While you can choose any finish, glossy paints are typically preferred for doors and trim, because they stand out and highlight these architectural features. They also tend to stand up to nicks and scrapes better than flat or eggshell paint, meaning they could last longer.
Go for a semi-gloss finish, which is as durable as it is attractive. Exterior paints are sold in flat/matte, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss sheens, in order of the lowest to the highest luster. Semi-gloss is ideal for front doors, as it's more wear- and stain-resistant than flatter sheens.
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.
You can paint over most gloss doors with good results, but the level of finish you can achieve depends on a few factors. These include what the door is made from, how old the gloss paint is, and what condition it is in. It is best practice to sand down timber doors to remove the old gloss paint before repainting.
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.
You'd be safer using satin exterior paint sheen on the outside, as an interior semi-gloss, matching your trim inside. Keeping consistent paint sheens inside and out, is a hallmark of a professional paint design. Do not worry between satin or semi-gloss outside because your door gets a lot of sun.
Semi-gloss: Semi-gloss paint is most often used on doors, trim, and cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms. It is easily cleaned and lays down a nice, subtle shine, without being too glitzy.
“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.”
The process involves first rough-sanding the door then priming it with an oil primer. Once dry, the door gets skim-coated with Swedish Putty, an oil-based high-performance spackle, which then gets sanded with a fine-grit paper (220 or finer) until the surface shines like a sheet of glass.
While you can choose any finish, glossy paints are typically preferred for doors and trim, because they stand out and highlight these architectural features. They also tend to stand up to nicks and scrapes better than flat or eggshell paint, meaning they could last longer.
Steps for Painting a High-Gloss Front Door
Sand the door down to bare wood using 80 grit sandpaper. Prime the door using an exterior grade oil-based primer. Allow the door to dry overnight before adding the next coat. Lightly sand the door using 220 grit sandpaper.
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.
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.
Matte paint generally holds dirt and is quite difficult to clean, cleaning could also remove the finish of the paint. Therefore, when painting something like doors, because they do get rather dirty and are used a lot, as well as needing to be cleaned often, semi-gloss or gloss paint will work better.
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.
Generally, the best paint for interior doors is semi-gloss because it is easy to clean and produces a finish that lasts for a long time, but gloss is good too.
It is possible to apply both semi-gloss and satin paint sheens to the same front door, as they are similar paint sheens. In general, satin is used for exterior paint, while semi-gloss is used for interior paint.
It's hard to go wrong with a neutral entry door color like gray, brown or black. These colors are classic hues that will stand the test of time. Even navy blues and deep shades of red are classic front door colors. If you want to go extremely minimalistic, you can stain your front door instead of painting it.
Simply put, paints with a sheen reflect light and paints without a sheen absorb light. Paint sheen types can be organized into two broad categories: Flat or matte paints absorb more light than they reflect, so they have no sheen. Semi-gloss and gloss paints reflect light, giving them a bright, shiny finish.
To be safe, wait at least two days before closing an interior door. This is especially true during humid conditions, when it takes longer for paint to cure properly. With an exterior door, either remove the weather stripping or cover it with painter's tape so the paint won't stick.
If your doors and trim are to be painted, many painters prefer the doors be installed. That way all the painting and caulking can be completed at the same time. If you have pre-finished doors and trim, I would recommend installing the doors after the painting is finished.
Yes, you can paint over a high gloss without sanding. Start by cleaning the glossy surface with sugar soap and water. Once it's completely dry, scuff it with a de-glosser and let it dry for at least 10 minutes.