Easy Process Of Painting A Metal Front Door Without Removing It
In order to easily paint a front door without having to remove it, you simply need to pull out the door handle and tape the hinges with the help of painter’s tape before you start painting the door. The advantages of painting while the door is still hung are that both sides of the door can be painted in the same session as well as clean up is faster, simply remove the tape and you are done. If your door is in excellent shape i.e, there are no dents, scratches, or flaking paint, then all you need to do is clean the door using soap, water, as well as a clean microfiber rag.
Thing's You Will Need
- Sanding Block
- Exterior Paint
- Exterior Primer
- Paint Brush
- 4? Foam Roller
- Painters Tape
- Drop Cloth
Step 1: Remove The Door Handle, Locks, And Other Hardware
The first thing you need to do when it comes to prepping your door is to pull out the handle as well as locks if it has additional locks. These come off easily with the help of a screwdriver. Some of the front doors have a knocker on the front and a kickplate that also needs to be pulled out. If you didn’t like the style of either of these, then you can avoid re-installing them back after the door has been painted. Then, fill all the holes using plastic wood and sanded them smoothly.
Step 2: Sand The Door
Now, sand the door using a 100 grit sanding block. The main purpose of sanding the door is not to eliminate all the existing paint, however, to rough up the top shiny layer in order to make sure that the new paint can adhere better. Make sure to sand in all of the grooves as well as detailed spaces.
Step 3: Clean The Door
Before you can start painting, it is important to clean off the door in order to get rid of any dirt and the sawdust you just created by sanding. Wipe the door down with the help of a damp rag and follow that using a dry rag. This should get rid of the sawdust so that you have a clean surface to paint.
Step 4: Tape Off The Hinges And Windows
Due to the fact that you don't have to remove the door, you need to tape off the hinges as well as any other areas, that you are not looking to paint, with the help of painter's tape. You can tape off the weather stripping at the bottom of the door if you are not looking to get paint on it. If your door has a window, make sure to tape that off using painter's tape too. If the window of the door is curved, getting the tape around the edge is a little difficult. You can line the inside of the window using a bunch of small pieces of tape around the edge. Then, took a box knife and ran it around the edge of the window, underneath the trim, in order to cut off any tape that was on the trim. This will work great when it comes to protecting the window.
Step 5: Paint One Coat Of Primer
Now, it is time to paint the door. Start using a coat of high-quality, stain-blocking primer. It is highly recommended to use Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 Primer, as it works really well and is super easy to clean out of the brush and roller when you are done. Use a paintbrush when it comes to painting in the grooves of the door and then go over those areas that you have painted with the brush having a 4-inch foam roller. You can do this while the paint is still very wet. Going over the brushed spots using the foam roller will help remove the brush strokes and gives you a smooth finish. It is important to use a foam roller and not a nap roller in order to smooth out the brush strokes. Using your foam roller, you can easily paint the flat areas of the door. The primer will not entirely cover up the previous door color so there is no need to panic if it looks awful with just one coat of primer. You will be adding your paint color on top of the primer as soon as it is dry.
Step 6: Paint 2 Coats Of Exterior Paint
As soon as your primer is dry, add your first layer of exterior paint. Check your can of primer in order to see how long you should wait before you add a coat of paint on top. For the primer that you have used, Zinsser 1-2-3 Bullseye Primer, you only need to wait an hour. For your exterior paint, select something that is fade-resistant and can stand up to the weather. Behr Ultra Exterior Paint & Primer in One is the best option. It has great coverage, easy to clean up with water, and dries super hard. You can paint your front door with the exterior paint exactly the same way you painted the primer. Use a brush for the detailed parts and go over your brush strokes using a foam roller in order to smooth them out. Then, you can use the foam roller when it comes to the flat parts of the door. As soon as the first coat of paint is dry, add another coat exactly the same way. Make sure to wait at least for 4 hours in between coats.
Step 7: Reinstall The Door Handle And Locks
As soon as the paint is dry, you can reinstall the door handle as well as locks and you are done painting your new front door. It is suggested to leave the handle and locks off overnight in order to give the paint a little more time to cure before re-installing them. If you have a storm door, then you will still be able to shut the door for the night.