Introduction

Wooden doors have a variety of faces and conflicting grain patterns, all of which need to be painted seperately, however the end result must look even in colour and texture.

Nowhere is this more applicable than when painting a new wooden door, but don't let this put you off. With some careful preparation and a little patience, a new wood door can easily be painted to give that professional look.

Use our guide below to help ensure you produce the best finish possible to your new door;

Painting a door step by step

• Begin by rubbing medium grade sandpaper in the direction of the grain to ‘key’ the bare wood surface.
• Wipe dust away using white spirit and a cloth.
• Any cracks, voids or holes should be filled with cellulose filler, woodfiller or putty. The filler should be left slightly proud of the hole and then sanded back with fine sandpaper to achieve a really smooth finish.
• If your door is to be painted in a clear varnish or waxed, it will be important to match the colour of filler or putty to that of the door. If no exact match is available in a pre-mixed form, purchase small quantities of both light and dark colours and mix your own.
• Paint Knotting Fluid over any knots in the wood, this helps to avoid stains on your paintwork caused by resin slowly bleeding out of the wood.
• Finally remove all dust and debris by wiping the door down, including the edges, with white spirit and a clean cloth.
• A good coat of primer should always be apply to bare wood. Make sure this is worked well into the woodgrain and covers any knots thoroughly. When the primer has dried, rub the door down with fine sandpaper and then a clean cloth to remove any dust.
• Now apply a layer of undercoat, preferably by the same manufacturer and in the same colour as the top coat will be. Again, once dry, sand this layer down with fine sandpaper and wipe away dust. You may need to repeat this step to get a solid undercoat to cover a dark wood door.
• The top coat of gloss or vinyl satin can now be applied, taking care to check over completed areas to remove drips and paint build-ups.

Further information and useful links

• Guide to paint
• Full list of painting & decorating topics
• Full list of windows & doors topics

• Find a Decorator near you
• Find a Paint Materials store near you
• Find a Door supplier near you