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How to Paint a Door
While repainting a room, don't overlook the
door. Here are our suggestions on how to
repaint an interior door:
- Remove the door knobs and any other hardware
that you do not want to paint.
- Make sure the door is clean (no dust or dirt
or smudge marks that might keep the paint
from sticking) and dry. If the door has been
previously painted or varnished, sand it
lightly with a fine grade sandpaper to roughen it slightly so that the paint
will stick.
- Put masking tape (yellow paper tape) around
the edge of any glass (or other
surface you
don't want to paint) and cover
the center
with paper so that you don't
get paint on
it (this is a lot of work but
easier than
scraping off the dried paint).
The coverage
does not have to be perfect,
but the closer
you tape to the edge, the better.
Do both
sides of the glass if you are
painting both
sides of the door.
- Take the door off its hinges so that you
can paint it while it is flat.
If it is a
regular door, it will have
a hinge pin that
looks like a large nail that
has been inserted
from the top; prior this up
with a flat blade
screwdriver; have somebody
hold the door
to make sure it doesnt fall
once you remove
the second hinge pin. Otherwise,
you will
have to unscrew the hinges.
Handle the hinge
pin carefully because it is
probably greasy.
Either remove or cover the
hinge plate.
- Lay the door flat on some boxes or other
support to get it off the ground.
- Cover the area underneath with some newspapers
or a drop cloth to catch paint drips.
- Use regular wall paint, a roller, and a brush.
Use the brush to paint the top and side edges
of the door (bottom not necessary) and any
trim around the glass; then use the roller
to roll the flat areas of the door.
- After a few minutes, but while the paint
is still wet, carefully remove the tape.
- Once the door is dry, flip over and paint
the back side, if desired.
- Repeat, including retaping, for a second
coat if necessary.
You can shortcut the process by leaving the
doors hanging, which eliminates the removal
step and allows you to paint everything at
once -- you just have to make sure you put
only a thin coating of paint on so you don't
get any drips. Also, if you don't use a roller
and are careful, you can just tape the edge
of the glass and skip covering the center
part. |
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