to paint exterior doors ranges from $80 to $300, depending on a number of factors like the size of the entranceway, the type of doors you have, and the paint you choose for the job.
Fingerprints and grime are to be expected on interior doors in high-traffic areas. So pick paint with a gloss or semi-gloss finish, rather than flat or eggshell, for a surface that's much easier to wipe clean. A glossier paint also makes doors and trim stand out beautifully against the flatter wall surface.
A satin or semi-gloss finish is the best for doors both inside and outside the home. Glossy finishes offer the best protection against damage and deterioration, while semi-gloss paint is easy to clean, given the paint dries in a way that allows accumulated dirt and grime to wipe off with little effort required.
If it's in good order then a simple re-coat will usually suffice, however if the paint is old, flaky and discoloured then it will need to be removed, the door sanded back and then fresh paint applied to produce a decent finish.