Billy Dillard
Want to know how to paint a front door so it looks like a pro did it? When we bought our house in NC, I put painting our front doors near the top of my long home project to-do list.
I wanted to stick with a paint color that was still fairly light but a bit more subdued and landed on Benjamin Moore’s Boothbay Gray – it’s a light gray with just a touch of blue. (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})
Let’s kick things off with a pic of what our front doors used to look like: After painting our front doors and adding a pair of spring wreaths, this is the “after”:
I’m loving the new paint color and the spring wreaths c/o Style the Seasons really bring them alive: The other little upgrade I added to this space is a new doormat since the old one was sized for a single door – it’s a simple design that I can use year-round:
My exact doormat is currently out of stock but check out {this similar one} if you need an extra long one too!
Gathering your supplies for the job begins with figuring out what type of paint is already on your doors (latex or oil-based) because that will determine if you need to paint a coat of primer on your door first.
When I rubbed my dampened rag on our blue doors, it looked like this: You will need to paint a coat of primer on your doors as the first step if:
You are using Benjamin Moore Advance Exterior paint over a previously painted door – this paint can be used over either latex or oil-based paint and is awesome for not leaving roller or brush marks but it has a long dry time so you would have to wait a long time for it to dry before closing your door (usually only ok for people with storm doors) and wait 16 hours before recoating. In addition to your latex paint (be sure you get exterior paint- one quart is plenty; semi gloss is the most commonly used sheen) and your primer (if needed), the other supplies to have on hand are:
Canvas or plastic drop cloth to protect your floor/porch (I use {these} that you can wash and reuse) A narrow putty knife such as {this one} if your door has any glass panes
A trick that I’ve used on interior doors is to cover the hinge with tape and then use a utility knife to cut off excess around the edges: Whether your first coat is a primer or your door paint (determined back in step 1!)
As you can see from the globs of blue paint that are there, obviously the painter before me skipped this step 🙁 Put a wide putty or tapping knife in between the edge you’re painting and the seal to protect it and keep moving the knife down as you move down the door’s edge with your paint brush: When you’re done, wipe the paint off your putty knife with a damp rag.
For a standard paneled door I typically use the paint brush/roller combo because it’s quicker and you get a smoother finish. I simply take a narrow putty knife to get the job done (you could also use a razor blade): Typically two coats of your new front door paint color is the magic number.
Be sure to allow the recommended dry time between coats, keeping your door cracked open for several hours once you’re done. You also need to remove any painter’s tape protecting hardware and/or hinges. If needed you can use your utility knife to gently cut where the tape meets the paint so it comes off cleanly.
