How Do I Paint Indoor Doors?

Hightime

Hello folks, first time posting here so bear with me.

I'm a total DIY novice and so would greatly appreciate any advice from you pros. I have about 6 cheap wooden doors I will be painting white and want to know what kind of paint I need? Do I need an undercoat? How many layers of each?

Thank you.

stator

What type of finish do you want?
Gloss?
Satin?
Wood stain?

wallbash

Will give you a little piece of advice , you haven't asked for. After painting doors with a brush for thirty years, changed to a small roller .........faster easier better finish thinner coats with less runs.

Back to your questions

Need a little help , what sort of state are the doors in now?

Do I need an undercoat?

yes.

Hightime

stator wrote: »

What type of finish do you want?
Gloss?
Satin?
Wood stain?

That's what I hope you can help me with, I need a finish which will stay white for the longest.

Hightime

wallbash wrote: »

Will give you a little piece of advice , you haven't asked for. After painting doors with a brush for thirty years, changed to a small roller .........faster easier better finish thinner coats with less runs.

Back to your questions

Need a little help , what sort of state are the doors in now?

Thanks for the tip about the small roller.

The doors haven't been painted on at all before so they're in the state they would be in straight out of the store, I tried to upload a link to an image of one of them but am not allowed to since I'm a new user.

wallbash

So a light rub down, prime and then an undercoat.

A gloss white that stays white .......... a wish we all have but fail.

So look at a satin finish

Hightime

Ok thank you both for your replies.

McKneff

After the slight rub down, use a damp clothe to get rid of the dust, prime


Slight rub down again, wipe then the undercoat.


Coat of satin finish....

daveyjp

And once they are trimmed and hung this is a job which is much easier if the doors are removed before painting.

I lay them across two chairs, do one side and the edges then do the next one. By the time you have done six, the first one will be dry you can do the other side. Once primed repeat with undercoat, then final finish. If you use water based finish it will dry quickly, oil based will take longer.

Hoof_Hearted

I now prefer the water-based paints and use a small roller. Use a brush for the mouldings and roller the flat parts. Watch out for runs at the corners of the mouldings after you finish and just roller them in. I always take the door furniture off as well. I use Wicked quick dry water-based paint.

googler

As was said, if they're bare wood, you need primer and undercoat, or a combined primer/undercoat first.

A light rub with fine sandpaper, either hoover up the dust, or remove it with a damp cloth or a tack cloth. Don't use anything at this stage which sheds fibres onto the surface to be painted.

Laying them out flat is the way to go. Don't forget to protect, with dustsheets or plastic sheeting, the area around the painting area.

If you haven't painted before, you may want to get some bits of scrap wood similar to the doors and practice on those first, depending on the quality of finish you want, and maybe to determine whether you want gloss/satin or whatever. If you're happy to just slap it on, you could skip this.

If you're leaving brushes overnight and are using the same paint next day, remove as much paint as possible, wrap the brush head in a generous helping of tinfoil, and it should still be OK next day.

Disposable gloves; damp cloth nearby to mop up if using water-based paints, white spirit or brush cleaner-dampened cloth if using oil-based; old clothes or overalls.

Take hinges and handles off rather than trying to paint around them.