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.
Type of Paint to Use
Choose eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss sheens. Avoid using flat or matte paint on doors.
Exterior doors are typically painted with oil-based paint, while the best paint for interior doors generally is a latex-based or acrylic paint. You also need to choose the correct finish when painting interior doors: interior paints come in five basic finishes: flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss.
Be careful not to use any oils, waxes, or polishes on flat or eggshell paint finishes. Interior doors are made of a harder material than walls themselves, therefore protecting these surfaces better is a semi gloss, gloss, or high gloss paint finish, where it receives the most traffic.
Exterior paint, particularly if it's being used on a front door, needs to be both durable and attractive. Sheens run from flat to semi- and high-gloss. Flat paint may be suitable for a garage door, but any high-traffic entry, such as your front door, usually looks better painted in satin or semi-gloss.
As such, the sheen you choose should stand up to the years and not show it. 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.
Summary of Paint for Interior Doors
Latex paints are easy to work with, environmentally friendly, and resist yellowing over time. Oil-based paints provide a durable, smooth finish, although they require a bit more effort to apply and clean.
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.
Both satin and eggshell paints can be used on interior woodwork including doors, window and door frames, skirting boards, architraves, stair railings and other architectural details. Eggshell is better for a lower sheen with a matte emulsion feel while satin is glossier.
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.
If your wall has imperfections like uneven texture, patches or joints, flat paint will absorb light and make them less noticeable. However, flat finishes are not very durable and need to be carefully cleaned. Scrubbing flat paint could wear down the finish and cause sheen to appear in patchy spots.
Finish – Satin and gloss paints are usually best for internal doors. The finishes are washable, so it allows for the removal of stains. Most homeowners choose a high gloss finish as it's the most durable out of the options.
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.
1” brush makes light work of door frames, stairway spindles and small edges. 1 ½” brushes are best for larger door frames and skirting boards. 2” brush should be used for cupboard doors and dado rails. 2 ½” brushes are excellent for painting panelled doors, beams and large furniture.
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.
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.
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.
If you are going to paint a plain, flat door, use a foam roller to roll on the paint and use an angled brush to paint the sides. You want to make sure you leave no roller lap marks. To remove any lap marks, roll a lightly-loaded roller over the wet coat of paint to smooth.
Paint the Trim First, Then the Ceilings and Walls
Pro painting tips will usually tell you to follow a certain order when painting a room. They paint the trim first, then the ceiling, then the walls. That's because it's easier (and faster) to tape off the trim than to tape off the walls.
The color you paint interior doors and trim does not have to be the same — but it can be. If you are looking for a subtle door paint idea, you can paint the trim to match the door. Alternatively, contrasting colors for the trim and door could make the door pop against the wall if that is the look you want.
Benjamin Moore ADVANCE paint will always be your best bet for trim and cabinets because it looks great and is long-lasting.