painting internal doors

happyhappyshopper

I have 5 ?original victorian doors hanging in my house - although stripped back to pine they dont look brilliant, and i think these would look better painted.

My question is, how difficult is it to paint doors to get a professional-looking finish? Is it something best left to a professional decorator, or if i go carefully with painting the door areas in sequence should i get a good result?

Im thinking of an antique white satinwood finish, if anyone can recommend a paint make to use?

many thanks

Al

sjc_2

If it's back to the wood use primer, then undercoat and then the top coat to get the best finish.

A lot of professional decorators I know don't like Satinwood to quote them "It's like Glossing with Undercoat, and doesn't give the best finish"

thebaldwindowfitter

the best way to paint them is do the panels first then the cross rails then the uprights and yes its easy to get a professional finish

Doozergirl

Just take your time and don't overload the roller. I'm using a small gloss roller, a brush for the finicky bits but going over that with a roller to get a smoother finish. I'm very pleased with my work, just wish it didn't take so long - there's a lot of doors!

happyhappyshopper

thanks for the advice! I think ill give it a go, building up from undercoat rather than using these one-coat type paints. I hadnt thought of using a roller on wood surfaces.

McKneff

preparation, preparation, preparation
between each coat sand the surface, dont rush, be patient, follow
a6 windows instructions.
the finish is personal, i prefer a satin finish, gloss finishes fades after bing cleaned over time but satin doesn't.

have you stripped the doors yourself, or would they be improved by a professional dipping. i think its a sacrilege to paint lovely pine.

economiser

Have you considered varnish rather than paint? Still needs good preparation of course.

sarahnewcastle123

I would say do give a thought to varnishing them rather than painting them.

We redecorated in October and had a new door fitted to our bedroom. The other doors in the house were already painted white gloss (which we recovered with a fresh layer). I wanted to experiment a little with the new door though so gave it a coat of varnish and I definitely prefer the natural wood look. Give it a thought!